William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and several other poems. His plays are widely regarded as the greatest in the English language and are frequently performed worldwide. The Merchant of Venice focuses on a merchant in Venice named Antonio who borrows money from the Jewish moneylender Shylock to help his friend Bassanio court Portia, a rich heiress. It explores themes of prejudice and justice.

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4. William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He was
born on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was a successful
local businessman and his mother was the daughter of a landowner.
Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English
language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called
England's national poet and nicknamed the Bard of Avon. He wrote about
38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, of
which the authorship of some is uncertain. His plays have been translated
into every major living language and are performed more often than those of
any other playwright

5. Marriage and career
Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. She was
eight years older than him. They had three children: Susanna, and
twins Hamnet and Judith. After his marriage information about
his life became very rare. But he is thought to have spent most of
his time in London writing and performing in his plays. Between
1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor,
writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord
Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men.

6. Retirement and death
Around 1613, at the age of 49, he retired to Stratford , where he died three
years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive. He died on 23
April 1616, at the age of 52. He died within a month of signing his will, a
document which he begins by describing himself as being in "perfect
health". In his will, Shakespeare left the bulk of his large estate to his elder
daughter Susanna.

7. His work
Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His
early plays were mainly comedies and histories and these works remain
regarded as some of the best work produced in these genres. He then wrote
mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear,
and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language.
In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and
collaborated with other playwrights.

8. Comedies
All's Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
The Comedy of Errors
Love's Labor's Lost
Measure for Measure
The Merchant of Venice
The Merry Wives of Windsor
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
The Taming of the Shrew
Twelfth Night
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Noble Kinsmen

9. Histories
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 2
Henry V
Henry VI, Part 1
Henry VI, Part 2
Henry VI, Part 3
Henry VIII
King John
Richard II
Richard III

10. Tragedies
Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus
Hamlet
Julius Caesar
King Lear
Macbeth
Othello
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Athens
Titus Andronicus
Troilus and Cressida

11. Romances
Cymbeline
Pericles
The Tempest
The Winter's Tale
Poems
Lucrece
The Phoenix and Turtle
Sonnets
Venus and Adonis

12. 1.Antonio A :wealthy Venetian merchant who occasionally lends money,
but never charges interest. Since his main source of income is from his
merchant ships, he is the “merchant” of the play’s title.
2.Bassanio: He is a typical Elizabethan lover and nobleman who is careless
with his money; hence, he has to borrow from Antonio so that he can woo
Portia in style.
3.Portia: As one of Shakespeare’s most intelligent and witty heroines, she
is famous for her beauty and for her wealth, and she is deeply anguished
that she must marry only the man who chooses the single casket of three
which contains her portrait.
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

13. 4. Shylock: Shylock is an intelligent businessman who believes that,
since he is a moneylender, charging interest is his right; to him, it makes
good business sense.
5. The Duke of Venice: He presides as judge over the court proceedings
in Shylock’s claim on Antonio.
6. The Prince of Morocco: One of Portia’s suitors(wooers); he loses the
opportunity to marry her when he chooses the golden casket.
7. The Prince of Arragon: He chooses the silver casket; he is another
disappointed suitor for Portia’s hand in marriage.

14. Gratiano: He is the light-hearted, talkative friend of Bassanio, who
accompanies him to Belmont; there, he falls in love with Portia’s
confidante, Nerissa.
Lorenzo: He is a friend of Antonio and Bassanio; he woos and wins the
love of Shylock’s daughter, Jessica.
Jessica: She is the young daughter of Shylock; she falls in love with
Lorenzo and, disguised(hidden) as a boy, she elopes with him.
Nerissa: Portia’s merry, and sympathetic lady-in-waiting.

15. Salarino: He is a friend who believes that Antonio is sad because he is
worried about his ships at sea.
Salanio: He is another friend of Antonio; he thinks Antonio’s melancholy
may be caused because Antonio is in love.
Saierio: A messenger from Venice.
Launcelot Gobbo: He is a “clown,” a jester, the young servant of
Shylock; he is about to run away because he thinks Shylock is the devil;
eventually, he leaves Shylock’s service and becomes Bassanio’s jester.

16. Old Gobbo: The father of Launcelot, he has come to Venice to seek news
of his son.
Tubal: He is a friend of Shylock’s; he tells him that one of Antonio’s
ships has been wrecked.
Leonardo: Bassanio’s servant.
Balthasar: The servant whom Portia sends to her cousin, Dr. Bellario.
Dr. Bellario: A lawyer of Padua.
Stephano: One of Portia’s servants.

17. 1. THE DUKE OF VENICE:
2. THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO:
3. THE PRINCE OF ARRAGON: SUITORS TO PORTIA
4. ANTONIO : A MERCHANT OF VENICE.
5. BASSANIO : HIS BEST FRIEND, SUITOR TO PORTIA
6. GRATIANO : ANOTHER FRIEND, IN LOVE WITH NERRISA
7. LORENZO : ANOTHER FRIEND, IN LOVE WITH JESSICA.
8. LEONARDO: SERVANT TO BASSANIO
9. SALARINO :
10.SALANIO : OTHER FRIENDS
11.SALERIO :

18. 12. Shylock : A Rich Jew, And A Money Lender
13. Jessica : His Daughter
14. Tubal: Another Jew, Shylock’s Friend
15. Launcelot Gobbo:- A Clown, Servant To Shylock
16. Old Gobbo : Launcelot’s Father
17. Portia : An Heiress Of Belmont.
18. Nerissa : Her Lady-in-waiting.
19.Balthazar :
20. Stephano : Servants To Portia

19. THE ACTION OF THE PLAY TAKES PLACE IN VENICE
AND BELMONT.