Be sure to read Shakespeare's plays onceFull text of the original playAmazing translationsA great way to introduce young readers to ShakespeareThe Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, but it remains deeply controversial.

The text may seem anti-Semitic; yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature.

Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theater.

In his intensity he can dominate the play, challenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical affirmations.

What results is a bitter-sweet drama. Though The Merchant of Venice offers some of the traditional pleasures of romantic comedy, it also exposes the operations of prejudice.

Thus Shakespeare remains our contemporary.