1

SummaryofTheMerchantofVenice

byWilliamShakespeare

Introduction:

TheplaytakesplaceinVenice,ItalyandBelmont,Portiashome,duringthefourteenthcentury.

ThemaincharactersareAntonio,Bassiano,andShylock.Antonioisamerchantandfairmoney

lender,buthecurrentlyisoverinvested.Bassianoisindebt.BothAntonioandBassinoare

Christians.ShylockisaJewishmoneylender.Allofthesecharactersareworriedaboutmoney.

ActITheAgreement

BassianoconfesseshisloveforPortiatoAntonio.HeexplainsAntoniothathehasbeenunwise

withmoneythroughouthislife,andthatheisinneedof$3,000goldcoinstowinoverPortia.

BassianotellsAntonioaboutthefortunethatwaslefttoPortiauponherfathersdeath.Antonio

wantstohelphisfriend,buthehasinvestedhismoneyinthreetradingshipsthatarestilloutatsea.

AntonioagreestoborrowmoneyfromamanhedespisesnamedShylockforBassianoscourtship

ofPortia.ShylockisaJewishmoneylender,andheisgreatlydespisedbytheChristiansbecausehe

chargeshighinterestratesonhisloans.ShylocklendsAntonio$3,000goldcoinsforthreemonths

withcollateralofonepoundofflesh.

ActIITheThreeBoxes

InBelmont,Portiagreetspotentialhusbandsatherresidencewithatestdesignedbyherfather

priortohisdeath.Thetestisachoiceofoneofthreeboxes:gold,silver,orlead.Eachboxcontains
 2

ashortpoemandanexplanationofoneschoice.Allsuitorshavefailed,andtheyhavenotbeen

regardedasbeingsuitablehusbandsbyPortiaaswell.

BackinVenice,ShylockgoestodinneratAntonioshouse.Shylockwarnshisdaughtertonotgoto

theChristianmasqueradeandtokeepthehouselocked.BassianomakesplanstogotoBelmontto

courtPortiawithhiscompanionGratiano.Gratiano,Salerio,andLorenzo,BassianoandAntonios

friends,gotoShylockshousewearingmasks.TheytakeJessica,whohasfalleninlovewith

Lorenzo,away.Shehasdisguisedherselfasaboy,andshehasstolenmoneyandjewelsfrom

Shylock.Shylockreturnshomeandbecomesterriblyangrywithhisdaughtersactions.

ActIIIBadNews

InVenice,badnewsiscirculatingaboutoneofAntoniosshipsbeingwrecked.Shylockfinds

comfortinthisamongsthisanguishabouthisdaughtersdeparture.

InBelmont,Bassianochoosesthecorrectbox,theleadonewiththepictureofPortia,andtheyare

settobemarried.GratianofallsinlovewithPortiasservantNerissa.BothPortiaandNerissagive

theirsoontobehusbandsrings,andbothBassianoandGratianosweartheywillnevergivethe

ringsawayasadisplayoftheirloveforthewomen.BassianoreceiveswordfromVeniceabout

AntoniofromLorenzo,Jessica,andSalerio.

BackinVenice,AntonioisimprisonedfornotpayinghisdebtontimetoShylock.Shylockissetto

takeonepoundoffleshfromAntonio,anditisclearthathewantstomaketheChristiansuffer

morethanhavinghismoneyreturned.

ActIVTheJudgment
 3

InVenice,Antonioisimprisone,andajudgmentdayisset.ItwillbepresidedoverbytheDukeof

Venice.TheDukeisunderpressuretoupholdthelawsofVenicetokeepforeigntradehonest

withinItaly.BassianoentersandoffersShylocktwicetheamountofthedebtdue,anditisrefused.

Previously,theDukesentforaDoctorofLawnamedBellario.Nerissaenters,disguisedasaman,

andsheproducesaletterfromBellario.Bellariohasfallenill,sohehassentBalthasar,ayounger

DoctorofLaw,inhisplace.Portiaenters,disguisedasthemanBalthasar,andshestatesthatthe

contracthasbeenreviewed.Shylockshallhavehisonepoundofflesh.Thecontract,however,

doesnotpermitShylocktotakebloodfromAntonio.PortiaalsofindsthatShylockisguiltyof

conspiringtokillAntonio,andthatheisrequiredtogivehalfofhiswealthtoAntonioandtheother

halftotheDuke.AntoniogivesShylockspropertybacktohimwiththeunderstandingthathewill

bequeathittoLorenzoandJessicauponhisdeath.

