The Merchant of Venice is the story of a Jewish moneylender who demands that an antisemitic Christian offer “a pound of flesh” as collateral against a loan. First performed in 1598, Shakespeare’s study of religious difference remains controversial. Read a character analysis of Shylock, plot summary and important quotes.

Summary

Read a Plot Overview of The Merchant of Venice or a scene by scene Summary and Analysis.

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in The Merchant of Venice and in-depth analyses of Shylock, Portia, Antonio, Jessica, and Bassanio.

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about The Merchant of Venice as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of The Merchant of Venice by reading these key quotes.

Further Study

Test your knowledge of The Merchant of Venice with our quizzes and study questions, or go further with essays on context, background, and movie adaptations, plus links to the best resources around the web.

Section Quizzes

Writing Help

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