venice and in 1596. jew be separate from the good christian . bassanio and a young but poor venetian love the fair portia and who be a wealthy heiress . so he approach his friend and a merchant call antonio for three thousand ducat to travel to belmont and propose portia . all of antonio ship and merchandise be busy at sea and so he turn to the moneylender shylock and the one of jewish faith . shylock do not like antonio and for he spat on his face . he offer antonio a three month loan at no interest and but if he will not pay the money in that time and he will own a pound of his flesh . also and shylock daughter jessica elope with the christian lorenzo . the merchant of venice be base on william shakespeare play that believe to have write between 1596 and 1598. i read the play last summer and now i have see the movie and make in 2004 by michael radford . i like the play and and i do not quite agree with the accusation of it be anti semitic . the jewish character do not appear a an inhuman monster and even though he ready to cut a piece of antonio flesh . there a lot of depth in his character and which all come out in his speech where he ask if you prick u and do we not bleed . and so forth . there be much more human in shylock character than in one of antonio and who spit on the good jew . al pacino be unbeatable a shylock . he give such a strong performance . jeremy iron be also terrific a antonio . lynn collins be most beautiful and brilliant in the role of portia . zuleikha robinson do great job a jessica and and charlie cox a lorenzo be also very good . kris marshall play gratiano and and he do a good job . in the role of nerissa we see heather goldenhersh . mackenzie crook play launcelot gobbo . a in shakespeare play usually and also this one contain most brilliant dialogue . the movie paint a fantastic portray of the era . it deal with some great issue and in a shakespearian way .