Sir – Christopher Gray says he maintains his belief that The Merchant of Venice is an anti-semitic play (Gray Matter, August 2).

My letter did not deny this possible reading but challenged his claim that this was beyond doubt, so that its enjoyment is necessarily a ‘guilty’ pleasure in the politically incorrect.

Rather than implying that a contrary view to his is stupid, perhaps Mr Gray would like to reflect on why a reading, for which much support can be found in the text, and Creation Theatre’s production, that sees Shylock’s actions as being brought about by the bigotry and hypocrisy of a slave-owning society, cannot be a reasonable, perhaps convincing, view.

I hope many people will go to this production and decide for themselves.

John Eekelaar, Boars Hill