The Merchant of Venice is a literary master piece written by William Shakespeare. This paper aims at exploring the philosophy of happiness extant in the play employing the Aristotelian critical framework of happiness. The objectives of this study are to enquire how to determine the essence of happiness and how to ensure it in the life of the polis. The paper reveals that virtue is highly necessary for attaining happiness in human life. The paper suggests that doing good to others is the highest virtue, which is a predominant element to bring happiness in our personal as well as societal life.
Keywords: William Shakespeare; Aristotle, happiness; virtue; polis
