Resumo de The Merchant Of Venice - William Shakespeare

Set in Venice, during the 16th Century, Merchant of Venice
begins with Bassanio?s borrowing a great deal of money from
Antonio, the merchant, in order to woo the rich heiress
Portia whom he loves. Antonio, who has several shipments
coming in from abroad, is forced to borrow money from the
usurer Shylock who is also a Jew. The play shows the anti-
Semitism of the time, and Shylock is ill treated by the
Christians. However, Shylock also is a vengeful character
who desires vengeance on the shameful way Antonio has
treated him throughout his business dealings with him. So
he agrees to lend Antonio the money but only if he agrees
to either pay the bond or to pay with a pound of his flesh.
Antonio, confident in his shipments, agrees.

Shylock also has a beautiful daughter, Jessica, who has
fallen in love with the Christian, Lorenzo. Jessica elopes
away from her strict father and takes with her some of her
father?s jewels.

Portia, in the meantime, is beset with suitors. Her father
has left a riddle over which the winner will receive
Portia?s hand in marriage. Upset by not being able to make
the choice herself, and the foolish and unattractive
suitors she has had, Portia is left at the mercy of her
dead father?s wishes. Soon Bassanio arrives to try the
riddle for her hand. Portia instantly falls in love with
him and is worried that he won?t win her hand in marriage.
However, he solves the riddle and their happiness is
assured.

During their wedding feast, news comes that Antonio?s
shipments have gone astray and he is now up for trial for
the pound of flesh he vowed to give Shylock. Portia?s, and
her maid, Nerissa?s, new husbands have to leave them to see
what they can do to save Antonio.

Not women to stay at home, Portia and Nerissa pretend to be
men and go after their husbands to help out Antonio. Portia
pretends to be a lawyer ad wins the case against Shylock.
Shylock leaves humiliated, and Portia is able to give him
his money back, which had been forfeited to the state, but
only after he agrees to leave the money to his daughter
upon his death and to become a Christian.

Problematic, this play leaves modern interpretations to
alleviate some of the blatantly anti-Semitic overtones of
the plot. However, even with the original text from a very
bigoted society, Shylock is presented as both human and
pitiable in his addresses to the court and to the people of
Venice. His daughter, Jessica, also has some endearing
scenes of her guilt at leaving behind her previous life,
and her love for her husband.

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