The Merchant of Venice/ Antonio and Shylock / Antonio had a friend named Bassanio / Shylock- the Jew money lender (Story Writing / Completing Story)

The Merchant of Venice

Once upon a time, in the picturesque city of Venice, there lived a prosperous merchant named Antonio, known for his philanthropic demeanor and generosity. He had a close friend, Bassanio, who approached him for monetary assistance, but unfortunately, Antonio was experiencing a liquidity crunch at that moment. Nevertheless, with a sense of unwavering loyalty towards his friend, he borrowed a large sum of money from a shrewd and notorious lender named Shylock, at an exorbitant rate of interest, and duly passed it on to Bassanio.

 

Bassanio, being grateful to his friend for his unyielding support, embarked upon a journey to win the heart of the beautiful and virtuous Portia. At her residence, he was informed that he needed to select one of the three caskets, made of gold, silver, and lead, to win Portia's hand in marriage. Bassanio cunningly chose the third casket, which contained a portrait of Portia and thereby won her affection.

 

As fate would have it, all of Antonio's ships had sunk in the sea, leaving him unable to repay his debt to Shylock. The usurer, taking advantage of the situation, demanded that Antonio honor their agreement, which stated that in case of a default in payment, Antonio would have to sacrifice a pound of flesh. Despite this dire predicament, Antonio did not hold Bassanio responsible for his current misfortune.

 

The situation seemed hopeless, but with the help of a brilliant lawyer named Portia disguised as a man, who outwitted the cunning Shylock, Antonio was saved from certain death. Through her astute reasoning and persuasive arguments, Portia proved that the bond did not permit Shylock to shed even a drop of Antonio's blood. Eventually, justice prevailed, and Antonio was saved from the clutches of the vindictive Shylock, while Bassanio and Portia lived happily ever after in a world of love and prosperity.

     

Moral :

Antonio and Shylock

In the bustling city of Venice, there lived a wealthy merchant named Antonio. He was well-loved by his friends, but his heart was heavy because his ships were delayed, and his wealth was tied up in trade. Antonio had a good friend named Bassanio, who was noble and kind but poor. Bassanio wished to marry the beautiful heiress, Portia, but needed money to travel to Belmont and win her heart.

Antonio, eager to help his friend, agreed to lend Bassanio the money. But since his own funds were tied up in his ships, Antonio had no money to offer. He decided to borrow the sum of 3,000 ducats from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who had long held a grudge against Antonio for insulting him and his people. Shylock, seeing an opportunity to get back at Antonio, agreed to lend him the money, but with a dangerous condition: if Antonio did not repay the loan on time, Shylock would be entitled to take a pound of Antonio's flesh.

Despite the harsh terms, Antonio agreed to the bond, confident that his ships would return before the deadline. Bassanio traveled to Belmont, where he successfully won Portia’s heart after choosing the correct casket from her father’s test. Meanwhile, Antonio’s ships were still lost at sea, and he could not repay the loan on time.

When the due date arrived, Shylock demanded his pound of flesh in the court of Venice. He refused to show mercy, and the case seemed doomed for Antonio. But Portia, disguised as a lawyer, arrived to defend Antonio. She cleverly pointed out that the contract only allowed Shylock to take flesh, not blood. Since it would be impossible to remove a pound of flesh without shedding blood, Shylock’s claim was invalid.

In the end, Shylock was defeated. His wealth was confiscated, and he was forced to convert to Christianity. Antonio was saved, and Bassanio and Portia celebrated their marriage. The story ended with the message that true justice must be tempered with mercy, and that love and friendship are more valuable than money or revenge.

The tale of Antonio and Shylock teaches us about the dangers of hatred and the importance of mercy and compassion in the face of conflict.

The Merchant of Venice

Once upon a time in the city of Venice, there was a kind and wealthy merchant named Antonio. Antonio had many friends, but he was especially close to a young man named Bassanio. Bassanio wanted to marry the beautiful and wealthy Portia, but he was poor. He needed money to court her, and so he went to Antonio for help. Antonio had no money at that moment, as all his ships were out at sea, but he agreed to borrow 3,000 ducats from a moneylender named Shylock.

Shylock, a Jewish man who didn’t like Antonio because he had insulted him before, agreed to lend the money, but with a dangerous condition. If Antonio couldn’t repay the loan on time, Shylock would take a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Antonio, trusting his ships would return in time, agreed to the terms.

Bassanio used the money to travel to Portia’s home, where he had to choose from three caskets – one gold, one silver, and one lead. The one who chose the right casket would win Portia’s hand in marriage. After careful thought, Bassanio chose the lead casket, which contained a portrait of Portia, and he won her heart.

However, things did not go as planned for Antonio. His ships were delayed, and he couldn’t repay the loan. Shylock demanded his pound of flesh, and the case went to court. Portia, disguised as a lawyer, entered the courtroom to save Antonio. She cleverly pointed out that Shylock was entitled to a pound of flesh, but the contract did not allow him to take any blood. This meant that Shylock couldn’t take the flesh without breaking the agreement.

Shylock’s plan was ruined, and he lost everything. He was forced to give up his wealth and convert to Christianity. Antonio’s ships finally arrived, and he was saved. Bassanio and Portia celebrated their marriage, and Antonio was happy to see his friend’s happiness.

