As far as I'm concerned I could do without all the nonsense in act 5. Though it does serve some purpose since the story is a comedy. The act kind of wraps up some trivial aspects of the play and, ends things on a cheerful note for most of the characters anyway Personally, I would have preferred if everyone but Shylock contracted something terrible, like the plague or at the very least, a bad case of amoebic dysentery. Now that that would make for a good comedy.