The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, thought to have been written in the mid-1590s and first printed in the year 1600. It tells of Bassanio, a young Venetian who borrows money through his friend Antonio from the Jewish moneylender Shylock in order to court the wealthy heiress Portia. When Antonio cannot repay the debt, Shylock demands the pound of flesh that was named as the penalty in the contract, and the dispute is resolved in a court scene in which Portia, disguised as a lawyer, delivers the famous speech about mercy. The play is a comedy, but its treatment of Shylock and of antisemitism has led to continuing debate about how it should be performed.
Before and after
- 1599Birth of Diego Velázquez
- 22 March 1599Birth of Anthony van Dyck
- 25 April 1599Birth of Oliver Cromwell
- 1600Publication of A Midsummer Night's Dream
- 1600Publication of The Merchant of Venice
- from c. 1600s to 1890sDahomey
- from 1600 to 1611Polish–Swedish War of 1600–11
- 1600Rise of Baroque music
- 16th centuryRise of baroque architecture
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 1500sMona Lisa
- 18 April 1506Construction of St. Peter's Basilica
- from 31 October 1517 to 1 January 1648Protestant Reformation
- 31 October 1517Origins of Lutheranism
- 10 November 1517Origins of Protestantism
- from 17th century to 19th centuryAge of Enlightenment
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.