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Summary of The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

Introduction:

The play takes place in Venice, Italy and Belmont, Portias home, during the fourteenth century.

The main characters are Antonio, Bassiano, and Shylock. Antonio is a merchant and fair

moneylender, but he currently is overinvested. Bassiano is in debt. Both Antonio and Bassino

are Christians. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender. All of these characters are worried about

money.

Act IThe Agreement

Bassiano confesses his love for Portia to Antonio. He explains Antonio that he has beenunwise with money throughout his life, and that he is in need of $3,000 gold coins to win overPortia. Bassiano tells Antonio about the fortune that was left to Portia upon her fathers death.

Antonio wants to help his friend, but he has invested his money in three trading ships that arestill out at sea.

Antonio agrees to borrow money from a man he despises named Shylock for Bassianos

courtship of Portia. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender, and he is greatly despised by theChristians because he charges high interest rates on his loans. Shylock lends Antonio $3,000gold coins for three months with collateral of one pound of flesh.

Act IIThe Three Boxes

In Belmont, Portia greets potential husbands at her residence with a test designed by her father

prior to his death. The test is a choice of one of three boxes: gold, silver, or lead. Each boxcontains a short poem and an explanation of ones choice. All suitors have failed, and they havenot been regarded as being suitable husbands by Portia as well.

Back in Venice, Shylock goes to dinner at Antonios house. Shylock warns his daughter to not

go to the Christian masquerade and to keep the house locked. Bassiano makes plans to go toBelmont to court Portia with his companion Gratiano. Gratiano, Salerio, and Lorenzo, Bassianoand Antonios friends, go to Shylocks house wearing masks. They take Jessica, who has fallenin love with Lorenzo, away. She has disguised herself as a boy, and she has stolen money andjewels from Shylock. Shylock returns home and becomes terribly angry with his daughters

actions.

Act IIIBad News

In Venice, bad news is circulating about one of Antonios ships being wrecked. Shylock finds

comfort in this amongst his anguish about his daughters departure.

In Belmont, Bassiano chooses the correct box, the lead one with the picture of Portia, and theyare set to be married. Gratiano falls in love with Portias servant Nerissa. Both Portia and Nerissa

give their soon to be husbands rings, and both Bassiano and Gratiano swear they will never give


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the rings away as a display of their love for the women. Bassiano receives word from Veniceabout Antonio from Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salerio.

Back in Venice, Antonio is imprisoned for not paying his debt on time to Shylock. Shylock is setto take one pound of flesh from Antonio, and it is clear that he wants to make the Christian suffermore than having his money returned.

Act IVThe Judgment

In Venice, Antonio is imprisone, and a judgment day is set. It will be presided over by the Dukeof Venice. The Duke is under pressure to uphold the laws of Venice to keep foreign trade honestwithin Italy. Bassiano enters and offers Shylock twice the amount of the debt due, and it isrefused.

Previously, the Duke sent for a Doctor of Law named Bellario. Nerissa enters, disguised as aman, and she produces a letter from Bellario. Bellario has fallen ill, so he has sent Balthasar, ayounger Doctor of Law, in his place. Portia enters, disguised as the man Balthasar, and she statesthat the contract has been reviewed. Shylock shall have his one pound of flesh. The contract,however, does not permit Shylock to take blood from Antonio. Portia also finds that Shylock isguilty of conspiring to kill Antonio, and that he is required to give half of his wealth to Antonioand the other half to the Duke. Antonio gives Shylocks property back to him with the

understanding that he will bequeath it to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death.

In their happiness, Bassiano and Gratiano offer money to Portia and Nerissa, but they refuse it.After a bit of personal difficulty, they give up their rings to show their gratitude for helping outwith Antonios legal matter.

Act 5The Rings

Back in Belmont, Portia and Nerissa arrive just before Bassiano, Antonio, and Gratiano. Lorenzoand Jessica are outside listening to music. Portia and Nerissa ask to see the mens rings. BothBassiano and Gratiano are hassled about their devotion to the women, and then the women admittheir involvement at Antonios judgment proceedings back in Venice. Antonio receives wordthat all of his ships have returned safely to port, and Lorenzo and Jessica find out about theirfuture inheritance.


