The Merchant of Venice Video Summary

Visit us at to read the full video transcript and our study guide for this classic play, which includes a full list of characters, themes, and much more. The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare, opens with Antonio, a Christian merchant, in a depressed state. His friends try to cheer him up, suggesting that perhaps hes worried about his ships at sea. Then, Antonios dear friend Bassanio, 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 Portia. Antonio and Bassanio clearly have a deep and loving friendship. While Antonio cannot give Bassanio the money directly, he offers to use his good credit to get a loan for his friend. Bassanio finds Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and convinces him to give a loan of three thousand ducats. In a rather unusual twist, Shylock agrees not to charge the Christian men inter