The Merchant of Venice is classed as one of Shakespeare's comedies, but is more often remembered for its dramatic characters and situations. Though the villain of the piece, the Jewish moneylender Shylock is often the most prominent and well-remembered character of the play. As he can be played and directed either sympathetically or wholly villainous, the play remains a highly contentious piece of theater.

The third novel in his famed Palliser series, Anthony Trollope's The Eustace Diamonds centers on a beautiful diamond necklace that has been passed down for generations in the Eustace family and has now fallen into the hands of Lizzie Greystock, a gold digger extraordinaire. Soon afterwards, Lizzie reports the diamonds missing, but is there more to this story than meets the eye?

Adam Bede follows the lives of a fictional rural community. The life and expectations of the good carpenter Adam Bede are disrupted when the local lord takes liberties below his station and his conscience. The novel is a discussion of class and education and also of religion, with the female Methodist preacher Dinah Morris coming to the fore as the novel progresses.