the merchant of venice by william shakespeare opens with antonio a christian merchant in a depressed state his friends try to cheer him up suggesting that perhaps he's worried about his ships at sea then antonio's dear friend bessanio an aristocrat who has lost all of his money comes to ask antonio for a monetary loan so that he bassanio can travel to belmont to woo a wealthy heiress named porsche antonio and bessanio clearly have a deep and loving friendship while antonio cannot give bisanio the money directly he offers to use his good credit to get a loan for his friend bassanio finds a jewish money lender and convinces him to give a loan of 3 000 ducats in a rather unusual twist agrees not to charge the christian men interest but instead makes a strange proposal if antonio cannot pay back the money antonio will give a pound of his own flesh antonio accepts the terms of the contract or the bond meanwhile in belmont porsha is melancholy her father now dead decreed that all of porsche's suitors must partake in a test the suitors are presented with three caskets one of gold one of silver and one of lead one contains a portrait of porsche within it the suitor to choose this casket will have permission to marry her first the prince of morocco comes to wu porsche and picks the gold casket inside he finds a skull symbolizing the way gold hides corruption the next suitor the prince of aragon selects the silver casket which bears an inscription stating that it will give a man what he deserves inside is a picture of an idiot back in venice shylock's daughter jessica has made a plan to run away with a christian man lorenzo they plan to escape one night when will be out instructs jessica to lock the house well as there will be masters and music in the street that night once he leaves lorenzo arrives with two friends standing below jessica's upstairs window she appears dressed as a boy tosses a chest of ducats down to them and then runs away with him when discovers that his daughter has run away with his duckets his devastation overwhelms him meanwhile there are rumors that many of antonio ships have sunk or been lost at sea begins to revel in the idea that he will exact his pound of flesh from antonio in revenge for the many insults antonio has dealt him throughout the years meanwhile bassanio has arrived in belmont with his friend graciano porsha remembers bisanyo as the dashing soldier with whom she fell in love several years earlier massanio selects the lead casket and finds porsche's picture inside after porsche gives him a ring to seal their engagement graciano informs them that he and porsha's maid narissa wished to be married as well bassanio receives a letter from antonio stating he cannot repay and must forfeit a pound of flesh porsche tells bassanio to take 6 000 ducats twice the original amount owed and returned to venice where he can pay and cancel the contract after bassanio and graciano have left unbeknownst to them narissa and porsche depart for venice disguised as men jessica and lorenzo will watch over belmont while they are gone back in venice in a court of justice the duke pleads with to forgive the contract and let antonio go free refuses even when bassanio offers the higher payment the court then waits for a doctor of the law to arrive narissa enters the court and hands the duke a letter stating a dr belario has sent an educated young doctor in his place porsha tries to persuade to spare antonio's life through an appeal to mercy when won't budge porsha grants him his pound of flesh holds a knife ready to cut into antonio's breast suddenly porsha stops him he may have his pound of flesh she says but not a single drop of blood and the flesh must weigh exactly one pound no more no less or venice can confiscate his lands and goods clearly unable to comply backs down saying he will accept three times the original amount owed to him but porsha refuses and presses on in demanding antonio's flesh was prepared to take his life if any foreigner conspires against the life of a venetian half his wealth is to be given to the man against whom he conspired half is taken by the state and the duke can have the conspirer put to death at this point the duke pardoned shylock's life and antonio tells the court he will forgive the fine of half of shylock's wealth provided converts to christianity the money due to antonio will go to lorenzo and jessica after shylock's death has essentially lost everything after the trial bassanio offers dr balthazar porsche in disguise for his good work anything he desires porsha asks him for the ring and antonio convinces bisanio to give it to her likewise narissa dressed as balthazar's clerk requests and receives her ring from graciano porsha and narissa returned to belmont dressed as themselves bassanio and graciano arrive soon after porsche asks bassanio about the ring which he gave away when porsche finally reveals the ring to bassanio he is shocked to see it as the same ring he gave porsha balthazar narissa then tell the truth about balthazar and his clerk the play ends with the three happy couples going to bed lorenzo and jessica narissa and graciano as well as porsha and bassanio still antonio remains outside the circle of married friends and of course back in venice has been undone completely you