The Merchant of Venice

Story is about on The Merchant of Venice

Antonio a Venetian merchant complains to his friends Salarino and Solanio that a sadness has overtaken him and dulled his faculties although he is at a loss to explain why. Salarino and Solanio suggest that his sadness must be due to his commercial investments for Antonio has dispatched several trade ships to various ports. Antonio an antisemitic merchant takes a loan from the Jew Sherlock to help his friend to court Portia. Antonio's cannot repay the loan and with out mercy Sherlock demands a pound of his flesh. The heiress Portia now the wife of Antonio's friend dresses as lawyer and saves Antonio. In Venice a merchant named Antonio worries that his ships are overdue. As his colleagues offer comfort, his young friends Bassanio, Graziano and Lorenzo arrive. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan so that he can pursue the wealthy Portia who lives in the Belmont. Antonio cannot afford the loan. Instead he sends Bassanio to borrow the money on the security of Antonio's excepted shipments. At Belmont Portia and her maid Nerissa discuss the suitors who come in response to Portia's father's strange will. The will says Portia will only marry a man who chooses the correct casket made from three possible options: gold, silver and lead. Much to Portia's distress all her suitors are unsatisfactory. However she does fondly remember a time when Bassanio came to Belmont and that leaves her with some hope. Bassanio approaches Sherlock a Jewish money lender about the loan. Sherlock holds a grudge against Antonio for his lending practices and apparent antisemitism. Still he offers Bassanio the loan. Instead of charging interest seemingly as a kind of joke he asks for a pound of Antonio's flesh if the loan is not repaid with in three months.