The Merchant of Venice

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE - is a play written by William Shakespeare. This comedy is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. In this 16th- century play Antonio a merchant in Venice defaults on a substantial debt made by Shylock a Jewish moneylender who without mercy demands a pound of his flesh. Shylock also wants to get even with Antonio for making anti-Semitic comments. Portia now the wife of Antonio's friend Bassanio finally saves Antonio. Bassanio the best friend of Antonio is a spendthrift who wasted all of his money in order to be seen as a respectable man. He is determined to marry Portia a wealthy and intelligent heiress of Belmont. In the ensuing scenes Portia's speech about ""the quality of mercy"" plays an important part in the drama. Although the play's main goal is to show the conflict between the right to property and the right to life it also explains the ensuing minor clash between a parent's will and a child's right to choose.