The Merchant of Venice: Is It A Classic One of the many elements that make up a classic, is that the book, novel or play can be read in any generation, decade, century or in any part of the globe at any time and have relevance to the reader. The themes of this book should be universal, so that the reader can take something and create a parallel to an event or situation in his or her own life. Although The Merchant of Venice is not considered by many as Shakespeare's greatest play, it still has elements that make it a classic. The Merchant of Venice has many contemporary themes in it. In this essay I will provide