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The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare

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 entire play 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, and Antonio.

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about the play 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 play 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 the context and background and links to the best resources around the web.

Writing Help

Get ready to write your paper on The Merchant of Venice with our suggested essay topics, sample essays, and more.