The Merchant of Venice is often categorized as one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," along with Alls Well that Ends Well, Measure for Measure, Timon of Athens, Troilus and Cressida, and The Winter's Tale. These place combine comic and dramatic elements in ways that make them difficult to classify as comedies or tragedies.
The Merchant of Venice has much in common with Shakespeare's other Romantic comedies, such as Twelfth Night and As You Like It, although these two comedies lack the darker, more controversial elements found in Merchant.
