The final act of the merchant of Venice is all the lying conniving characters live happily ever after. I think Shakespeare realized this and did it on purpose, adding this act as if to show the world not always do good things only happen to good people. I also am pretty sure that act 5 was very important for the audience of Shakespeare's time because it shows that the Jew (villain, monstrous scapegoat) converts to Christianity, leaving all the children in attendance with in satisfied relief glad that they have no need to fear the Jew later that night when the lights are out. Which is a good example of how Jew's were perceived in Elizabethan society.