"De Koopman van Venetië" by William Shakespeare is a play written between 1596 and 1598. When merchant Antonio defaults on a loan to help his friend Bassanio woo the wealthy Portia, the Jewish moneylender Shylock demands a shocking penalty: a pound of Antonio's flesh. Though classified as a comedy, the play is best remembered for its dramatic courtroom scenes and Shylock's famous speeches on humanity and justice, sparking ongoing debate about prejudice and mercy. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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