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TheMerchantofVenice

PlaySummary
CharacterList

ChapterSummaries
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ByWilliamShakespeare

SummaryandAnalysis
ActI:Scene1

PlaySummary

ActI:Scene2

Next

ActI:Scene3
ActII:Scene1
ActII:Scene2
ActII:Scene3
ActII:Scene4
ActII:Scene5
ActII:Scene6
ActII:Scene7
ActII:Scene8
ActII:Scene9
ActIII:Scene1
ActIII:Scene2
ActIII:Scene3
ActIII:Scene4
ActIII:Scene5
ActIV:Scene1
ActIV:Scene2
ActV:Scene1

CharacterAnalysis
Antonio
Bassanio
Portia
Shylock

CriticalEssays
MajorThemes
MajorSymbolsand
Motifs

WilliamShakespeare
Biography
StudyHelp
Quiz
FamousQuotes
FilmVersions
EssayQuestions

CitethisLiteratureNote

Antonio,aleadingmerchantofVenice,isawealthy,
respected,andpopularman.Amonghismanyfriendsisa
youngmannamedBassanio,whoowesAntonioagooddealof
money.Bassaniowouldliketorepayhisfriend,butsofarhe
hasbeenunabletodoso.However,henowfeelsthathemay
havefoundawaybuthewillagainneedaloanfrom
Antonio.InBelmont,BassaniotellsAntonio,therelivesa
beautifulandyoungandwealthyheiress.Bassaniofeelssure
thathecanwinherhandinmarriage,buthecannotgo
courting"handshanging."Ifheistomakeagoodimpression,
hehastoappearatleastaswelloffasherotherwealthy
suitors.Antoniotellshisyoungfriendthathewouldgladly
lendhimwhateveramountofmoneyheneeds,butatthe
presenttimehehimselfisshortofcash.Allofhismoneyis
tiedupinhismerchantships,whicharestillatsea.However,AntoniowillnotdisappointBassanio.He
knowsofamoneylenderwhowillprobablylendhimthenecessaryamount,andBassaniocanuse
Antonio'sgoodnameassecurityfortheloan.
AtBelmont,PortiaspeakstoNerissa,herconfidante,tellingherhowtiredsheisoftheconstantstreamof
suitors,andhowshewishestobefreeoftheperverseobligationofherfather'swill:Portiacannotchoose
herownhusbandshecanmarryonlythemanwhochoosesthecorrectoneofthreecasketsonegold,
onesilver,andoneleadonecontainsherportraitandthatoneistheluckycasket.Sofar,noneofher
suitorshasdecidedtoriskchoosingoneofthecaskets,whichisallforthegood,becausePortiahasno
likingforanyofthem.However,whenNerissamentionsthenameofBassanio,apossiblesuitor,Portia's
moodbrightens.HewasonceavisitoratBelmont,andPortiawasimpressedwithhim.
MeanwhileinVenice,Shylock,arichJewishmoneylenderwhoharborsasecrethatredforAntonio,has
agreedtolendBassaniothreethousandducatsforthreemonths,onAntonio'sbond.Foregoinghisusual
highinterestrate,Shylockdemandsinsteadthatifthedayforpaymentfallsdueandthemoneyisnot
returned,hemaycutoffonepoundoffleshfromAntonio'sbody.Antonioagreesbecauseallofhisships
areduebackinVeniceafullmonthbeforethebondfallsdue.
AromanticsubplotdevelopswhenLorenzo,aclosefriendofAntonioandBassanio,fallsinlovewith
Shylock'sdaughter,Jessica.Hemanagestoelopewithherbydisguisingherasaboy,andshemanages
totakewithheragoodlyamountofherfather'sducats.Ofcourse,thisinfuriatesShylock,andhevows
revenge.Shortlythereafter,BassanioandGratianoleaveforBelmont,wherethe"fairPortia"hasjustsent
awaythePrinceofMoroccoandthePrinceofArragon,twomoredisappointed,unsuccessfulsuitors.When
Bassanioaskstochooseoneofthecaskets,Portiafallsimmediatelyinlovewithhim,andshebegshimto
waitafewdaysbeforechoosingoneofthecaskets.HehasfalleninlovewithPortiaandinsistsontaking
hischances.Herejectsthegoldone,thenthesilveronehechooses,finally,theleadcasket,andon
openingit,hefindsaportraitofPortia.BothheandPortiaareoverjoyed,andtheymakeplanstobe
marriedatonce,alongwithNerissaandGratiano,whohavealsofalleninlove.Happinessreignsin

