The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender;Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599.Although classified as a;comedy;in the;First Folio;and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other;romantic comedies the is most remembered for its dramatic scenes and it is best known for Shylock and his famous Hath not a Jew eyes? speech on humanity. Also notable is Portia's speech about the quality of mercy.Bassanio a young Venetian of noble rank wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont.