the start
In this section I'll explain the beginning of the play, and what happens and who we are introduced to.
The Merchant of Venice begins with our merchant in question- Antonio, as he ponders on why he’s been feeling sad, but he doesn’t know or understand why. “In sooth I know not why I am so sad.”- first line of dialogue in the play, coming from Antonio. His friends Solorino and Solario attempt to guess and suggest to him ideas of why he's feeling such a way, to which they come up with that he’s worried over the ships he has in sea or that he’s in love. “Why then you are in love.” Antonio shoots down both of the ideas.
Soon after this, Bassanio (another close friend of Antonio's) arrives to where the other three men are, he's explaining in haste to Antonio that he requires money to travel to Belmont. Bassanio want's to go there to court the woman he’s in love with, Portia, who's a beautiful, high status heiress living in belmont. After agreeing to help Bassanio, the two go to the Jewish moneylender Shylock who neither of the two particulary like due to their own Christian beliefs. They tell him of their wishes for some ducats, which then ends in the Pound of flesh deal being born. Where in this deal the two men receive three thousand ducats, and if they’re unable to repay the ducats within three months, Shylock will get to take a pound of Antonio’s flesh from wherever he pleases.
