The Merchant of Venice

The latest rendition obscures the Christian themes written by Shakespeare | Gene Edward Veith

The Merchant of Venice may be Shakespeare's most explicitly Christian play. But for modern audiences, the play's portrayal of Jews overwhelms its intended themes. And the movie version now in theaters obscures the Christian themes even more.

Shylock is a Jewish moneylender to whom the merchant Antonio is in hock, borrowing money to finance his friend Bassanio's courtship of Portia. The terms of the loan were even worse than today's credit cards: If Antonio cannot pay, he has to give Shylock—who hates him for the way he treats Jews—a pound of his flesh. Antonio's ships sink and he cannot pay in time, so Shylock goes to court to demand his due.

For Shakespeare, Shylock with his Judaism stands for legalism. "I crave the law!" Shylock tells the judge, who is actually Portia in disguise. She pleads for Shylock to extend mercy, which is "an attribute to God Himself." Yes, the law is valid, but Portia focuses on the Christian gospel of forgiveness. "In the course of justice none of us/Should see salvation."