2 h 33 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 2 h 33 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when a promise made for love puts a man's life in another man's hands?
In William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Antonio risks everything to help his friend Bassanio woo Portia, a wealthy and witty heiress. Shylock, a Jewish moneylender scorned by the city, offers a loan with a terrible condition: failure to repay means a pound of Antonio's flesh.
Beyond Venice's trade and law lies Belmont, where Portia faces the rule set by her late father's will. A puzzle of three chests, Jessica's longing to escape her father's house, and a tense courtroom scene draw love and money into conflict. This comedy has dark edges: friendship meets prejudice, and justice presses hard against mercy.
What you’ll discover
- A friendship under strain Follow Antonio's generous promise as a friend's hopes expose him to a deadly risk.
- Portia and the chests Meet a clever heiress whose wishes clash with the demands of her father's will.
- Shylock's dangerous bargain Face the uneasy questions raised by a scorned moneylender and his demand for repayment.
- Love across a divide Follow Jessica's desire for love beyond her father's home and across a religious divide.
- Mercy in the courtroom Enter a tense legal struggle where compassion challenges the demand to enforce a bond.
Who will love it
Listeners who love sharp courtroom drama, witty heroines in disguise, and the tension between money, friendship and love will enjoy this play.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A sad merchant and a friend in debt
- A living daughter ruled by a dead father
- Shylock offers a bond as a merry joke
- Jessica slips away and Venice laughs on
- Three chests test three suitors
- Shylock's revenge grows as Antonio's ships fail
- Justice and mercy pull against each other
- How the play is built and spoken
Who’s who
- AntonioA Venetian merchant, sad for reasons he cannot name, who stakes his body on a loan to help his dearest friend.
- BassanioA charming young gentleman deep in debt who wants to win the hand of the rich heiress Portia.
- PortiaThe clever and wealthy heiress of Belmont, bound by her father's will to a test of three chests.
- ShylockA Venetian moneylender, scorned and insulted by Christians, who lends money on a strange bond and wants revenge.
- NerissaPortia's sharp-tongued maid and friend, who loves Gratiano and shares in her mistress's plans.
- JessicaShylock's daughter, who longs to leave her father's house and marry the Christian Lorenzo.
- GratianoA loud, witty friend of Antonio and Bassanio who follows his friend to Belmont and falls in love there.
- Launcelet GobboA clown who serves Shylock and jokes his way into Bassanio's household.
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The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare · 1600
A merchant signs away a pound of his own flesh so his friend can court a rich heiress in Belmont.
Medium level2–5 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
Why would a careful merchant promise a pound of his own flesh? In The Merchant of Venice, Antonio does it out of friendship.
The Merchant of Venice at a glance
- Reading time
- About 1 h 30 min1 h 10 min fast, 1 h 50 min slow
- Length
- 21,700 words
- Pages
- 63 pages94 in large print
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1600by William Shakespeare
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A sad merchant and a friend in debt
The play opens on a Venetian street. Antonio, a successful merchant, admits he has no idea why he is so sad. His friends guess that his mind is out on the ocean with his grand ships. Antonio says no. His goods are spread over many ships and many markets, and his fortune does not hang on one year. Love, then? Antonio cries no again.
Gratiano, who talks too much, tells Antonio he pays too much attention to the world. Antonio answers that the world is a stage where each person plays a part, and his is a sad one. Many readers see in him a hint of deep and loyal attachment to Bassanio.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1600
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 1 h 40 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-merchant-of-venice.
Shakespeare, W. (2026). The merchant of Venice. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-merchant-of-venice (Original work published 1600)
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-merchant-of-venice.
@book{shakespeare2026merchant,
author = {Shakespeare, William},
title = {The Merchant of Venice},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-merchant-of-venice},
note = {First published 1600}
}
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What is The Merchant of Venice about?
It follows Antonio, a Venetian merchant who borrows from the moneylender Shylock to help his friend Bassanio court Portia. The bond they sign sets a pound of flesh as the penalty, and the play weighs law, mercy, love and money.
What are the three caskets in The Merchant of Venice?
They are chests of gold, silver and lead that Portia's father left as a test for her suitors. Each carries an inscription, and only the suitor who chooses the right one may marry her. The test warns against trusting appearances.
Who is Shylock in The Merchant of Venice?
Shylock is a Jewish moneylender in Venice. He lends Antonio three thousand ducats on a strange bond, and he has long suffered insults from Christians. His speeches about hatred and revenge make him one of the play's most debated figures.
The author
William Shakespeare
1564–1616 · English playwright and poet
William Shakespeare was an English playwright and poet, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He worked in London as an actor and playwright. He wrote plays, including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth, and published sonnets in 1609. He died in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1616.
More by William Shakespeare
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