The Merchant of Venice April 24, 2009

'The Merchant of Venice' features a mysteriously melancholy rich man, a dashing young lover in need of cash, a moneylender with reasons to seek revenge and a witty young woman with a knack for disguise. This thought-provoking mixture of comedy, steely-eyed satire, compassion, poetry and the perpetual struggle between mercy and justice has intrigued audiences for four centuries.