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Summary

In order to help a friend, a Venetian merchant asks for a loan from a Jewish moneylender whodemands that he pays with a pound of his own flesh if he cant pay him back with money.

Act 1:

In 14th century Venice, Antonio, a Christian merchant, is informed by his friend,Bassanio, that he will clear his debts with him by seeking a ladys hand in marriage. The lady,called Portia, lives in Belmont. She is beautiful and rich, but she cannot marry a man of her ownchoosing because of her fathers last wish that she should marry the suito r who chooses the rightbox from among three boxes of gold, silver and lead. Portia dislikes all her suitors exceptBassanio. Although many suitors have failed in the contest, Bassanio is confident he can succeedif Antonio lends him money to travel and compete with them. However, as all the money thatAntonio possesses has been invested in his ships, he can only offer his friend his good name toget a loan from Shylock, a Jewish money lender. Bassanio persuades Shylock to lend him three

thousand ducats. Shylock hates Antonio because, being a Christian, the latter lends money topeople without charging interest and publicly complains about Shylock. So Shylock agrees tolend him the money as long as Antonio agrees to repay the loan within three months. Otherwise,Shylock will cut a pound of flesh from his body. Antonio signs the agreement, confident that hisships will return to port in time.

Act 2: Launcelot, Shylocks servant, decides to leave Shylocks service and work for Bassaniowhile Jessica, Shylocks daughter, plans to elope with Lorenzo, Bassanios friend, and become a

Christian. Before going out for supper, Shylock orders Jessica to lock the door and windows sothat she does not take part in that evenings celebrations. But that night Jessica, dressed as a boy,escapes with Lorenzo taking with her some of Shylocks jewels. After a night of celebration,

Bassanio leaves for Belmont and Shylock is reported to be lamenting the loss of his daughter andhis jewels in the streets of Venice. At Portias house, the Princes of Morocco and Arragonchoose the wrong boxes and leave defeated.

Act 3: Once in Belmont, Bassanio chooses the lead box, which is the correct choice. Portia givesBassanio a ring to seal their union, and makes him swear that under no circumstances will he part with it.Gratiano, Bassanios friend, and Portias servant, Nerissa, asks to be married on the same day. But thecelebration is cut short by the news that Antonio has lost his ships and that Shylock demandsthat they should keep to their agreement. Immediately after the marriage ceremony in the church,Bassanio and Gratiano travel to Venice, with money from Portia, to save Antonios life. After they leave,

Portia tells Nerissa that they will go to Venice disguised as men. William Shakespeare

Act 4: Antonio is brought before the Duke to stand trial. Bassanio offers Shylock six thousand ducats, butShylock is inflexible. The Duke announces that he has sent for a legal expert. Portia and Nerissa enterdressed as a Doctor of Law and his clerk. Portia claims to have studied the case and delivers a shortspeech on mercy which Shylock ignores. Portia says that since Shylock has refused to be paid the moneyback there is nothing she can do. But as Shylock is about to cut the pound of Antonios flesh, Portiareminds him that the agreement stipulates flesh but not blood. So Shylock decides to withdraw his case,but Portia tells him that he is guilty of conspiring against a Venetian, which means he will have to givehalf of his property to Antonio, the other half to the state, and his life will be in the hands of the Duke.The Duke spares Shylocks life and Antonio asks him to let Shylock retain half of his property. He offers


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to give his half to Lorenzo on condition that Shylock becomes a Christian and leaves everything he ownsto Lorenzo upon his death. After the trial, Bassanio and Gratiano thank Portia and offer the young

doctor anything he wants. Portia asks her husband for the ring she gave him, which he unwillingly pa rtswith. Nerissa also gets the ring she gave Gratiano, who had promised to keep it for ever.

Act 5: Lorenzo and Jessica, still in Belmont, talk about their love. Portia and Nerissa return and tell

everyone to pretend they have never left. Soon after, Bassanio, Gratiano and Antonio arrive. Portia andNerissa pretend to discover that their husbands have parted with the rings. Antonio intercedes and Portiaand Nerissa give them other rings, which they recognize as the ones they have given away. Portia andNerissa claim that they have slept with the doctor and the clerk to get the rings back. Portia finally clearsup the confusion by revealing the truth, informs Antonio that three of his ships are safe and Lorenzo istold that he will inherit everything after Shylock dies.

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