The Merchant of Venice live in a ghetto protected by Christian guards. Shakespeare's play may be seen as a continuation of this tradition. The title page of the Quarto indicates that the play was sometimes known as "The Jew of Venice" in its day, which suggests that it was seen as similar to Marlowe's "The Jew of Malta". One interpretation of the play's structure is that Shakespeare meant to contrast the mercy of the main Christian characters with the vengefulness of a Jew, who lacks the religious grace to comprehend mercy. Similarly, it is possible that Shakespeare meant Shylock's forced conversion to Christianity to
Jessica Bendinger Jessica Bendinger Jessica Bendinger (born November 10, 1966) is an American screenwriter and novelist. She has written several films, including 2000's "Bring It On", 2004's "First Daughter" and 2006's "Aquamarine". She was also a writer and creative consultant for "Sex and the City", as well as a producer of the 2005 film "The Wedding Date", starring Debra Messing. She also wrote and directed "Stick It", released in April 2006 as her directorial debut. Bendinger is a former model who worked for designer Stephen Sprouse and appeared on the runway in the film "Slaves of New York". She was named by