Somewhere in Venice, Antonio is a Venetian merchant who is sad. His friends, Salerio and Solanio suggest that his sadness comes from him worrying about shipping his cargo. Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, wants to borrow money from Antonio so he can marry Portia. Portia lives in Belmont and is the daughter of a wealth noble. Antonio has no money because his ship is stuck on the ocean and therfore cannot lend any to Bassanio.
Meanwhile, at Portia’s house, Portia’s father imposed the condition on Portia marriage that suitors must choose between three casks, of gold, silver, and lead, in order to win her hand, and swear off marrying if they lose. The Neapolitan prince, the County Palatine, Monsieur Le Bon, Falconbridge, the Scottish lord, and a young German failed the test. The Prince of Morocco and Bassanio are the only ones left but Portia doesn’t like the Prince of Morocco because he has the "complexion of a devil".
Back in Venice, Bassanio went to a Jew moneylender named Shylock for a loan of 3000 ducats. Shylock was concerned about loaning money to Bassanio because of his hatred towards Antonio and Antonio’s anti-semitic behaviour towards Shylock. Nevertheless, Shylock agrees to loan the money to Bassanio without any interest. However, Shylock said that the loan must be repaid in three months or Shylock will exact a pound of flesh from Antonio. Antonio agrees, confident that his ships will return in time.
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