The Merchant of Venice

Characters:

• Shylock
• Jewish moneylender in Venice
• demands as payment a pound of Antonio's flesh
• Portia
• wealthy heiress from Belmont
• bound by her father's will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses correctly among three caskets
• marries her true love, Bassanio
• saves Antonio from Shylock's knife under the disguise of a young law clerk
• Antonio
• merchant whose love for Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock's contract 
• dislikes Jews
• Bassanio
• gentleman of Venice, and kinsman and friend of Antonio
• his love for Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock
• Gratiano
• friend of Bassanio's who accompanies him to Belmont
• coarse and garrulous 
• falls in love and marries Portia's lady-in-waiting, Nerissa
• Jessica
• Shylock's daughter
• dislikes 
• elopes with Lorenzo
• Lorenzo
• elopes with Jessica
• Nerissa
• Portia's lady-in-waiting and confidante
• marries Gratiano
• escorts Portia disguised as law clerk
• Launcelot Gobbo
• Bassanio's servant
• comical and clownish figure
• leaves Shylock's service to work for Bassanio
• The Prince of Morocco
• one of Portia's suitors
• picks gold casket
• The Prince of Arragon
• one of Portia's suitors
• picks silver casket
• Salarino
• Venetian gentleman
• friend of Antonio, Bassanio and Lorenzo
• escorts Jessica and Lorenzo to Belmont
• returns with Bassanio and Gratiano for Antonio's trial
• Solanio
• Venetian gentleman
• The Duke of Venice
• ruler of Venice
• Old Gobbo
• Launcelot's father
• Tubal
• Jew in Venice
• Doctor Bellario
• wealthy lawyer 
• Portia's cousin
• Balthasar
• Portia's servant 

Plot summary

• Antonio's friend, Bassanio, who is in love with Portia, asks Antonio for a loan in order to travel in style to Portia's estate.
• However, Antonio is unable to make the loan himself because his money is all invested in trade ships.
• Antonio suggests Bassanio get the loan from one of the city's moneylenders with Antonio as the loan's guarantor
• Meanwhile, Portia expresses sadness over the terms of her father's will which stipulates that she must marry the man who correctly chooses one of three caskets. She and Nerissa reminisce fondly of Bassanio's visit a while ago.
• Antonio and Bassanio approach Shylock for a loan. Shylock holds a grudge against Antonio who normally berates Shylock and other Jews for usury, i.e. loaning money at exorbitant rates of interest, and who undermines Shylock's business by offering interest-free loans. 
• However, Shylock agrees to lend Bassanio three thousand ducats with no interest with the condition that Antonio must give Shylock a pound of his own flesh if he fails to repay the loan.
• Launcelot, Shylock's servant, decides to work for Bassanio and Shylock's daughter, Jessica, plans to elope with Antonio's friend Lorenzo. Jessica escapes with Lorenzo dressed as a page.
• In Belmont, Portia welcomes the prince of Morocco and the prince of Arragon. They both pick the wrong casket. 
• Shylock is furious when he finds out his daughter has run away but rejoices at the fact that Antonio's ships are rumored to have been wrecked.
• Bassanio arrives at Portia's estate and chooses the correct casket. Gratiano confesses that he has fallen in love with Nerissa and the couples decide on a double wedding.
• Portia gives Bassanio a ring and makes him promise that he will never under any circumstance part with it.
• Lorenzo and Jessica join the group but their happiness is cut short by the news that Antonio's ships have truly crashed.
• Bassanio and Gratiano leave immediately to Venice. Portia and Nerissa go along, disguised as men, without the men's knowledge
• Shylock ignores the many pleas to spare Antonio and a trial is set up. The duke of Venice calls for a legal expert, who is in fact Portia disguised as a young man of law. 
• Even though Portia asks Shylock to show mercy, and Bassanio offers Shylock double the amount, Shylock insists on Antonio's flesh. 
• Portia examines the contract and declares that Shylock is indeed entitled to the merchant's flesh. However she also reminds him that he must do so without causing Antonio to bleed, since the contract does not entitle him to any blood.
• Shylock hastily agrees to take Bassanio's money instead, but Portia insists that Shylock either takes his bond as it is, or nothing at all. She also accuses him of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen, and as punishment must turn over half his property to the state and the other half to Antonio.
• The duke, however, spares Shylock's life and takes his property instead as a fine. Antonio forgoes his half of Shylock's wealth on the condition that he must convert to Christianity and that he will leave his entire estate to Lorenzo and Jessica upon his death. Shylock agrees and leaves.
• Bassanio showers Portia, still disguised, with thanks, and eventually is pressured into giving her the ring. Likewise, Gratiano gives Nerisa his ring. When they both return the next day to Belmont, Portia and Nerissa accuse them of being unfaithful, but nonetheless Portia reveals the truth and they all reconcile. Lorenzo and Jessica learn of their inheritance from Shylock and they also rejoice at the news that Antonio's ships have returned safely.