The Merchant of Venice Themes . . Anti semitism in The Merchant of Venice Theme of love and money in The Merchant of Venice One of the powers of theatre is that it can serve as a mirror to mankind. It can be seen, however, that these aspects of society are not unique to Shakespeare's day and age, but are elements in our society as well. In that sense, the theme is portrayed in The Merchant of Venice .
Money is a theme that runs throughout all aspects of the play.
In one form or another money is an important element in each of these plots. Elizabethan society was a very money-conscious society. The 1500's and the 1600's were a time of great economic growth in England. The middle class which appeared at this time was comprised of factory owners and business men who came to have power and status, because they had wealth. This new-found wealth, however, created a number of moral problems of Elizabethan society.