The Merchant of Venice Plot Summary

Now i can answer my quiz…

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sumary of the merchant of venice
Bassanio, a young noble, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont.Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice and a kind and generous person for three thousand ducats needed to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Antonio agrees, but since his ships and merchandise are busy at sea – he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns to the Jewish moneylender Shylock and names Antonio as the loan’s guarantor.
Shylock, who hates Antonio is at first reluctant but finally agrees to lend Antonio the sum without interest upon the condition that if Antonio is unable to repay it at the specified date, he may take a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Bassanio does not want Antonio to accept such a risky condition; Antonio is surprised by what he sees as the moneylender’s generosity and he signs the contract. With money at hand, Bassanio leaves for Belmont with his friend Gratiano.Meanwhile in Belmont, Portia is awash with suitors. Her father has left a will stipulating each of her suitors must choose correctly from one of three caskets – one each of gold, silver and lead. If he chooses the right casket, he gets Portia. As Bassanio ponders his choice, it turns out to be be the correct .At Venice, Antonio’s ships are reported lost at sea. This leaves him with no money. Shylock has Antonio brought before court.
At Belmont, Bassanio receives a letter telling him that Antonio has been unable to return the loan taken from Shylock. Portia and Bassanio marry and then leave for Venice, with money from Portia, to save Antonio. They come in the court of the Duke of Venice. Shylock refuses Bassanio’s offer of 6,000 ducats, twice the amount of the loan. He demands his pound of flesh from Antonio. The Duke refers the case to a visitor who introduces himself as Balthazar, a young male “doctor of the law”.The doctor is actually Portia in disguise who repeatedly asks Shylock to show mercy which, Shylock refuses.
Then at the court the disgised Portia points out that the contract only allows Shylock to remove the flesh, not the “blood”, of Antonio .Thus, if Shylock were to shed any drop of Antonio’s blood, his “lands and goods” would be forfeited under Venetian laws. Further she tells him that he must cut precisely one pound of flesh, no more, no less; she advises him that “if the scale do turn all thy goods are confiscate.”
Defeated, Shylock concedes to accepting Bassanio’s offer of money for the defaulted bond which Portia prevents by saying that he has already refused it “in the open court.” She then cites a law under which Shylock having attempted to take the life of a citizen, has forfeited his property, half to the government and half to Antonio and orders him to convert to Christianity .Bassanio offers to give a present to the supposed lawyer. First she declines, but after he insists, Portia requests his ring and Antonio’s gloves Bassanio gives the ring only after much persuasion from Antonio, as earlier in the play he promised his wife never to lose, sell or give it.At Belmont, Portia taunt and pretend to accuse her husband before revealing she were actually the lawyer. Antonio learns from Portia that three of his ships were not stranded and have returned safely after all.

very nice summary .. now i can perform our stage play well ..
thanks a lot !