Scholars and stage directors the world over have searched for clues to Shakespeare's true feelings toward Shylock. Was The Merchant of Venice intended to comment on mistreatment of the Jewish people? Was the Bard simply pandering to the anti-Semitism of the day? Or is there a more nuanced answer, found not through textual analysis but by giving the play breath and movement and therefore the most honest reading of its soul one can hope for? This program presents just such an effort, featuring drama students working on Scene 1 from Act IV under professional guidance at the Globe Theatre.

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on March 03, 2011. Learn360 is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

Shakespeare's Globe, London: Introduction to Shakespeare (1:00) -- Contemporary Relevance of "The Merchant of Venice" (1:06) -- Summary of "The Merchant of Venice" (1:51) -- "The Merchant of Venice": Rehearsal, Act IV, Scene 1 (1:43) -- "The Merchant of Venice": Performance, Act IV, Scene 1 (7:38) -- Discussion of "The Merchant of Venice" (0:45) -- Credits: "The Merchant of Venice": Young Actors in Training (0:55).