In The Merchant of Venice‎,‎ the path to marriage is hazardous‎.‎ To win Portia‎,‎ Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father’s will‎,‎ choosing correctly among three caskets or chests‎.‎ If he fails‎,‎ he may never marry at all‎.‎Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain‎,‎ the moneylender Shylock‎.‎ In creating Shylock‎,‎ Shakespeare seems to have shared in a widespread prejudice against Jews‎.‎ Shylock would have been regarded as a villain because he was a Jew‎.‎ Yet he gives such powerful expression to his alienation due to the hatred around him that‎,‎ in many productions‎,‎ he emerges as the hero‎.‎Portia is most remembered for her disguise as a lawyer‎,‎ Balthazar‎,‎ especially the speech in which she urges Shylock to show mercy that “droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven‎.‎”The authoritative edition of The Merchant of Venice from The Folger Shakespeare Library‎,‎ the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers‎,‎ includes‎:‎‎-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play‎-Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play‎-Scene‎-by‎-scene plot summaries‎-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases‎-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language‎-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play‎-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books‎-An up‎-to‎-date annotated guide to further readingEssay by Alexander LeggattThe Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington‎,‎ DC‎,‎ is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works‎,‎ and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe‎.‎ In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year‎,‎ the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs‎.‎ For more information‎,‎ visit Folger‎.‎edu‎.‎