The  Merchant  of  Venice: Summary and Important Questions

“The Merchant of Venice” is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare, in which the Venetian merchant named Antonio failed to pay a massive loan from the Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although in this play Antonio is the main character, the audience is drawn to Shylock who sues Antonio and Portia, the rich heiress who marries Antonio ‘s friend Bassanio and saves Antonio ‘s life in a dramatic court scene.