In The Merchant of Venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. To win Portia, Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father's will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. If he fails, he may never marry at all. Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain, the moneylender Shylock. In creating Shylock, Shakespeare seems to have shared in a widespread prejudice against Jews. Shylock would have been regarded as a villain because he was a Jew. Yet he gives such powerful expression to his alienation due to the hatred around him that, in many productions, he emerges as the hero.

In spite of the fact that delegated a satire in the First Folio and offering certain perspectives to Shakespeare's other rom-coms, the play is maybe most associated with its emotional scenes, and is most popular for Shylock and the well known 'Hath not a Jew eyes?' discourse. Additionally prominent is Portia's discourse about the nature of leniency. The title character is the dealer Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's generally noticeable and most renowned character. A youthful Venetian, Bassanio, needs an advance of 3,000 ducats so he can charm Portia, a rich Venetian beneficiary. He moves toward his companion Antonio, a trader. Antonio is shy of cash since all his abundance is put resources into his armada, which is right now adrift. He goes to a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, who despises Antonio on account of Antonio's enemy of semitic conduct towards him. Shylock all things considered consents to make the momentary credit, however, in a snapshot of dim humor, he makes a condition - the advance should be reimbursed in a quarter of a year or Shylock will correct a pound of substance from Antonio. Antonio concurs, sure that his boats will return as expected. In view of the provisions of Portia's dad's will, all admirers should browse among three coffins, one of which contains a representation of her. In the event that he picks that he may wed Portia, however in the event that doesn't he should promise never to wed or court another lady. The Princes of Morocco and Arragon bomb the test and are dismissed. As Bassanio gets ready to make a trip to Belmont for the test, his companion Lorenzo absconds with Shylock's girl, Jessica. Bassanio picks the lead coffin, which contains her image, and Portia joyfully consents to wed him right away. Then, two of Antonio's boats have been destroyed and Antonio's banks are constraining him for reimbursement. Word comes to Bassanio about Antonio's quandary, and he hustles back to Venice, leaving Portia behind. Portia follows him, joined by her house cleaner, Nerissa. They are veiled as a male attorney and his assistant. At the point when Bassanio shows up the date for the reimbursement to Shylock has passed and Shylock is requesting his pound of tissue. In any event, when Bassanio offers significantly more than the sum in reimbursement, Shylock, presently incensed by the deficiency of his little girl, is resolved to looking for retribution on the Christians. The Duke will not mediate. Portia shows up in her camouflage to safeguard Antonio. Given the authority of judgment by the Duke, Portia concludes that Shylock can have the pound of substance as long as he doesn't draw blood, all things considered illegal to shed a Christian's blood. Since clearly to draw a pound of substance would execute Antonio, Shylock is denied his suit. Also, for plotting to kill a Venetian resident, Portia orders that he should relinquish all his abundance. Half is to go to Venice, and half to Antonio. Antonio gives his half back to Shylock relying on the prerequisite that Shylock gives it to his excluded little girl, Jessica. Shylock should likewise change over to Christianity. A wrecked Shylock acknowledges. News shows up that Antonio's leftover boats have returned securely. Except for Shylock, all praise a cheerful consummation of the undertaking.

The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599.Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy". The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and most famous character.

The Merchant of Venice is problematic. Not only does it present the disparate and unrelated stories of the caskets and the trial for a pound of flesh, but it challenges contemporary audiences to evaluate the treatment of Jews and what constitutes justice. The character of Shylock, although presented as an object of ridicule and even comedy to Shakespeares patrons, might even be considered tragic to one sensitive to injustice. In fact the implied definition of justice is challenging: what justice is represented by a forced conversion from one belief to another? The definition of friendship between Antonio and Bassanio is itself quite satisfying; Bassanio at one point says he would sacrifice his wife for the friendship (IV.i.292-97) which naturally Portia bridles at. The character of Portia, herself, is also challenging. While intelligent, rich, and beautiful, she behaves questionably when she deliberately entraps Bassanioher affianced loverinto ostensibly betraying her by giving away her ring and then apparently treating the whole incident as a joke. Surely Bassanio is entitled to a modicum of resentment if not anger. Additionally, she entices Nerissa to do the same with Gratiano. While this scene (V.ii) would evoke great laughter from an audience who is in on the joke, to a modern-thinking person, it smacks of sexism: ridicule the male at his expense and make fun of him for his resentment. Of course, the groundlings would pay no attention to such an offense. It seems clear that The Merchant of Venice today demands re-interpretation and re-definition.