Merchant of Venice: Act 1 Summary

Act 1, Scene 1

• Antonio, a Venetian merchant, is introduced feeling inexplicably sad
• His friends Salerio and Solanio suggest his sadness stems from concerns about his ships or being in love
• Antonio dismisses both suggestions
• Bassanio, Antonio's kinsman, arrives and admits he needs money to woo Portia, an heiress, in Belmont
• Antonio commits to helping Bassanio secure funds for his pursuit of Portia

Act 1, Scene 2

• Portia, an heiress in Belmont, discusses her father's unique 'lottery' for choosing a husband with her attendant Nerissa
• Suitors must choose one of three caskets: lead, silver or gold
• The correct casket contains Portia's portrait, granting the suitor her hand in marriage
• Portia and Nerissa discuss and dismiss Portia's recent suitors
• Nerissa reminds Portia of a past Venetian visitor, described as a scholar and soldier, whom they both admire

Act 1, Scene 3

• Bassanio seeks a loan of 3,000 ducats for three months from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Venice with Antonio acting as guarantor
• Shylock harbors deep-seated hatred for Antonio due to his past mistreatment ('misbeliever, cut-throat dog')
• Shylock agrees to the loan with a shocking condition: if Antonio defaults, Shylock can claim a pound of Antonio’s flesh
• Despite Bassanio’s unease and Antonio's confidence in his ships' return, Antonio agrees, sealing the dangerous bond

Act 2, Scene 7

• In Belmont, the Prince of Morocco faces Portia's casket challenge
• The gold casket reads: 'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire'
• The silver casket reads: 'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserve'
• The lead casket reads: 'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath'
• The Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket, finding a skull and a scroll with the message 'all that glisters is not gold
• Disappointed, he leaves immediately

Act 2, Scene 8

• Salerio informs Solanio that Bassanio and Gratiano have sailed away, and Lorenzo is not with them
• Solanio recounts Shylock's reaction to Jessica's elopement, lamenting "My daughter! O, my ducats! O, my daughter!"
• Salerio expresses worry about Antonio's ability to repay Shylock, driven by news of a ship possibly carrying Antonio's goods being lost

Act 2, Scene 9

• The Prince of Aragon attempts to win Portia's hand via the casket challenge
• He selects the silver casket
• Inside he finds 'the portrait of a blinking idiot’
• A messenger announces the arrival of a young Venetian bearing valuable gifts, prompting Portia and Nerissa's curiosity and Nerissa's hope it is Bassanio

Act 3, Scene 1

• Solanio and Salerio discuss news of Antonio's further losses at sea
• Shylock arrives, is confronted about Jessica's elopement, and expresses his intent to enforce Antonio's bond
• Shylock emphasizes his shared humanity with Christians asserting that mistreatment affects them all the same
• Shylock and Tubal discuss Jessica's possession of a ring that Shylock values highly, belonging to his late wife

Act 3, Scene 2

• Bassanio is about to choose a casket but Portia requests time to prolong his company
• Portia admits she knows the correct answer but is reluctant to reveal it
• Bassanio chooses the lead casket which reveals Portia’s portrait
• They exchange a ring, and Portia says that losing it will foreshow the ruin of their love
• Gratiano asks for permission to marry Nerissa agreeing to the match

Act 3 content

• Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salerio arrive with a letter for Bassanio revealing that all of Antonio’s ships have been lost
• Bassanio admits to Portia that Antonio borrowed money for him
• Portia offers to pay Shylock double the amount owed
• She urges Bassanio to travel quickly to Antonio’s aid/side

