The Merchant of Venice synopsis is classic Shakespeare. The plot has everything: an intriguing setting, romance, passion, ethnic friction, financial woes and violence. The chief characters, Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock and Portia are supported by a wealth of other personalities, all of whom conspire to make Merchant of Venice tickets worth their weight in gold, or even flesh.

Many people buy Merchant of Venice tickets believing that Shylock the moneylender is the main character in Shakespeare’s epic comedy-drama, but Antonio’s is actually the central role. Antonio is a very wealthy merchant in Venice at a time when the city was at its peak. Shylock remains the most famous character though, chiefly for the “pound of flesh” he asks for in exchange for an overdue loan payment from Antonio.

Why is one of Venice’s richest merchants asking a moneylender for a loan, you might ask. The reason is that Bassanio, a friend of Antonio’s, asks him for money to travel to Belmont, where Portia, the woman he loves, lives. Antonio has lent money to Bassanio before, as Bassanio is a Venetian nobleman who has squandered his own estate. Antonio’s money is tied up in his shipping business, and so he approaches Shylock for a loan for his friend.

Antonio and Shylock have a caustic relationship; the merchant is an anti-semite, and has a history of spitting on Shylock and making disparaging remarks concerning his Jewish ethnicity. Shylock tells Antonio that he will lend him the money at no interest, but he wants a “pound of flesh” from Antonio’s own body should be renege on the loan. Antonio is surprised at the no-interest conditions, and signs a contract.

This agreement provides all the momentum for what follows, from Bassanio’s journey and encounter with his love, Portia, to the eventual showdown when Antonio fails to produce the money for Shylock.

The expression “a pound of flesh” is a household term today, but a lot of people don’t realize where it came from. Buy Merchant of Venice tickets and experience this comedic drama live on stage, and hear many more surprising expressions from the hand of the Bard. Shakespeare on Broadway tickets are always popular, but throw Al Pacino into the mix and you have a completely sold-out run.

Browse the Merchant of Venice schedule and be sure to buy Merchant of Venice tickets soon. This one is guaranteed to be huge. Be at Merchant of Venice Broadway for the biggest show of 2011!