The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare
(Summary)
Antonio, a Venice
businessman, complains to his friends, about his sadness, which he cannot
explain. His friend, Bassanio, loves Portia, a wealthy heiress from the city of
Belmont, and desperately needs money to influence her. For this money
requirement, he asks Antonio for a loan. Antonio wants to help him, but all his
own money is invested in the merchant-ships that are still at sea. Antonio
wants Bassanio to take a loan from one of the city's moneylenders, and Antonio
will become the guarantor of that loan. On the other hand, in Belmont, Portia
is grieved over the terms of her father's will. According to the will, Portia
must marry the man, who chooses the right casket out of the three. Portia does
not like any of the boys, coming to choose the casket. Portia and her maid,
Nerissa, remembers Bassanio, who came to Belmont some time ago,
In Venice,
Antonio and Bassanio go to the Jewish moneylender Shylock for a loan. Shylock
has long been against Antonio, as Antonio harasses Shylock and other Jews for
usury. Antonio also weakens their business by offering interest-free loans.
Although Antonio refuses to apologize for his behavior, Shylock is willing to
pay three thousand ducats to Bassanio without interest, but has a condition, in
the event, if he does not repay the loan on time, Shylock will be entitled to
have one pound of Antonio’s flesh. Despite Bassanio's warning, Antonio agrees
to Shylock's condition. Meanwhile, Shylock's housekeeper, Launcelot, decides to
leave Shylock's job, to work for Bassanio, and Shylock's daughter Jessica plans
to elope with Antonio's friend, Lorenzo. That night, Venice's streets are
filled with celebrants, and Jessica, disguised, runs off with Lorenzo. After an
overnight celebration, Bassanio and his friend Gratiano leave for Belmont,
where Bassanio intends to win Portia's hand.
In Belmont,
Portia greets the prince of Morocco, who has come to try to choose the right
casket, to marry her. This prince, reading inscriptions written on the three
caskets, chooses the gold casket, which proves to be a wrong choice. In Venice,
Shylock is enraged to learn that his daughter has escaped, but is delighted by
the news that all of Antonio's ships have been wrecked, and now he will claim
his debt, and will be able to take revenge from Antonio. At Belmont, the prince
of Arragon chooses the silver casket, which is wrong. Now Bassanio arrives at
Portia's palace, and they both declare their love for each other. Portia wants
Bassanio to wait a bit, before choosing the box, but Bassanio immediately
chooses the correct lead box. When the right box is chosen, he and Portia are
happy. At the same time Gratiano also confesses that he has fallen in love with
Nerissa. Bassanio-Portia and Gratiano-Nerissa decide to have a double wedding.
Portia, as a token of love, gives Bassanio a ring, and asks him to vow, that
under no circumstances, will he separate that ring from himself. The
celebration of those people was interrupted when Lorenzo and Jessica arrived,
with the news, that Antonio's ship had actually sunk, and that Shylock,
according to the 'bond', is intent on killing Antonio. Bassanio and Gratiano
immediately leave for Venice to save Antonio's life. After they leave, Portia
tells Nerissa that they will both go to Venice, dressed as men.
Shylock ignores
the many pleas given, to spare Antonio's life and seeks to decide the case in
court. The duke of Venice, who is presiding over the court, declares that he
has summoned a legal expert. Portia arrives in court in disguise as a young
legal expert. Portia asks Shylock to show mercy, but he remains adamant for
Antonio's pound of flesh, and insists that he will have a pound of flesh.
Bassanio is willing to pay, Shylock, double money, but Shylock insists on his
demand. Portia examines the bond and finds that the bond is legally binding.
Now Portia, proclaims that Shylock deserves Antonio's flesh. Hearing this,
Shylock becomes happy. Now Portia reminds him, that he must do this without
shedding Antonio's blood, because the bond does not give him the right, to shed
blood. Shylock, trapped by this logic, agrees to take double money offered by Bassanio,
but Portia insists that Shylock must meet the conditions of the bond or get
nothing. Portia told Shylock that he was guilty of plotting against the life of
a Venetian citizen, meaning that he would have to give half of his assets to
the state and the other half to Antonio. Duke fined Shylock in exchange of his
property and took a fine. Antonio also waived his half of Shylock's wealth on
two terms: first, Shylock would have to embrace Christianity and second, upon
his death, he would owe all his property to Lorenzo and Jessica. Shylock agrees
and goes away.
Bassanio, who did
not recognize Portia, gave her the ring, which he had promised Portia, not to
separate from him, under pressure. Gratiano also gives his ring to Nerissa. The
two women return to Belmont, where they find Lorenzo and Jessica in the
moonlight, proclaiming their love to each other. When Bassanio and Gratiano
arrive in Belmont the next day, their wives accuse them of giving their rings
to other women. Before the ring-prank would have taken serious form, Portia
revealed that she was, in fact, the scholar of law. Both women reconcile with
their husbands. Lorenzo and Jessica are also happy to learn about their
heritage from Shylock. Another joyous news is that all of Antonio's ships have
safely returned to Venice. Everyone celebrates.
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