Merchant of Venice summary
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Antonio is a merchant in Venice. Knowing that his friend, Bassanio is in love with Portia of Belmonte, he decides to give him 3.000 ducats so they could marry. The problem is that Antonio's money is frozen in assets and dependent on the safe return of his ships from the sea. He decides to borrow the money from Shylock, a Jewish usurer. Truth is, that they both share a history as Antonio had previously insulted Shylock for his high interest. According to the deal they make, Antonio will be bound to offer a pound of his flesh to Shylock.
At the same time, Portia's father decides that candidates to her hand will have to play a game and choose the appropriate chest (gold, silver or lead). Both the princes of Morocco and Aragon fail, but then, Bassanio wins by choosing the lead one. Antonio gets news that his ships are lost and so he will not be able to pay off Shylock who demands the promised pound of flesh and brings the matter to the court of law. Disguised as a young lawyer, Portia represents Antonio in the struggle and states that even though the usurer has rights to Antonio's pound of flesh he's not entitled to spill his blood; what is more the Jew is said to be guilty of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen which is punishable by death.
Finally, Shylock is forced to give half of his wealth to Antonio and half to the state or else he would be confined. Antonio says that he will renounce the money if only Shylock converts to Christianity and leaves his property to his daughter Jessica, who had previously run away with her christian lover - Lorenzo. At the end, there is also good news about Antonio's ships - they are coming home.
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Summary of Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare's, Merchant of Venice presents Shylock, the Jewish money lender as the villain of the play. Shylock cunningly coaxed Antonio to add the words "a pound of flesh" in the bond as one of the conditions if Antonio failed to repay the loan in time.
Antonio was a business rival to Shylock. Antonio charged minimum interest on the capital and this was harming the money lending business of Shylock. He, therefore wanted to ruin Antonio.
Launcelot Gobbo, a servant of Shylock, too struggled with the decision whether or not he should run away from his master, a kind of devil. We also see Jessica, the daughter of Shylock, living a miserable life under a domineering father. She knew all about her father and was ashamed of him.
Shylock was unpopular with other characters who accused him of practising of lending money with outrageously high rates of interest. His way of making money was immoral.
Shylock demanded the right to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio's body. The duke appeals to Shylock's sense of compassion but to no avail. Shylock refuses to show Antonio any mercy despite the countless efforts from the Christian characters to try to persuade him. The audience could see his hatred in his answer that his desire for the pound of flesh is purely for his pleasure.
But he was determined to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio's body. His eagerness to take the life of Antonio showed how deep seated his hatred for Antonio was. He was a cruel man. Shylock even brought his knife to the court, further proving how merciless he was.
Shylock is unpopular with other characters who accuse him of practising lending money with outrageously high rates of interest. The merchants, such as Antonio, too cannot stand Shylock because they believe his way of making money is immoral.
In the climactic court scene Shylock and Antonio confront one another. Portia will determine Antonio's fate. During the trial, Portia explained the value of mercy. She said that when mercy is unreservedly dispensed, it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown, it is an attribute of God himself. But it make no difference to Shylock. Portia used her logic and clever wit. She agreed with Shylock that the bond is binding. But she pointed out that though the bond allows for a pound of flesh, it did not allow for the shedding of blood. Shylock cannot cut a pound of flesh without shedding blood. He lost the case. According to the law, his property will be confiscated and divided equally between the city of Venice and Antonio. The Duke spared his life, an act of mercy Shylock refused to give to Antonio. The play ended in a happy note with the ship's of Antonio arriving safely and Bassanio marrying Portia.