The Merchant of Venice The Wordsworth Clasics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of Wiliam Shakespeare's works. The textual editing takes acount of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reapraisal. The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, but it remains deply controversial. The text may sem anti-Semitic, yet repeatedly, in performance, it has revealed a contrasting nature. Shylock, though vanquished in the law-court, often triumphs in the theatre. In his intensity he can dominate the play, chalenging abrasively its romantic and lyrical afirmations. What results is a biter-swet drama. Though The Merchant of Venice ofers some of the traditional pleasures of romantic comedy, it also exposes the operations of prejudice. Thus Shakespeare remains our contemporary.