Intheirhappiness,BassianoandGratianooffermoneytoPortiaandNerissa,buttheyrefuseit.

Afterabitofpersonaldifficulty,theygiveuptheirringstoshowtheirgratitudeforhelpingoutwith

Antonioslegalmatter.

Act5TheRings

BackinBelmont,PortiaandNerissaarrivejustbeforeBassiano,Antonio,andGratiano.Lorenzo

andJessicaareoutsidelisteningtomusic.PortiaandNerissaasktoseethemensrings.Both

BassianoandGratianoarehassledabouttheirdevotiontothewomen,andthenthewomenadmit

theirinvolvementatAntoniosjudgmentproceedingsbackinVenice.Antonioreceiveswordthat
 4

allofhisshipshavereturnedsafelytoport,andLorenzoandJessicafindoutabouttheirfuture

inheritance.

QuestionsforShakespearesTheMerchantofVenice

1. WhydoesBassianowanttoborrowmoneyfromAntonio?

HeneedsmoneytocourtPortia.

2. WhycantAntoniolendBassianohisownmoney?

Antoniohasinvestedallofhismoneyinthreeshipsawayatsea.

3. WhydoesShylockdespiseAntonio?

HedespisesAntoniobecauseheisafairmoneylender,aChristian,andoftenspeaksbadly

ofhisbusinesspracticestoothers.

4. WhydoesShylocktakeapoundoffleshascollateral?

HewantstokillAntonio.

5. WhattestdoesPortiasfatherdesignbeforehisdeathforherpossiblesuitors?

Theyhavetochoosethecorrectboxfromoneofthree.

6. WhydoesJessicaleaveherfathershouse?

SheisinlovewithLorenzo,andshedespisesherfathersbusinesspractices.

7. WhydoesLauncelotwanttobecomeBassianosservant?

HefeelsheismistreatedbyShylockandunderfed.

8. WhydoesntSolianogotoJessicashouse?

Hethinksitsabadidea.
 5

9. WhydoesJessicastealmoneyandjewelsfromherfather?

Sheknowsthathisprimaryconcerninlifeishismoney,andthatitwillupsethim.

10. AccordingtoPortia,whatwillhappenifBassianolosestheringthatheisgiven?

Itwillmeantheendoftheirlove.

11. WhyisAntonioimprisoned?

HisdebttoShylockisoverdue.

12. WhywontShylockacceptdoublethemoneyfromBassiano?

ShylockswishisnottoreceivethemoneythatheisowedbyAntonio,buttoseehimkilled

byhisownhand.

13. WhycantShylockextractthepoundofflesh?

ThecontractstatesthathemaytakeapoundoffleshbutnotAntoniosblood,soitisan

impossibletask.

14. WhydoPortiaandNerissadisguisethemselvesasmen?

PortiaandNerissadisguisethemselvesasmenbecausetheyareactingasaDoctorofLaw

andalegalclerkatAntoniosjudgmenthearing.TheyaretheretohelpdefeatShylockand

helptheirsoontobehusbands.

15. WhyisntShylockkilled?

HeaskstheDukeforforgiveness,anditisgranted.

16. WhydoesAntoniogivebackhisportionofShylocksproperty?

Antoniodoesnotfeelthatitisrightfullyhis,andheisagenerousperson.

17. WhydoPortiaandNerissatakethemensrings?

Itispartoftheiroverallplanasatestoflovebutalsototeasethemen.
 6

18. WhatisthethemeofShakespearesplayTheMerchantofVenice?

Thethemeisthatreligionandpeopleshouldvaluemercyandforgivenessoverbusiness

dealings.

19. Whatisthemainrecurringmotifwithintheplay?

Lawcanbebothgoodandbad.Whenexercisedproperly,itcanbringjusticetopeoplein

need.

20. Howarethethreeboxessymbolic?

Theyrepresenttheopportunitiesthatarepresentedtomenofvariousnations,ethnicities,and

religionsinVeniceduringthefourteenthcentury.