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BelmontuntilBassanioisbroughtaletterfromAntoniobiddinghimfarewellsincehisshipshavebeen
lostatseaandsinceitisimpossiblethathewillliveafterShylockcollectshispoundofflesh.Horrified,
BassanioleavesinstantlyforVenicewithmoneywhichPortiagiveshimtopaythebond.
InVenice,Shylockisnolongerinterestedinthemerepaymentofthemoneyduehim.Hewantsrevenge.
AChristianstolehisdaughter(andshetookhismoney),andnothingwillsatisfyShylockexceptthelegal
fulfillmentofthebond.Inthecourtofjustice,presidedoverbytheDukeofVenice,Shylockfaceshis
enemy,Antonio.Antonioissurroundedbyhisfriendsandisquietlyresignedtodeath.Onallsides,
Shylockissurroundedbyenemies.BassaniopleadswithShylocktoacceptdoublethemoneyduehim,but
Shylockrefuses.
Atthispoint,Portia,disguisedasalawyer,andNerissa,dressedasherlawclerk,enterthecourtandtell
theDukethattheyhavebeensentfromPaduabyalearnedattorney,DoctorBellario,topleadthe
defendant'scase.PortiaentreatsShylocktobemerciful,buthewillnotlisten.Sheoffersthe
moneylendertripletheamountowedhim,butagainShylockwillhavenoneofit.Shethensolemnly
informsthecourtthatShylockisentirelywithinhislawfulrights.ShetheninformsShylockthathemust
beverycareful.Hemustcutoffexactlyonepoundofflesh,andhemustnotspillonedropofAntonio's
blood.Ifhefails,allofShylock'slandsandgoodswillbeconfiscated.Shylockhastilydecidesthathewill
acceptthetriplepaymentofthebond,butPortiasaysnoShylockthenofferstotakeonlytheoriginal
threethousandducats,butagainPortiarefuses,remindinghimthatitwashehimselfwhodemandedthe
strictinterpretationofthelaw.Furthermore,shesays,thelawhasanotherholdonhim.Sinceheisan
alieninVeniceandsincehetriedto"seekthelife"ofaVenetiancitizen,allhiswealthcanbedivided
betweenthecitizenwhomheattemptedtodestroyandthepublictreasuryinaddition,Shylock'sownlife
isinperilbecauseofwhatheattemptedtodo.
TheDukedecidestospareShylock'slife,buthedoesgivehalfofShylock'smoneytoAntonio,andhe
givestherestofittothestate.AntoniosaysthathewillnotacceptthemoneyifShylockwillagreeto
becomeaChristianandif,inhiswill,hewillagreetoleavehismoneytohisdaughter,Jessica,andher
newhusband,Lorenzo.Shylock,brokenanddefeated,agreestoalltheseconditionsandleavesthecourt.
Overjoyed,Antonioandhisfriendsoffertopaytheyounglawyerwhatevertheycan,but,oddlyenough,
thelawyerwishesonlyacertainringwhichBassanioiswearing.Bassanioisembarrassedbecausehiswife
gavethisringtohimandaskedhimtowearitalways.Butthelawyerinsistsand,finally,Bassanio
reluctantlygivesawayPortia'sring.NerissalikewisecleverlymanagestogetfromGratianoaringshe
gavehim.ThetwoladiesthenhastenbacktoBelmonttoteasetheirhusbandsabouttherings.
WhenBassanioandGratiano,alongwithAntonio,returntoBelmont,theirwivesinquireaboutthe
missingrings.PortiaandNerissainsistthatthemennodoubtgavetheringsawaytotwootherwomen.
Thehusbandsswearthatitisnottrue,anditisnotuntilPortiaandNerissahaveputtheirhusbands
throughsomelong,comicallyagonizingmomentsofdiscomfortthattheyconfessthattheythemselves
werethe"learneddoctor"andthe"clerk"towhomtheringsweregiven.Thusallendshappily,asPortia
givesAntonioaletterinforminghimthatthreeofhisshipshavearrivedsafelyinport.
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Cliff'sNotes

Bassaniochoosestheleadcasket,whichcontains

Isintrepidityagoodthingorabadthing?

3,000ducats
adeedtoproperty
aportraitofPortia

WhenreadingJaneAusten'sPrideand
Prejudice,whatdoesentailmentmean?
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