SHAKESPEARE ON DISK.

     THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

Copyright (c) Interconnection Publications Inc., 1989

     DRAMATIS PERSONAE.

ANTONIO.
          Merchant of Venice.

BASSANIO.
          Friend of Antonio.

SHYLOCK.
          A rich Jew.

PORTIA.
          A rich heiress.

SALARINO.
          Friend of Antonio and Bassanio.

SOLANIO.
          Friend of Antonio and Bassanio.

LORENZO.

JESSICA.
          Daughter of Shylock.

NERISSA.
          Waiting-gentlewoman to Portia.

GRATIANO.
          Friend of Antonio and Bassanio.

LAUNCELOT GOBBO.
          A clown; servant of Shylock.

LEONARDO.
          Servant of Bassanio.

BALTHAZAR.
          Servant of Portia.

STEPHANO.
          Servant of Portia.

THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO.

THE PRINCE OF ARRAGON.

THE DUKE OF VENICE.

OLD GOBBO.
          Father of Launcelot Gobbo.

TUBAL.
          A Jew; friend of Shylock.

A CLERK.

MAGNIFICOES OF VENICE, OFFICERS OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE, 
GAOLER, SERVANTS TO PORTIA, and other ATTENDANTS.


















     SYNOPSIS.

1/1  Venice. A street.
     ANTONIO speaks to SALARINO and SOLANIO.
     BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANO enter; SALARINO and 
SOLANIO exit; after further conversation GRATIANO and 
LORENZO exit; BASSANIO speaks to ANTONIO about his love for 
Portia and his impoverishment.
     ANTONIO offers to stand surety for BASSANIO's loan.

1/2  Belmont. A room in Portia's house.
     PORTIA discusses her suitors with NERISSA; a SERVANT 
enters; all exit.

1/3  Venice. A public place.
     BASSANIO tries to borrow money from SHYLOCK.
     ANTONIO enters; SHYLOCK recapitulates ANTONIO's 
insults, but consents to fund BASSANIO, provided that the 
penalty for forfeiture is a pound of ANTONIO's flesh.
     ANTONIO agrees to the terms, over BASSANIO objections.

2/1  Belmont. A room in Portia's house.
     The PRINCE OF MOROCCO, FOLLOWERS, PORTIA, NERISSA, and 
their TRAIN enter; the PRINCE OF MOROCCO presents himself as 
a suitor for PORTIA's hand.

2/2  Venice. A street.
     LAUNCELOT GOBBO ponders whether to leave Shylock's 
service.
     OLD GOBBO enters; LAUNCELOT GOBBO first confuses, and 
then greets him.
     BASSANIO, LEONARDO, and a FOLLOWER enter; BASSANIO 
employs LAUNCELOT GOBBO; LAUNCELOT GOBBO and OLD GOBBO exit. 
     GRATIANO enters and arranges to go to Belmont with 
BASSANIO.

2/3  Venice. A room in Shylock's house. 
     JESSICA says good-bye to LAUNCELOT GOBBO and gives him 
a letter for Lorenzo.

2/4  Venice. A street.
     GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SOLANIO enter and 
speak; LAUNCELOT GOBBO enters and gives LORENZO the letter; 
LAUNCELOT GOBBO exits, followed shortly by SALARINO and 
SOLANIO.

2/5  Venice. Before Shylock's house.
     SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT GOBBO speak; JESSICA enters; 
SHYLOCK gives JESSICA the house keys; all exit.

2/6  Venice. Before Shylock's house. 
     GRATIANO and SALARINO enter and speak; LORENZO enters 
and calls to JESSICA, who enters above, in boy's clothes; 
JESSICA throws LORENZO a casket and joins him below; all 
exit, except GRATIANO.
     ANTONIO enters and says that Bassanio is ready to leave 
for Belmont.

2/7  Belmont. A room in Portia's house.
     PORTIA enters with the PRINCE OF MOROCCO and their 
TRAINS; the PRINCE OF MOROCCO chooses the golden casket, 
then exits.

2/8  Venice. A street.
     SALARINO and SOLANIO enter and discuss Shylock's 
despair at Jessica's marriage; they discuss the news that a 
ship has sunk.

