James Shapiro's unvarnished look at how Jews were portrayed in Elizabethan England challenged scholars to recognize the significance of Jewish questions in Shakespeare's day. From accounts of Christians masquerading as Jews to fantasies of settling foreign Jews in Ireland, Shapiro's work delves deeply into the cultural insecurities of Elizabethans while illuminating Shakespeare's portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. In a new preface, Shapiro...

"A stylish, modern adaptation of Shakespeare's dark comedy, with backgrounds drawn on location in Venice. The text is adapted for clarity, and transitions from simple, modern prose to original Shakespearean verse as the play progresses" -- from author's web site.