The Merchant of Venice is horrible, cruel, and one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. After a careful reading of the play, I find it impossible to think of Shylock in a negative way; it's simply better quality stuff than any Christian in comedy. Christians are truly vile, heartless, money-hungry monsters, and when Shylock leaves for good, shattered by defeat, one should feel that our Christian brothers are ultimately completely ashamed of themselves. Merchant of Venice after reading it for the first time; all possible intrigue had dissolved as I read passages like the following: "He has disgraced me and hindered me half a million, he has laughed at my losses, he has mocked my gains, he has despised my nation, he has hindered my affairs , it has cooled my friends, it has warmed my enemies and what is its reason? I am a Jew. Don't you laugh if they poison us? (III.1.49-55, 58-60)This passage breaks my soul!!! For me this opera was a sharp farce written to satisfy a bloodthirsty mob. While researching this article, I discovered two seemingly opposing facts about The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare's most controversial play. This play is the most controversial and most studied in Israel. It is difficult to understand how this comedy could be loved by the very people affected. Apparently there are various readings of The Merchant of Venice that I hadn't considered. Perhaps the work is neither pro-Jewish nor pro-Christian. Of course, Shylock is portrayed as a money-hungry Jew throughout The Merchant: "My daughter, O my ducats! My ducats, O my daughter!" Shylock is enraged because his daughter has run off with a Christian, but perhaps he is more worried about the fate of his money. Antonio, a Christian, has borrowed money from Shylock and refuses to pay it back. Here the reader can find a Jew-hating man publicly spitting on Shylock and suffering the pain of an unfulfilled homoerotic relationship..