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
Morris S. Levy Morris S. Levy Morris S. Levy is a film, television, and theatrical producer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Great Neck, NY. He is the founder and President of M.E.G.A. Films (Morsly Entertainment Group and the Arts), a New York based production company. He often films in Great Neck as well as all over the New York City area. His films have appeared in the Sundance Film Festival ("The Ten"-starring Paul Rudd, Winona Ryder, Jessica Alba and Liev Schreiber), the Cannes Film Festival ("Seduced and Abandoned"-starring Alec Baldwin, Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain), and the Tribeca Film