Tough one to talk about, but also maybe one of the most important ones to talk about and discuss. The Merchant of Venice is extremely anti semitic in its portrayal of Shylock, is prejudiced in other ways too… but also talks movingly about male friendships/love, it shows depression (or maybe a sadness of spirit) from the outset and Portia is one very strong clued up woman given the time this was written.
Too much to unpick it all on IG (where brevity is a virtue) but leynes on GoodReads does an absolutely brilliant overview of you are interested.
I studied this at school in 1977 and the experience put me off Shakespeare for decades.. not the play, more the way we were taught it. But to this day I still know the ‘quality of mercy’ speech given by Portia by heart and have thought of those words all my life, so something stuck all those years ago.

I highly recommend reading this. Not to damn it or judge but to think about and keep conversations flowing about the many topics in this play.