Shakespeare's Cop Out Ending

Despite The Merchant of Venice being a play that was way ahead of its time, the play closes in a way that leaves little to be desired. After Act IV closes I expected to see some sort of general interaction with Shylock, but I was saddened to learn that his appearances ended in the conclusion of the court scene in Act IV. I think Shakespeare copped out by doing this because it was too radical; he knew if he had made a definite choice about Shylock's fate his audience might not take it well. The Merchant of Venice has many satirical undertones that not all of his readers may have initially have seen, but with the addition of a just or merciful ending for Shylock, the readers would have picked up on the social commentaries and become enraged about the book. Although the ending is not at all ideal, Shakespeare wraps the play up in a way that would please his initial audience. I believe that Shakespeare was not concerned with the way he would end his play; his message was strong enough that no conclusion was the best decision. He wanted to make his readers think about the play and its connections to the world and, through an ending that does not satisfy the readers, he succeeds in his goal.