Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice plot summary

• The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a merchant called Antonio and a moneylender called Shylock.

• Antonio takes out a loan from Shylock on the condition that, if he cannot pay him back, he has to give him a pound of his flesh.

• The play is usually classed as a comedy, although it does also contain some tragic elements.

Watch the following video to learn about the plot of The Merchant of Venice:

The Merchant of Venice is often called a problem play. This is because it is difficult to put it into one of the three categories most of Shakespeare’s plays fit into: comedy, tragedy and history.

In Venice, a merchant called Antonio and his friend Bassanio discuss their problems. Bassanio wants money to be able to visit Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in Belmont. He has met her once before and hopes to marry her.

Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan. Antonio says that he would lend him the money if he could but all of his wealth is tied up in ships. He suggests Bassanio ask Shylock, a moneylender. Antonio says that he can act as guarantor for the loan.

In Belmont, Portia is also sad because she feels trapped by her late father’s will, which says that she has to marry the man who correctly selects one of three caskets.

So far, she does not like any of the men who have tried and failed to choose the correct casket. She and her lady in waiting, Nerissa, think back to when Bassanio visited and they both speak positively about him.

Back in Venice, Antonio and Bassanio go to see Shylock about the loan for Bassanio. Because Christianity does not permit moneylending with interest, Antonio offers loans with no interest which takes money away from Shylock and other Jewish moneylenders. This makes Shylock dislike Antonio.

Shylock says that he will lend Bassanio three thousand ducats with no interest. However, Shylock then says that if the loan goes unpaid, he will be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh.

Bassanio encourages Antonio to say no but Antonio agrees.

At Shylock’s house, his servant Launcelot decides he is going to leave Shylock to go and work for Bassanio. On top of this, Shylock’s daughter, Jessica, plans to run away with Antonio’s friend, Lorenzo.

The day after the celebration Bassanio and his friend Gratiano go to Belmont, in the hope that Bassanio can marry Portia.

In Belmont, Portia is visited by the Prince of Morocco who guesses the gold casket, which is incorrect. The Prince of Arragon also visits Portia and chooses the silver casket, which is also wrong.

In Shakespeare’s time, it was very common for a father to choose who his daughter married. This took away women’s freedom to choose their own husband and often meant women had to marry men they didn’t love.

In Venice, Shylock is angry that his daughter, Jessica, has run away. He gives a powerful speech about prejudice against Jewish people.

However, he is happy to find out that Antonio’s ships have sunk because it means that he will be paid his debt of flesh.

Shylock’s speech makes the audience consider the impact of antisemitism:

In Belmont, Bassanio arrives to see Portia and the two declare their love for one another. Bassanio quickly selects the correct casket, which is made of lead. He and Portia celebrate and Gratiano, Bassanio’s friend, says that he has fallen in love with Nerissa.

Portia gives Bassanio a ring as a token of her love and says to him that he must never part with it. Nerissa also gives a ring to Gratiano.

Lorenzo and Jessica join the group. A messenger brings news that Antonio has lost his ships. Bassanio realises that this means that he will have to pay Shylock with a pound of his flesh. Bassanio and Gratiano return to Venice to try and save Antonio’s life.

The word “flesh” appears 23 times in the play. One example is when Antonio, who is in prison, says:

Bassanio goes to Antonio’s trial and offers to pay Shylock double what he is owed but Shylock refuses. He insists on getting his pound of flesh from Antonio.

Portia arrives, disguised as a male lawyer called Balthazar, and says that there is no mention in the contract of Shylock being entitled to any of Antonio’s blood - if he spills even a drop of his blood when removing the flesh, then Shylock’s land and money will be taken away. Shylock realises that he cannot get his pound of flesh so says he will accept money instead. Portia refuses this and says that he must have the pound of flesh or nothing else.

Watch the video below to see how a director might stage the court scene.

Shylock accepts defeat but Portia will not let him leave. She states that as punishment for trying to kill a Venetian, everything he owns will be taken away, with half being given to the victim, Antonio, and half to the state.

Antonio adds that if Shylock agrees to convert to Christianity and leaves his money to Jessica and Lorenzo when he dies then he can keep his half of the money. Shylock agrees before leaving.

The Duke says that Antonio should reward Balthazar, who is actually Portia, for ‘his’ help. Portia realises that Bassanio has not recognised her. She plays a trick on him by refusing money and asking for Bassanio’s ring, the one that she gave him, instead. Bassanio refuses at first but is persuaded by Antonio to hand it over.

In Belmont, Bassanio tells Portia that he gave the ring away. She pretends to be upset before giving Bassanio ‘another’ ring, which he immediately recognises as the ring he gave away. Portia reveals that she was the lawyer, Balthazar, and forgives Bassanio.