What's the traditional theme of The Merchant of Venice?

Answer 1

Traditional analyses of The Merchant of Venice focus on Portia's "The quality of mercy" speech and draw contrasts between Shylock's behaviour and Antonio's as a contrast of mercy versus inflexibility, of justice versus law. It is traditional not to second-guess the claim of the various Christians in the play that they are merciful.

An even older tradition would relegate the Shylock subplot to the background and focus on the casket game and its theme of choice and chance, of arranged marriages and marriages for love.