Some critics have suggested that the play directly influenced Marlowe's contemporary, William Shakespeare, in the writing of his play "The Merchant of Venice" (written c. 1596–99). James Shapiro notes that both "The Merchant of Venice" and "The Jew of Malta" are works obsessed with the economics of their day, stemming from anxiety around new business practices in the theater, including the bonding of actors to companies. Such bonds would require actors to pay a hefty fee if they performed with other troupes or were otherwise unable to perform. In this way, greed becomes an allegory rather than a characteristic or stereotype.