▁The ▁Mer chant ▁is ▁a ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁play ▁in ▁two ▁acts ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁dram at ist ▁Arnold ▁Wes ker . ▁It ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁William ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁The ▁Mer chant ▁of ▁Ven ice , ▁and ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁Jewish ▁Sh y lock ▁character , ▁that ▁play ' s ▁principal ▁ant agon ist . ▁ ▁Wes ker ▁began ▁writing ▁the ▁play ▁after ▁seeing ▁a ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁performance ▁by ▁Laur ence ▁Oliv ier . ▁It ▁premier ed ▁in ▁Stockholm ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁renamed ▁Sh y lock . ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁premi ere ▁on ▁Broadway ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁but ▁the ▁Broadway ▁production ▁was ▁cancel led ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁plays ' ▁lead , ▁multiple ▁Tony ▁Award ▁winner ▁Zero ▁Most el . ▁Wes ker ▁had ▁high ▁hopes ▁that ▁the ▁play ▁would ▁make ▁a ▁big ▁profit , ▁but ▁this ▁did ▁not ▁happen . ▁He ▁wrote ▁a ▁book ▁about ▁the ▁play ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁The ▁B irth ▁of ▁Sh y lock ▁and ▁the ▁Death ▁of ▁Zero ▁Most el . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁play , ▁Sh y lock ▁is ▁a ▁good ▁man ▁and ▁Antonio ' s , ▁the ▁title ▁character ▁in ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁play , ▁good ▁friend . ▁They ▁bond ▁in ▁their ▁love ▁of ▁knowledge ▁and ▁mut ual ▁dis like ▁of ▁the ▁ant is emit ism ▁in ▁their ▁community . ▁Sh y lock ' s ▁demand ▁for ▁a ▁p ound ▁of ▁flesh ▁is