The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. Short summary

5 seconds

A Jewish loan shark’s daughter runs off with a Christian, and he decides to take his anger out on a debtor merchant. He has promised to give back a pound of his meat in case of nonpayment. The Jew demands to return what he has promised. The merchant is saved by his friends.

1 minute

The merchant Antonio is approached by his friend Bassanio. He dreams of marrying Portia, a rich woman, and asks his friend to lend him money. Antonio has no cash and decides to take a loan in his own name from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender.

He hates Antonio, but agrees to bail him out with a pound of merchant’s meat.

Bassanio goes to Portia. Shylock´s daughter runs off with the Christian bridegroom, stealing her father´s money.

Portia is approached by the princes, but fails. She becomes Bassanio’s bride.

Shylock learns that Antonio cannot repay his debt and decides to take out his pain and resentment on the merchant. At the trial he prepares to cut off a piece of meat from Antonio’s body.

Portia and her maid disguised as a magistrate arrive. By cunning they force the Jew to convert to Christianity and bequeath his inheritance to his daughter and her fiancé.