English, asked by jollyjain4422, 1 year ago

Tell me full story of merchant of Venice

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Answered by SaquibJr
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Characters

Antonio – a prominent merchant of Venice in a melancholic mood.

Bassanio – Antonio's close friend; suitor to Portia; later the husband of Portia

Gratiano – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Nerissa; later the husband of Nerissa

Lorenzo – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Jessica; later the husband of Jessica

Portia – a rich heiress; later the wife of Bassanio



Balthazar – Portia's servant, whom Portia later disguises herself as

Shylock – a miserly Jew; moneylender; father of Jessica

Jessica – daughter of Shylock, later the wife of Lorenzo

Tubal – a Jew; friend of Shylock



Old Gobbo – blind father of Launcelot

Leonardo – slave to Bassanio

Duke of Venice – authority who presides over the case of Shylock's bond

Prince of Morocco – suitor to Portia

Prince of Arragon – suitor to Portia

Salarino and Salanio (also known as Solanio) – friends of Antonio and Bassanio

Salerio – a messenger from Venice; friend of Antonio, Bassanio and others



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Plot summary
Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees, but since ng each of her suitors must choose correctly from one of three caskets – one each of gold, silver and lead. If he picks the right casket, he gets Portia. The first suitor, the Prince of Morocco, chooses the gold casket, interpreting its slogan, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire", as referring to Portia. The second suitor, last suitor is Bassanio, whom Portia wishes to succeed, having met him before. As Bassanio ponders his choice, members of Portia's household sing a song that says that "fancy" (not true love) is " Nerissa, also disguised as a man. As Balthazar, Portia repeatedly asks Shylock to show mercy in a famous speech, advising him that mercy "is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes" (IV, i, 185). However, Shylock adamantly refuses any compensations and insists on the pound of flesh.

As the court grants Shylock his bond and Antonio prepares for Shylock's knife, Portia deftly appropriates Shylock's argument for "specific performance". She says that the contract allows Shylock to remove only the flesh, not the "blood", of Antonio (see quibble). Thus, if Shylock were to shed any drop of Antonio's blood, his "lands and goods" would be forfeited under Venetian laws. She tells him that he must cut precisely one pound of flesh, no more, no less; she advises him that "if the scale do turn, But in the estimation of a hair, Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate."

Defeated, Shylock concedes to accepting Bassanio's offer of money for the defaulted bond, first his offer to pay "the bond thrice", which Portia an "alien", having attempted to take the life of a citizen, has forfeited his property, half to the government and half to Antonio, leaving his life at the mercy of the Duke. The Duke pardons Shylock's life. Antonio asks for his share "sica. At Antonio's request, the Duke grants remission of the state's half of , but on the condition that Shylock convert to Christianity and bequeath his entire estate to Lorenzo and Jessica (IV,i).

Bassanio does not recognise his disguised wife, but offers to give a present to the supposed lawyer. First she declines, but after he insists, Portia requests his ring and Antonio's gloves. e it. Nerissa, as the lawyer's clerk, succeeds in likewise retrieving her ring from Gratiano, who does not see through her disguise.

At Belmont, Portia and Nerissa taunt and pretend to accuse their husbands before revealing they were really the lawyer and his clerk in disguise (V). After all the other characters make amends, Antonio learns from Portia that three of his ships were not stranded and have returned safely after all.

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