A SHORT SUMMERY OF THE NOVEL " MERCHANTS OF VENICE".

A young Venetian, Bassanio, needs a loan of three
thousand ducats so that he can woo Portia, a wealthy
Venetian heiress. He approaches his friend Antonio, a
merchant. Antonio is short of money because all his
wealth is invested in his fleet, which is currently at
sea. He goes to a Jewish money lender, Shylock, who
hates Antonio because of Antonio’s anti-semitic
behaviour towards him.
Shylock nevertheless agrees to make the short-term
loan, but, in a moment of dark humour, he makes a
condition – the loan must be repaid in three months
or Shylock will exact a pound of flesh from Antonio.
Antonio agrees, confident that his ships will return in
time.
Because of the terms of Portia’s father’s will, all
suitors must choose from among three caskets, one
of which contains a portrait of her. If he chooses that
he may marry Portia, but if doesn’t he must vow
never to marry or court another woman. The Princes
of Morocco and Arragon fail the test and are rejected.
As Bassanio prepares to travel to Belmont for the
test, his friend Lorenzo elopes with Shylock’s
daughter, Jessica. Bassanio chooses the lead casket,
which contains her picture, and Portia happily agrees
to marry him immediately.
Meanwhile, two of Antonio’s ships have been wrecked
and Antonio’s creditors are pressurising him for
repayment. Word comes to Bassanio about Antonio’s
predicament, and he hurries back to Venice, leaving
Portia behind. Portia follows him, accompanied by her
maid, Nerissa. They are disguised as a male lawyer
and his clerk. When Bassanio arrives the date for the
repayment to Shylock has passed and Shylock is
demanding his pound of flesh. Even when Bassanio
offers much more than the amount in repayment,
Shylock, now infuriated by the loss of his daughter, is
intent on seeking revenge on the Christians. The Duke
refuses to intervene.
Portia arrives in her disguise to defend Antonio. Given
the authority of judgment by the Duke, Portia decides
that Shylock can have the pound of flesh as long as
he doesn’t draw blood, as it is against the law to shed
a Christian’s blood. Since it is obvious that to draw a
pound of flesh would kill Antonio, Shylock is denied
his suit. Moreover, for conspiring to murder a
Venetian citizen, Portia orders that he should forfeit
all his wealth. Half is to go to Venice, and half to
Antonio.
Antonio gives his half back to Shylock on the
condition that Shylock bequeath it to his disinherited
daughter, Jessica. Shylock must also convert to
Christianity. A broken Shylock accepts. News arrives
that Antonio’s remaining ships have returned safely.
With the exception of Shylock, all celebrate a happy
ending to the affair.

The Merchant of Venice opens on a street in Venice
where Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains of a
sadness he can't quite explain. His friends suggest they'd
be sad too if they had as much merchandise to worry about
as Antonio. Apparently all of his money is tied up in various
sea ventures to exotic locales. But Antonio is certain it's
not money that's bothering him.
Antonio's friend Bassanio enters the scene, and we learn
that Bassanio has been at the forefront of Antonio's mind.
Apparently Bassanio just got back from a secret trip to see
an heiress named Portia in Belmont. Bassanio financed his
trip (and in fact, his entire lifestyle) by borrowing tons of
money from Antonio. Portia is beautiful, intelligent, and,
most important, rich. If Bassanio could only get together
the appearance of some wealth, he would be in a good
position to compete with all the other guys vying for
Portia's attention. If they marry, he's all set financially.
Antonio would be happy to lend Bassanio the money he
needs to woo Portia, except, as we know, all of Antonio's
money is at sea. The two friends part ways, agreeing that
they'll try to raise the funds on Antonio's credit around
town.
Meanwhile, even rich heiresses have their troubles. Portia is
plagued by suitors from the four corners of the earth but
isn't allowed to choose the one she wants. Instead, her
father, before his death, devised an unusual test. Three
caskets—one gold, one silver, and one lead—are laid out
before each suitor, and whoever picks the right one gets the
girl. (It sounds like a twist on
Portia complains about all of the important men
who come to see her, as there's something wrong with
each of them.
As Portia is trying to figure out how to avoid marrying,
Bassanio is trying to figure out how to marry her. He
negotiates with the Jewish moneylender, Shylock, asking
for 3,000 gold coins (ducats). Bassanio borrows the money
on his friend Antonio's credit. Trouble is, Antonio is an anti-
Semite (he is prejudiced against Jewish people) and is
offensive to Shylock whenever he has the chance.
Slyly, Shylock says he'll try out Antonio's method of
business by lending him the money interest-free. But , this is
on the condition that Antonio signs a bond promising that if
the debt goes unpaid, Antonio will give Shylock a pound of
his own flesh. This seems like a good idea at the time
as Antonio is sure he'll have earned the money
from his ships before Shylock's due date.
Before we have time to think about what a crazy idea it is
to promise anyone a pound of your flesh, we're back at
Belmont learning the rules of the casket game. Choose
wrong, and not only do you fail to get Portia, but you cannot
marry anyone for the rest of your life . We see suitors fail
when they choose the wrong caskets.
Meanwhile, Jessica (Shylock's only child) tells us that living
in Shylock's house is pure hell and that she's ashamed to
be his daughter. She has decided to elope with
Lorenzo and convert to Christianity. Jessica gets her
chance to carry out her rebellious scheme when her dad
leaves the house to go to dinner. As soon as he is out the
door, Jessica steals off with her lover, Lorenzo, and helps
herself to a chunk of Dad's cash.