2/9  Belmot. A room in Portia's house.
     NERISSA and a SERVITOR enter, followed by the PRINCE OF 
ARRAGON, his TRAIN, and PORTIA; the PRINCE OF ARRAGON 
chooses the silver casket, then exits.
     A SERVANT enters to announce the arrival of an emissary 
from a Venetian suitor.

3/1  Venice. A street.
     SOLANIO and SALARINO worry that it is Antonio's ship 
which has sunk.
     SHYLOCK enters; he rages first at Jessica, then 
Antonio; SHYLOCK soliloquizes on his condition.
     A SERVANT enters; SALARINO, SOLANIO, and the SERVANT 
exit.
     TUBAL enters with news of Jessica and of the shipwreck.

3/2  Belmont. A room in Portia's house.
     BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and their TRAIN 
enter; PORTIA and BASSANIO speak.
     Music plays; BASSANIO chooses the leaden casket; the 
delighted PORTIA pledges herself to him.
     NERISSA and GRATIANO announce their engagement.
     LORENZO, JESSICA, and SOLANIO enter and speak; SOLANIO 
gives BASSANIO a letter in which Antonio says that he has 
lost his fortune and Shylock insists on having the pound of 
flesh.
     SOLANIO and JESSICA confirm that Shylock wants revenge.
     PORTIA says that she and BASSANIO will marry 
immediately and that BASSANIO must then leave for Venice.

3/3  Venice. A street.
     SHYLOCK, SALARINO, ANTONIO, and GAOLER enter; ANTONIO 
tries to speak to SHYLOCK, who will not listen; ANTONIO says 
he hopes to see Bassanio. 

3/4  Belmont. A room in Portia's house.
     PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and BALTHAZAR enter; 
PORTIA asks LORENZO and JESSICA to manage her house; PORTIA 
sends BALTHAZAR with a letter to a doctor of laws.
     PORTIA tells NERISSA that they will dress as men and 
see their husbands very soon.

3/5  Belmont. A garden.
     LAUNCELOT GOBBO and JESSICA speak; LORENZO enters; they 
all banter; LAUNCELOT GOBBO exits; LORENZO and JESSICA 
speak.

4/1  Venice. A court of justice.
     The DUKE OF VENICE, the MAGNIFICOES, ANTONIO, BASSANIO, 
GRATIANO, SOLANIO, SALARINO, and others enter; the DUKE OF 
VENICE sympathizes with ANTONIO.
     SHYLOCK enters and refutes the arguments of the DUKE OF 
VENICE and BASSANIO.
     ANTONIO is resigned to his fate.
     NERISSA enters, dressed like a lawyer's clerk; all 
speak; a CLERK reads a letter from the doctor of laws; 
PORTIA enters dressed as a lawyer.
     PORTIA advocates mercy.
     BASSANIO offers SHYLOCK thrice the amount owed; SHYLOCK 
refuses it; PORTIA acknowledges SHYLOCK's rights; ANTONIO 
prepares to die.
     PORTIA tells SHYLOCK that the law allows him the pound 
of flesh, but not a fraction more or less.
     SHYLOCK asks for his money, but PORTIA tells SHYLOCK 
that his life and his possessions legally are forfeit.
     The DUKE OF VENICE spares SHYLOCK's life; ANTONIO 
transfers SHYLOCK's wealth to Jessica; SHYLOCK is forced to 
convert; SHYLOCK exits, soon followed by the DUKE OF VENICE 
and others.
     PORTIA refuses payment, but asks BASSANIO for his ring; 
PORTIA and NERISSA exit; BASSANIO sends GRATIANO after 
Portia with the ring.

4/2  Venice. A street.
     PORTIA and NERISSA speak; GRATIANO enters with 
Bassanio's ring; NERISSA decides to win GRATIANO's ring.

5/1  Belmont. Avenue to Portia's house.
     LORENZO and JESSICA enter and flirt.
     STEPHANO enters and announces Portia's arrival; 
LAUNCELOT GOBBO enters to announce Bassanio's arrival.
     MUSICIANS enter and play; PORTIA and NERISSA enter and 
speak; BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and their FOLLOWERS 
enter and are welcomed.
     GRATIANO and NERISSA squabble over their ring.
     PORTIA scolds BASSANIO for losing his ring; ANTONIO 
intervenes; PORTIA produces the ring, and admits that she 
was the lawyer; PORTIA tells ANTONIO his ships are safe.
     NERISSA gives LORENZO and JESSICA the deed to Shylock's
property.