The Merchant of Venice is one of William Shakespeare's most often performed-but also most controversial-dramas. Technically a comedy, the play has long been regarded as having dark, even tragic, overtones. Its most memorable character, Shylock, is also its apparent villain. This volume explores the play from many different points of view while seeking to understand why this work has long aroused, and continues to arouse, such strong admiration, fascination, and disagreement. This volume, like all others in the Critical Insights series, is divided into several sections. It begins with an introductory About This Volume
essay, followed by another work titled Leverage, Risk, and Fragility in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice,
by Edwin Wong. This is followed by a Biography of William Shakespeare written by volume editor Robert C. Evans. Next, a collection of four critical contexts essays are intended to treat the play from a historical vantage point; in terms of its critical reception; using a specific critical lens; and by comparing and contrasting it with another important work. Following these essays, the book contains a Critical Readings section. Each essay includes a list of Works Cited and detailed endnotes. In the final section, Resources, easy-to-follow lists are provided to help guide the reader through important dates and moments in the author's life, beginning with a Chronology of William Shakespeare's Life. This is followed by a list of Works by William Shakespeare and a Bibliography. Finally, this section closes with an About the Editor section, Contributors, and a detailed Index.