The Merchant Of Venice
(William Shakespeare)
Antonio, a rich merchant of Venice was kind and honest but nurtured a great hatred towards the Jews. Bassanio, Antonio?s best friend, fell in love with Portia; beautiful maiden of Belmont but had no money with him to impress her. So he asked Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats but he didn?t had the money as his ships were at sea. Shylock, the moneylender was a Jew and hated Antonio and so kept the condition before Antonio that if he failed to repay the amount within three months he must give a pound of flesh from any part of his body as per his desire. Antonio agreed to this condition and paid Bassanio the money he asked for. Bassanio won the heart of Portia by passing the three caskets test and married her. Another pair that got married was of Gratiano, Bassanio?s friend and Nerissa, Portia?s maid cum friend. But among such happiness Antonio gets the news of his ship being lost to the sea and is in no condition to pay back the loan taken from Shylock and has to pay the penalty of one pound of flesh from his body. At once Bassanio and Gratiano turn up to help him. Portia disguised herself as a lawyer, Doctor Balthazar, and Nerissa as the clerk. She, in her disguise, tried to save Antonio by offering Shylock twice the sum of money but he refused her proposal and demanded his pound of flesh. She begged him to show mercy but alas, law was in his side. Clever Balthazar kept forth the condition that while having his pound of flesh, not a drop of blood should shed otherwise he will lose everything to the state. Shylock had to accept defeat but in the case to attempt a murder he had to give half his property to Antonio and the rest to the state. Antonio refused to take the ransom when Shylock agreed to convert into a Christian and his daughter, Jessica and her husband Lorenzo after his death, would inherit it. Thus the story comes to a happy ending with Antonio, a rich man after getting back his ships with valued cargoes, back with his friends Bassanio, Gratiano and Lorenzo with their wives Portia, Nerissa and Jessica.
Resumos Relacionados
- Merchant Of Venice
- The Merchant Of Venice
- The Merchant Of Venice
- O Mercador De Veneza
- O Mercador De Veneza
|
|
