The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play, one of Shakespeare's most famous -and controversial- plays, for its depictions of anti-Semitism. This is an intriguing drama of love, greed, and revenge. At its heart, the play contrasts the characters of the maddened and vengeful Shylock, a Venetian moneylender, with the gracious, level-headed Portia, a wealthy young woman besieged by suitors. At the play's climax, Shylock insists on the enforcement of a binding contract that will cost the life of the merchant Antonio -inciting Portia to mount a memorable defense. In this richly plotted drama, Shylock, whom Shakespeare endowed with all the depth and vitality of his most significant characters, is not alone in his villainy. In scene after scene, a large%