Description

One of Shakespeare’s greatest and, in recent times, most controversial plays, The Merchant of Venice, was classified as a comedy in the first edition of his collected works. After borrowing a large sum of money from the Jewish money-lender Shylock, the merchant Antonio faces a devastating credit crunch when his fleet of ships is sunk in a storm: Shylock insists on the small print of his terms and conditions, seeking a literal pound of flesh”.”