In 16th century Venice, when a merchant must default on a large loan from an abused Jewish moneylender for a friend with romantic ambitions, the bitterly vengeful creditor demands a gruesome payment instead.

A compilation of scenes from Shakespeare adaptations made in the earliest days of cinema, including versions of King Lear, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Richard III and The Merchant of Venice, as well as less frequently filmed plays such as Henry VIII and The Winter’s Tale.