h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The Merchant of Venice cast Jews in a better light than most literature of the period. Compare it with, say "The Jew of Malta" by Marlow in which Jews were simple cardboard villains with no redeeming features.

In contrast Shylock has an eloquent speech during the trial, part of which was quoted in the article, in which he points out that his hatred of Antonio stemmed directly from his suffering at the hands of anti-semitic Christians, of whom Antionio was one: Antonio deliberately lent money at zero interest in order to damage Jewish financiers. Shylock lost his battle and was destroyed, but his destruction has a distinctly tragic edge: we see a proud man bought low by his enemies, not merely a villan getting his just deserts.

By modern standards the Merchant of Venice is indeed anti-semitic, but such were the standards of the time. Shakespeare had the genius to go beyond a simple story of Goodies vs Baddies and present a story with a real sting in its tail.

Paul.