The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is a story about a man whose life is saved by two wise women. Antonio is a good and generous Venetian who promises to pay Shylock the money borrowed by Bassanio or else allow Shylock to cut off a pound of his flesh. Unfortunately, Bassanio is unable to pay his debt. Antonio goes on trial and Shylock demands Antonio's flesh. Luckily, Portia and Nerissa dress up as lawyer and a clerk. Portia orders Shylock to cut off exactly one pound without a single drop of blood from Antonio. Shylock realizes that he is unable to get what he wants. Portia and Nerissa end up saving Antonio's life.

In addition to the main story, there are other little events. One of them is when Bassanio tries to marry Portia. To marry Portia, one has to pass a test. This test is designed by Portia's father in order to pick up the right husband for Portia. Bassanio must make a choice between three caskets: a gold one, a silver one, and a lead one. Who chooses the gold casket "shell get what many men desire." Who chooses the silver casket "Shall get as much as he deserves." Who chooses the lead casket "must give and hazard all he hath." Bassanio chooses the lead casket which is the right one and marries Portia.

I recommend this book to teens who want a challenge. This book is written in sixteenth century English, so it might be a bid hard.

Reviewed by SC.