Bassanio wants to impress Portia but he doesn’t have enough money to do so. He turns for help to Antonio, who is forced to borrow from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. When Antonio’s business starts going badly, repayment becomes impossible and Shylock is allowed to demand a pound of the merchant’s fl...

Bassanio wants to impress Portia but he doesn’t have enough money to do so. He turns for help to Antonio, who is forced to borrow from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. When Antonio’s business starts going badly, repayment becomes impossible and Shylock is allowed to demand a pound of the merchant’s flesh.