The Rich Gloss of Surface: Allegory and Sacred Theft in The Merchant of Venice.

In criticism, the motif of theft in The Merchant of Venice has simply been regarded as an ironic counterpoint to the characters' invocation of Christian values. In contrast, this article argues that Shylock's account of Jacob's ewes – a narrative of primordial appropriation and displacement – introd...

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Bibliographic Details

Published in:	Shakespeare (1745-0918) Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 120 - 139
Main Author:	Coral, Jordi
Format:	Literary Criticism
Published:	Taylor & Francis Ltd Apr2026
Subjects:	Merchant of Venice, The (Play : Shakespeare) Allegory Biblical commentaries Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430 Salvation Religious crimes Jacob (Biblical patriarch) Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Themes in literature Christian ethics Venice (Italy)
Online Access:	View this record in EBSCOhost