Characters
Shylock, The Duke, Antonio, Portia, Nerissa, Bassanio, Gratiano

The gist
Shylock demands his “pound of flesh”. Portia, pretending to be a lawyer, says he can have the flesh, but not one drop of blood. The court strips Shylock of his money (and gives half to Lorenzo), and forces Shylock to become a Christian. Portia persuades Bassanio to part with his wedding ring.

Quotations
“take thou thy pound of flesh, but in cutting it, if thou dost shed one drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods are confiscate unto the state of Venice” – Portia