"Shylock." The very name of Shakespeare’s infamous Venetian moneylender overshadows the plot of this complex and twisted comedy about love, marriage, and the importance of always reading the fine print in your credit card agreement. Is he an anti-Semitic caricature? A representation of vengeful legalism run amok, contrasted with the concept of mercy and grace? An anti-hero who deserves sympathy? The voice of one of Shakespeare’s most humanistic and moving speeches? In this episode with discussions of everything from The Sopranos to capital markets in the Mediterranean to critiques of the merchant Antonio’s moronic business practices, Will and James argue that the answer is “all of the above.” // CREDITS // Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous); Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous); Illustrative Excerpts: “In Camelot,” The Sopranos, dir. Steve Buscemi (2004); “The Merchant of Venice,” dir. Michael Radford (2004)