Shakespeare's
Garden
Here is as quick a summary as possible that still contains most of the details. If you want to know more about a particular character, simply click on their name to jump to their page!
 | So there's this guy, Antonio, who is the Merchant of the title, and he's kind of down in the dumps, but his gossipy friends, Salerio and Solanio, can't really figure out why. Along come two other friends of his, Bassanio and Gratiano. Bassanio wants to borrow money so he can try to win Portia, a wealthy heiress in Padua. Antonio says ok, but he has to find some money first. |
| Then, in Padua, we meet Portia, who is grousing to her lady-in-waiting, Nerissa, about how she has no choice over who she will marry. See, her dead father set up this test where all suitors have to choose from three caskets: gold, silver, and lead. They get one shot at picking the casket that has Portia's picture inside, and if they pick it, they get to marry her. But no one has chosen correctly yet, and Portia lists the faults of each suitor who has tried. Nerissa mentions Bassanio, who came to Padua once, and Portia says she liked him. |
| Antonio talks to Shylock, a Jew who is a moneylender, about getting a loan. Shylock agrees only on the condition that if Antonio cannot pay him back in three months, Shylock will take a pound of Antonio's flesh. Gross, huh? But Antonio agrees, thinking he'll be able to pay it back, no problem. |
| Meanwhile, Launcelot Gobbo (the clown), Shylock's servant, runs away from Shylock, finds his father, Old Gobbo, and persuades the old man to transfer his commission to Bassanio, because he doesn't want to work for Shylock anymore. |
| Lorenzo (another friend in the Antonio crew) is planning to steal his love, Jessica, away from her father, Shylock. She dresses as a boy, takes a bunch of money, and runs away with him one night. Shylock finds out and is mighty peeved. |
| Back at the mansion, Portia meets with two more suitors, the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Aragon, and both look promising, but neither chooses correctly. Then she meets Bassanio, whom she falls in love with, and he conveniently chooses the right casket. They are set to be married, and coincidentally, Gratiano has fallen for Nerissa, so another engagement is set. But just as everything is looking good, Bassanio receives a letter from Antonio saying that he hasn't been able to pay Shylock back and is going on trial concerning the pound of flesh. |
| So, Bassanio and Gratiano rush off to help Antonio in Venice, and Portia and Nerissa give them rings to remember them by. Then Portia and Nerissa leave Lorenzo and Jessica in charge of the house and go to the trial themselves, dressed as men. |
| When they get there, Portia poses as a doctor of laws named Balthasar (after her servant) and proceeds to outwit Shylock and win the trial, even getting half of Shylock's goods for Antonio (who gives them to Lorenzo and Jessica). |
| Finally, Portia and Nerissa, still disguised, persuade Bassanio and Gratiano, respectively, to give them the rings their wives gave them. When the two men return to Padua, Portia and Nerissa scold them about giving up the rings, but then they reveal the joke, and everyone laughs and is happy. Cute ending, huh? |
(If this wasn't clear enough, my apologies. Click here for someone else's version if you think you need a second opinion.)
(Oh, and click here if you want a long, story-style summary.)
If you want to read the whole play for yourself (it's really good - give it a try!), click on our Venetian friend here: |
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Feeling childish? Read Charles Lamb's story version of Merchant.
Watch a VIDEO clip from an educational Merchant video (funny!).
And now, just one more link. Click here for an interesting discussion on the sources and themes of the play.
