42 pages • 1 hour read
The Merchant of Venice
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Merchant of Venice is a play by English playwright William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s many comedies, which include As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Taming of the Shrew. Written in the 1590s, it concerns a Jewish moneylender in Venice named Shylock who is determined to extract a pound of flesh from a merchant who failed to pay a debt on time. As the narrative unfolds, it considers themes like The Cyclical Nature of Dehumanization, Mercy as a Privilege of an In-Group, and How Appearances Deceive with Shiny Surfaces and Vice Versa.
The play remains controversial due to the antisemitic stereotypes it perpetuated in its time and for centuries thereafter. Despite this, the play continues to be read and performed frequently, with many directors opting to frame Shylock as a tragic hero rather than a villain.
Citations for this study guide are sourced from the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Content Warning: This study guide and source text contain depictions of antisemitism.
Plot Summary
Related Titles
By William Shakespeare
