The Merchant of Venice

In Venice in 1596, Bassanio asks his friend Antonio, a prosperous merchant, for the money he needs to court Portia, a wealthy heiress. With Antonio’s fortune tied up in ventures abroad, the two turn to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who has endured abuse in the city. When the loan cannot be repaid, Shylock demands a brutal payment from the merchant who pledged himself as security.