Merchant of Venice

A Venetian merchant by the name of Antonio agrees to help his friend Bassanio travel to the wealthy heiress Portia to take her hand in marriage. While Bassanio is away, Antonio defaults on a large loan to a Jewish moneylender, Shylock who insists he must pay it back fully. If Antonio is to fail in complying with Shylock€s demands, severe consequences await the Antonio. €œThe Merchant of Venice€ revolves around the idea of idealistic versus realistic. While man understands what is just and what is moral, the inclination towards personal benefit trumps our more idealistic instincts.