It seems that one of the most prevalent themes in popular discourse
             today is the problem of the lack of ethical business practices. From Enron
             to Arthur Andersonâ€"Martha Stewart to "sweatshop labor" abuses, the bottom
             line seems to always come before the needs of the "little guy"â€"the symbolic
             representation of "us all." Yet, ethical problems in business have long
             been an issue before today's turbulent times. Indeed, from Biblical times
             to the present, business ethics have always been of serious concern. Even
             popular entertainment is not immune to the issueâ€"and two excellent examples
             of the perils of the loss of equitable behavior in business occur in
             Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice (which was, after all, popular
             entertainment), and in the 1930's silent film, Modern Times, by Charlie
             To be sure, one of the main themes of the Merchant of Venice is that
             of "good vs. evil." However, unlike other Shakespeare plays, specifically
             the tragedies, the good and evil discussed is specifically mired in issues
             The reader soon realizes that the two main characters, Antonio and
             Shylock, represent the two extremes of ethics. Of course, one cannot fail
             to mention when discussing Shylock that he is markedly (specifically noted,
             even in the cast list), Jewish. Unfortunately, in Shakespeare's day, that
             meant that Shylock would necessarily represent "evil" and dishonest
             business practicesâ€"much as a black cape would signify to the audience just
             who "the bad guy" would be in any other play. Indeed, the reader is first
             introduced to Shylock in Act I, scene iii, where he states, "I hate him for
             Although, it may seem that this hatred (to modern readers), is
             religiously based, one must remember that, to Shakespeare's audience,
             "Christian" was synonymous with "goodness" and honesty. The
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