The Merchant of Venice

Once upon a time in Venice, there was a merchant named Antonio, who was deeply troubled. His ships, carrying goods to distant lands, had not yet returned, leaving him with no money to pay his debts. His friend, Bassanio, who was a noble young man, needed money to travel to Belmont and win the heart of the beautiful heiress, Portia. Antonio, unable to lend Bassanio the money himself, decided to borrow from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender.

Shylock was an old enemy of Antonio, who had insulted him in the past. Nevertheless, Shylock agreed to lend Antonio 3,000 ducats, but with a terrible condition: if Antonio failed to repay the loan by a set date, Shylock would be entitled to a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Antonio, confident that his ships would return in time, agreed to the terms.

Bassanio traveled to Belmont and, with Portia's father's casket test, managed to choose the right casket—lead, which contained her portrait. He won her hand in marriage. Meanwhile, in Venice, Antonio’s ships were still lost, and he was unable to repay Shylock.

When the due date arrived, Shylock demanded his pound of flesh, and a court case was set. Portia, disguised as a lawyer, and her maid Nerissa, disguised as a clerk, traveled to Venice to help Antonio. In court, Shylock demanded that the bond be honored. However, Portia cleverly pointed out that the contract only allowed Shylock to take the flesh, not a drop of blood. Since Shylock could not take flesh without spilling blood, the bond was void.

In the end, Shylock lost everything. His wealth was confiscated, and he was forced to convert to Christianity. Antonio was saved, and Bassanio and Portia celebrated their marriage. The play ended with a message about mercy, justice, and the consequences of hatred.

And so, the people of Venice learned that true justice comes with mercy, and that love and friendship are worth more than any contract or gold.

ভেনিসের বণিক

একসময়, মনোরম ভেনিসে, আন্তোনিও নামে এক ধনী বণিক বাস করতেন, যিনি তার জনহিতকর আচরণ এবং উদারতার জন্য পরিচিত ছিলেন। তার এক ঘনিষ্ঠ বন্ধু, বাসানিও, তার কাছে আর্থিক সাহায্যের জন্য এসেছিলেন, কিন্তু দুর্ভাগ্যবশত, সেই মুহূর্তে আন্তোনিও তার নগদ অর্থের সংকটে ভুগছিলেন। তবুও, তার বন্ধুর প্রতি অটল আনুগত্যের অনুভূতি নিয়ে, তিনি শাইলক নামে এক চতুর এবং কুখ্যাত ঋণদাতার কাছ থেকে অত্যধিক সুদের হারে মোটা অঙ্কের টাকা ধার করেছিলেন এবং যথাযথভাবে তা বাসানিওর কাছে হস্তান্তর করেছিলেন।

বাসানিও, তার বন্ধুর অদম্য সহায়তার জন্য কৃতজ্ঞ হয়ে, সুন্দরী এবং গুণী পোর্টিয়ার হৃদয় জয় করার জন্য যাত্রা শুরু করেছিলেন। তার বাসভবনে, তাকে জানানো হয়েছিল যে তাকে বিবাহের জন্য পোর্টিয়ার হাত পেতে সোনা, রূপা এবং সীসা দিয়ে তৈরি তিনটি কসকেটের মধ্যে একটি বেছে নিতে হবে। বাসানিও চালাকি করে তৃতীয় কসকেটটি বেছে নিয়েছিলেন, যার মধ্যে পোর্টিয়ার একটি প্রতিকৃতি ছিল এবং এর মাধ্যমে তার স্নেহ জয় করেছিলেন।

ভাগ্যের ইচ্ছা অনুযায়ী, আন্তোনিওর সমস্ত জাহাজ সমুদ্রে ডুবে যায়, যার ফলে শাইলকের কাছে ঋণ পরিশোধ করা তার পক্ষে সম্ভব হয়নি। পরিস্থিতির সুযোগ নিয়ে সুদখোর ব্যক্তি আন্তোনিওর কাছে দাবি করেন যে, তাদের চুক্তি মেনে চলুন, যেখানে বলা হয়েছিল যে, ঋণ পরিশোধে ব্যর্থ হলে আন্তোনিওকে এক পাউন্ড মাংস উৎসর্গ করতে হবে। এই ভয়াবহ পরিস্থিতি সত্ত্বেও, আন্তোনিও তার বর্তমান দুর্ভাগ্যের জন্য বাসানিওকে দায়ী করেননি।

পরিস্থিতি আশাহীন বলে মনে হচ্ছিল, কিন্তু পোর্টিয়া নামে একজন মেধাবী আইনজীবীর সাহায্যে, যিনি ধূর্ত শাইলককে ঠকিয়েছিলেন, আন্তোনিও নিশ্চিত মৃত্যুর হাত থেকে রক্ষা পান। তার বিচক্ষণ যুক্তি এবং প্ররোচনামূলক যুক্তির মাধ্যমে, পোর্টিয়া প্রমাণ করেন যে এই বন্ধন শাইলককে আন্তোনিওর এক ফোঁটাও রক্তপাত করতে দেয়নি। অবশেষে, ন্যায়বিচার জয়লাভ করে, এবং আন্তোনিও প্রতিশোধপরায়ণ শাইলকের কবল থেকে রক্ষা পান, অন্যদিকে বাসানিও এবং পোর্টিয়া ভালোবাসা এবং সমৃদ্ধির জগতে সুখে বসবাস করেন।