Act 4, Scene 1

• In Venice, the Duke expresses regret for Antonio’s situation
• Antonio says that he understands no legal means can save him
• Bassanio offers double the amount owed, but Shylock refuses any payment other than the bond
• The Duke has sent for Bellario, a learned doctor, to judge the case
• Nerissa, disguised as a lawyer’s clerk, presents a letter stating that Bellario is too ill to come but has sent Balthasar (Portia in disguise)
• Portia/Balthasar makes a speech that concludes that nothing can override Shylock’s bond
• Portia brings up the issue of blood; the bond only specified a pound of flesh.
• Portia states if Shylock spills even one drop of Christian blood when claiming his pound of flesh, his lands and goods would be confiscated by the state of Venice
• Shylock is defeated and offers to let Antonio live if he repays the money instead.
• Portia insists that Shylock can only have what the bond stipulates, or nothing.
• Portia cites a law in Venice that threatens any alien who attempts to take the life of a citizen
• The alien’s goods will be seized: half goes to the victim, the other half to the state
• The Duke states that Antonio will get half of Antonio's wealth and the state will get the other half, if Shylock converts to Christinanity all his wealth would go to Jessica and Lorenzo when he dies
• Shylock agrees to these terms and departs
• The Duke asks Portia to join him for dinner, but she refuses
• Portia requests Bassanio’s ring as payment for her services
• Bassanio initially refuses, but Antonio convinces him to give it as gratitude

Act 4, Scene 2

• Portia, still in disguise, asks Nerissa to deliver legal documents to Shylock
• Gratiano gives Portia Bassanio's ring, thinking she is Balthasar
• Nerissa plans to get Gratiano’s ring as well

Act 5, Scene 1

• In Belmont, Lorenzo and Jessica discuss famous classical lovers as they look at the sky
• Portia and Nerissa return separately and instruct Lorenzo to say they never left
• Gratiano and Bassanio arrive, Portia welcomes Bassanio home and Bassanio introduces Antonio
• Nerissa and Gratiano argue about the missing ring
• Bassanio admits that he also gave his ring away, leading Portia to say that they will not sleep together until she sees the ring returns
• Antonio gives the ring to Bassanio, revealing that they are the same rings from the court, Portia reveals that she was the doctor, and Nerissa was the clerk, and gives Antonio a letter stating that three of his ships have made it safely to port. Further, Jessica and Lorenzo will inherit Shylock’s wealth

Key Points

• Act 4 contains the climax of the plot
• Shylock is ready to carve Antonio, but Antonio is saved and Shylock is punished
• Act 5 ties up all of the loose strings and resolves the plot, seemingly happily

Shakespeare Bio

• William Shakespeare’s father was a glove-maker
• Shakespeare received a grammar school education
• He married Anne Hathaway in 1582
• He moved to London and became an actor and playwright
• He was successful, and became part-owner of the Globe Theater
• His troupe was adopted by King James in 1603
• He retired in 1613 and died three years later

Historical Context

• England severely restricted rights of Jews
• They were banished in 1290 and not officially allowed back until 1655
• Some still lived in the country disguised as Christians
• Christians disliked the Jews’ willingness to practice usury
• Sir Francis Bacon wrote that it was “against nature for money to beget money”

Related Books

• Some describe the play as a comedy, but instead it could be a revenge tragedy
• Shakespeare also wrote Hamlet
• The Tempest also takes the form of revenge tragedy
• A related work is Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta

Key Facts

• Full Title: The Merchant of Venice
• When Written: 1596–8
• Where Written: England
• When Published: 1623
• Literary Period: The Renaissance
• Genre: Comedy/tragicomedy; Revenge tragedy
• Setting: Venice, and the nearby country estate of Belmont
• Climax: The trial of Antonio, the merchant, and Shylock, the Jewish moneylender
• Antagonist: Shylock

Key Characters

• Antonio: Arguably the protagonist, melancholy and kind, but racist
• Bassanio: Obsessed with money and Portia, manipulative
• Portia: Wealthy heiress of Belmont. She cannot select her own husband, but is intelligent and finds ways around her lack of autonomy
• Shylock: Hates Christians. Stands out because he is a “what you see is what you get” kind of character
• Jessica: Shylock’s daughter. Married Lorenzo and converted to Christianity
• Lorenzo: Friends with Antonio and Bassanio. He marries Jessica and is more likely to marry for love than money
• Nerissa: Portia’s lady in waiting
• Gratiano: Bassanio’s friend
• The Duke of Venice: Upholds the law, but has little power to help Antonio
• Prince of Morocco: One of Portia’s suitors
• Prince of Arragon: One of Portia’s suitors
• Salarino and Solerio: Merchants and friends with Antonio and Bassanio
• Launcelot Gobbo: Initially Shylock’s servant, leaves to work for Bassanio
• Old Gobbo: Launcelot Gobbo’s dad
• Tubal: A friend of Shylock
• Balthasar: Portia’s servant, who she sends to Doctor Bellario