Bassanio and some of his pals set off for Belmont in hopes
that Bassanio will snag the beautiful and rich Portia.
We also learn from some in Venice that
Shylock was livid when he learned his daughter ran away,
screaming "'My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter! /
Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!" (2.8.15-16).
(Check out the priorities here—he's about as angry about
the fact his gold is gone as he is about the fact his
bouncing baby girl is gone.) This is good news for Antonio,
who hates Shylock. But Antonio doesn't stay happy for
long, as he is too busy recovering from the fact that
Bassanio has gone off to woo Portia.
Back in gossipy Venice, we hear that Antonio's ships have
been sinking left and right. Shylock shows up, still mad
about his daughter's rebellion, but he's excited to hear that
he'll get to take a pound of flesh from his enemy Antonio.
He explains to the gossipy men that he hates Antonio
because Antonio hates him for being Jewish. Shylock then
gives a beautiful speech in defense of the humanity of
Jews, including the well-known line "if you prick us, do we
not bleed?"
He concludes that a Jew is not unlike a Christian, and a
Christian in this situation would seek revenge. Therefore, he
will do the same, because the Christians have taught him
hatred with their cruelty. Shylock is further angered to hear
reports that his daughter is off lavishly spending his money,
so he sets up arrangements to have Antonio jailed, cut, and
killed.
Back in Belmont, Portia is batting off the men. But she is
truly excited by Bassanio. Bassanio impressively chooses
the lead casket (correct!) and wins Portia and her wealth.
Portia is falling all over herself with love for Bassanio when
Lorenzo and Jessica arrive with news that Antonio is about
to die at Shylock's command. Portia offers to pay off
Antonio's debt, and she and Bassanio have a quick
wedding before she sends Bassanio
back to Venice with twenty times the debt owed to Shylock.
Portia gives Bassanio a ring and makes him promise never
to take it off,
Meanwhile, Portia has hatched a plan to cross-dress and
pose as a lawyer to argue Antonio's defense at his trial. She
tells Lorenzo to look after her house, disguises herself and
Nerissa as men, and sets off for Venice in a hurry. Also,
Graziano randomly marries Nerissa.
The scene moves to the court in Venice. Everyone has tried
to plead with Shylock, but he won't hear reason. He wants
justice, and that means having a pound of Antonio's flesh,
as promised. It seems there's no hope until a young,
effeminate-looking man shows up who happens to be a
learned lawyer. He is called Balthazar (a.k.a. Portia).
Portia (as Balthazar) then begins to argue that Shylock
should have mercy on Antonio, as mercy is a higher order
good than justice. Shylock says he doesn't need mercy,
he's fine with just justice, thank you very much. There's no
way anyone can get around it—Antonio signed the bond, the
Duke won't bend the rules, and Shylock won't relent.
Antonio doesn't care if he dies. Bassanio says he wishes he
could trade his wife and his life for Antonio's, which does
not please his wife, but she doesn't say anything because
she's disguised in drag.
Portia (as Balthazar) gets Antonio ready to go under the
knife, but she stops just short as Shylock is sharpening his
knife. She says the bond entitles Shylock to a pound of
flesh, but if he spills a drop of Christian blood, then he'll be
guilty of plotting to murder a Venetian Christian, the penalty
for which is losing everything he has. Shylock says
something like, "Fine, just give me the three-times-the-debt
cash you offered me earlier," and Portia replies, "Actually,
that offer's not on the table anymore." Then he says, "Okay,
just give me the 3,000 back," and she returns, "Actually,
that's not on the table either."
The slippery downward slope continues until Shylock
declares that, fine, he'll just leave, and Portia stops him and
says since he conspired to kill a Venetian he actually has to
forfeit everything he owns. And beg for his life.
Finally holding the upper hand, Antonio decides that as
punishment, Shylock has to sign an agreement saying that
when he dies, all his money will go to Jessica and her new
Christian husband. Also, Shylock must convert to
Christianity. Shylock leaves a totally broken man.
Portia grabs Nerissa and tries to get home before the men
return and find out their wives were the ones in court that
day. Antonio and Bassanio try to get Balthazar to accept a
gift before he goes, and though Portia (as Balthazar) tries to
refuse it, the men press her. She asks for Bassanio's ring
(which is really her ring, symbolizing their marriage trust).
Bassanio refuses to give it to her, but then Antonio
suggests he's whipped and foolish, so Bassanio caves in
and gives Balthazar the ring at the last minute.
Finally everyone gets home to Belmont; the women have
narrowly arrived before the men. Nerissa launches into a
fight with Graziano about the missing ring (as it turns out,
she also gave a ring symbolizing marital fidelity), accusing
him of giving it to a woman. Portia then lights into Bassanio
for the same thing. Portia complains about the men
breaking faith for this lawyer guy, and she pledges to sleep
with this learned man too, breaking her marriage vows like
Bassanio did by giving up her ring.
Antonio has come home to Belmont with them and he feels
responsible for the fights. To make up for it he promises his
soul as a guarantee that Bassanio will be faithful to Portia.
Portia accepts the offer of Antonio's soul and she gives him
a ring to give to Bassanio. Turns out it's the original ring.
Portia explains that she and Nerissa were the young lawyer
and the clerk who rescued Antonio from Shylock. Also,
she's got a letter that says some of Antonio's ships have
come home with cash after all. The play ends with
happiness for most of the characters in the play—all except
Shylock.
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