the merchant of venice be one of shakespeare most popular play during his own lifetime and but it have fall on hard time during the 20th century because of it undeniably anti semitic content . the play have also be call schizoid in it careening from comedic scene to tragic one and lead some to say it be two play try to coexist a one . bassanio ( joseph fiennes and who play william shakespeare in shakespeare in love ) be in love with portia ( lynn collins and superb ) and but need to borrow a considerable sum of money to woo her . he go to his sometime gay lover antonio ( jeremy iron ) and who hasn not the fund on his person and but take out a loan from the jewish usurer shylock ( al pacino ) . shylock be amuse and offend that antonio and who insult him for his religion and now come to him for money and but he offer it and on the condition that the penalty for default on the loan will be a pound of antonio flesh . which be and of course and what happen . bassanio and portia offer shylock considerably more then the original loan instead of the pound of flesh and but shylock and distraught after his daughter leave him and marry a christian and refuse to take it . portia and in a scene where the audience be never quite sure where to place it sympathy and deprives shylock of what should be legally his and and then strip him of his wealth and religion . shylock be originally essay a a cartoonish villain and but modern actor and director have turn him into a tragic figure and railing against the injustice of 16th century venice . al pacino do an excellent job a shylock and and jeremy iron be good a antonio and but i think that lynn collins work a portia be the best part of the play . portia be one of the few notable female role in shakespeare canon and and collins be wonderful in the part . joseph fiennes be more than a bit dull and however while i have never particularly enjoy his often overwrought act style . i give the merchant of venice an positive .