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Merchant of Venice

596, Venetia. Tanarul Bassanio are nevoie de un imprumut de 3000 ducati ca sa poata sa o curteze cum

trebuie pe Portia, una dintre mostenitoarele bogate ale Venetiei. Pentru a obtine fondurile necesare, Bassanio

apeleaza la un prieten deal sau, !ntonio, care din pacate sia investit banii in niste transporturi care sunt

inca pe mare. "ar totusi, ca sa isi a#ute amicul aflat la anang$ie, !ntonio aran#eaza un imprumut pe termen

scurt cu %$&loc', un camatar evreu. !cesta are o ura puternica pentru !ntonio, care in trecut sa purtat cu

dispret fata de el. (a sa ridice miza imprumutului, %$&loc' pune o conditie marcata de un umor bizar) daca

in termen de 3 luni nu i se returneaza suma imprumutata, el are dreptul sa pretinda e*act #umatate de'ilogram + pound- din carnea lui !ntonio. egustorul accepta targul, crezand ca poate sa returneze suma

ceruta pana la finele termenului de 3 luni.

/iica camatarului evreu, essica, fuge cu ($ristian, ceea ce sporeste si mai mult ura lui %$&loc'. 1n timp ce

Bassanio o peteste pe Portia, %'&loc' isi reclama rascumpararea banilor conform intelegerii. 1n pofida

tuturor celor intamplate, negutatorul nu accepta nici o alta intelegere in afara celei mentionate in contractul

lui initial.

/ilmul este ecranizarea poate cea mai reusita a celebrei piese a lui 2illiam %$a'espeare si beneficiaza de o

distributie e*traordinara.

An Early Festive Comedy, first written between 1596-9, first !erformed in 16""#

1n a street of Venice, t$e merc$ant !ntonio laments t$at $e is sad but 'nos not $&. 4is friends, %olanio

and %alerio tr& to c$eer $im up, to no avail. ore friends, orenzo and 7ratiano also tr& and fail. !ntonio8s

friend, Bassanio, informs $im t$at $e intends to see' t$e ealt$& Portia8s $and in marriage, &et needs

financial bac'ing. !ntonio, t$oug$ reluctant, offers Bassanio 3,000 ducats +mone&- to $elp $im. !t Belmont,

Portia8s $ouse, s$e laments to $er servant, erissa, t$at s$e fears a suitor s$e disli'es ill pursue $er $and in

marriage. Per $er late fat$er8s ill, t$e suitor must c$oose t$e correct of t$ree c$ests +gold, silver, and lead-,

and t$en, if correct, $e ma& marr& Portia. %$e li'es none of $er si* suitors, but is$es Bassanio ould comeand c$oose t$e correct c$est. Bac' in Venice, after muc$ begging, Bassanio convinces t$e merc$ant %$&loc'

t$e e to lend $im 3000 ducats, it$ !ntonio putting up $is propert& as t$e bond. !lt$oug$ %$&loc' $ates

!ntonio, $e lends t$e mone& an&a&, $oping !ntonio ill default on t$e loan. !ntonio, t$oug$, $as

confidence one of $is ocean vessels ill come to port one mont$ before t$e t$ree mont$ deadline.

T$e oroccan prince arrives at Belmont to oo Portia and learns t$at if $e c$ooses t$e rong c$est, $e

must sear to never as' an& oman to marr& $im. Bac' in Venice, auncelot 7obbo, a clon and %$&loc'8s

servant, tells $is fat$er, old 7obbo, t$at $e is$es to leave %$&loc' and or' for Bassanio. Bassanio agrees

to it and instructs $is servant eonardo to prepare dinner for $im and %$&loc'. 7ratiano t$en arrives and tells

Bassanio $e8ll $elp $im in over Portia. %$&loc'8s daug$ter, essica, gives a love letter to auncelot to

deliver to !ntonio8s ($ristian friend orenzo. 1n t$e letter, orenzo learns t$at essica ill pretend to be amale torc$bearer for $im at t$e supper beteen !ntonio and %$&loc'. %$&loc', going to t$e supper, leaves

$is $ouse 'e&s it$ $is daug$ter, essica, arning $er not to ta'e part in t$e evening8s ($ristian activities.

ater t$at nig$t, 7ratiano, %alerio, and orenzo meet outside %$&loc'8s $ouse to get essica. !fter orenzo

and essica unite, t$e& all $ead to meet Bassanio on !ntonio8s s$ip to sail to Portia8s. !t Portia8s $ouse, t$e

oroccan prince c$ooses a c$est to open. ac$ $as an inscription, and onl& t$e correct one contains Portia8s

picture. 4e c$ooses incorrectl& +t$e gold one-, and leaves defeated. %alerio assures %olanio t$at orenzo and

essica ere not on t$e s$ip it$ Bassanio and 7ratiano, and t$e& are t$us missing. %$&loc', of course,

ants $is mone& and $is daug$ter bac'. !t Portia8s $ouse, t$e Prince of !ragon arrives and c$ooses t$e

silver c$est, also t$e rong one. !gain, $e must sear to never oo an& maid in marriage and to never tell a

soul $ic$ c$est $e opened.

%olanio and %alerio confirm t$at !ntonio8s s$ip $as sun'. T$e& t$en ma'e fun of %$&loc' for $is

predicament of losing $is daug$ters. %$&loc' t$en laments of $is monetar& loss to anot$er e, Tubal, &et

re#oices t$at !ntonio is sure to default on $is loan. !t Portia8s $ouse, s$e begs Bassanio to ait in c$oosing

so t$at s$e ma& spend time it$ $im, in case $e c$ooses rong. 4e correctl& c$ooses t$e lead cas'et,

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t$oug$, and ins Portia8s $and in marriage. To seal t$e union, Portia gives Bassanio a ring, arning t$at $e

s$ould never lose it or give it aa&, lest $e ris' losing $er love for $im. 7ratiano t$en announces $is

intention to ed erissa. e*t, %alerio, orenzo, and essica arrive, informing Bassanio t$at !ntonio lost

$is s$ips, and, furt$ermore, t$at %$&loc' is viciousl& declaring forfeiture of t$e bond b& !ntonio. Bassanio

leaves for Venice to repa& t$e loan. 1n Venice, %$&loc' $as !ntonio arrested for failure to repa& t$e loan. !t

Belmont, Portia tells orenzo and essica to manage $er $ouse $ile s$e and erissa go to a monaster& until

Bassanio returns. 1n fact, t$oug$, s$e and erissa ill disguise t$emselves as &oung men and travel to

Venice.

!t a Venetian court, t$e "u'e presides over t$e sentencing $earing of !ntonio $erein %$&loc' intends tocut :a pound of fles$ from !ntonio8s breast: since t$e due date $as past and t$at as t$e terms of t$e bond,

even t$oug$ Bassanio offers $im 6,000 ducats for repa&ment. erissa and Portia, disguised as a court cler'

and doctor of civil la respectivel&, arrive at t$e court. 7ratiano, Bassanio, t$e "u'e, and Portia tr& to

dissuade %$&loc', to no avail. ;et, Portia points out t$at t$e deed calls for no blood to be s$ed and e*actl&

one pound to be ta'en, lest %$&loc' be guilt& of not folloing t$e bond $imself. %$&loc', realizing t$is is

impossible, recants and simpl& re