De Koopman van Venetië

The play follows a merchant who helps a friend obtain funds to court a wealthy heiress; to raise money the friend borrows from a resentful moneylender who demands a gruesome pound-of-flesh bond when repayment fails. Parallel plots show the heiress’s suitors facing a casket test and the moneylender’s daughter eloping, heightening social and personal tensions. A dramatic courtroom confrontation poses questions about mercy, justice, and the letter of the law, while disguises and legal ingenuity lead to an unexpected resolution. Themes explore contractual obligation, prejudice, friendship, and the tension between material wealth and moral value.