Blog: WIT BEAT IMPROBITY
THE MEPXHANT OQ SENIXE is a book that was written by Shakespeare. The book tells us such a story:Bassanio, a noble Venetian, who, having but a small patrimony, had nearly exhausted his little fortune by living in too expensive a manner for his slender means, as men of high rank with small fortunes are too apt to do. Antonio was his best friend. Whenever Bassanio wanted money, Antonio assisted him. One day Bassanio came to Antonio, and wanted Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats to marry his lover Portia. But Antonio had no money on him at that time to lend his friend. So they went together to Shylock, the Jew, who was a usurer. He was a hard-hearted man, and he hated Antonio very much. So he promised Antonio at once, but Antonio should go with him to a lawyer, and there signed in merry sport a bond, that if he did not repay the money by a certain day, he would forfeit a pound of flesh, to be cut off from any part of his body that Shylock pleased. Antonio promised. But after Bassanio married, Antonio’s ship sank, so he had no money to return to Shylock. Shylock hated Antonio so he wanted the pound of flesh. Bassanio knew that and took the money twenty times over to save his friend. But Shylock only wanted to kill Antonio. When there seemed to be no way to help Antonio, Portia came. She dressed herself as a man who was a lawyer. She contended with Shylock on the law court. She persuaded Shylock to accept the money but not the flesh. But Shylock only wanted to kill Antonio; he didn’t accept the money. At last Portia found a rip in the agreement. So she saved Antonio and Shylock got punished.