Plot: (with spoilers; I'm talking about Macmillan's version):
Antonio is a merchant of Venice who has a lot of sheep. At the beginning he is unhappy, but he doesn't know why, because his business are going well.
He has a friend, called Bassanio, who ask him for money to go to Belmont to see a lady whose name is Portia; this young girl is looking for husband and all the princes are going to see her to marry her. If you want to be Portia's husband you have to pass a kind of test in which you have to choose a gold, silver or lead chest; in one of this there's Portia's picture.

Antonio has all his money invested in his cargo, so they ask Shylock (a Jew man) to lend them 3 thousand ducats. They do a bond and Bassanio gets the money, so he goes to see Portia.
Shylock is an enemy of Antonio (who is Christian) because he says that the merchant called him bad things and treated him in a non-educated way; but Antonio is considered by all Venice a good and hard-working man, however Shylock is called a devil one.

Most of the man who do the 'test' (ex: Morrocco or Arragon) choose the incorrect chest. The gold one contains a skull with a letter (which has a poem), the silver chest has a picture of a dumb boy and a letter and the last one has Portia's picture and another letter. Bassanio is right, so he married the lady, and she gave him a ring that he isn't allowed to get out instead he has died.

Shylock wants to destroy Antonio, so he claims the bond and says to the judge that he wants to see the merchant dead. Portia and Nerissa (her maid, who is in love with Gratiano (friend of Antonio and Bassanio)) get dressed about men and pretend that they are the lawyer and the Clerk.
Finally, Portia (the lawyer) finds the solution: Shylock has to cut Antonio's flesh trying to avoid that his blood leaves his body; if Shylock doesn't make it he Will die and donate all his possessions to Venice and his daughter Jessica (a half for each group).
Shylock denies the judgment so he is convict to death.

The lawyer and the Clerk (Portia and Nerissa) claim for their job the respective rings of Bassanio and Gratiano, they give them to the autorities and go back home (there Portia and Nerissa pretend to be angry and mocs of their husbands for a while).

Characters:

Portia: Lady of Belmont. His father is dead, so she has to choose a husband. She finally marries Bassiano.

Nerissa: Portia's maid who marry Gratiano.

The Duke of Venice: a man who witness the judgment and leads the case. He is the maximun autority in Venice.

Old Gobbo: Launcelot's father. Is the person who ask Bassanio for a place where his son can work. He can't see well.

Jessica: Shylock's daughter, is in love with Lorenzo. She run away from her house to be happy with her lover, who is a Christian. She stole all the money and jewels from his father and scape in one night that she's alone at home.

Shylock: Jessica's father. A Jew of Venice.

Launcelot Gobbo: At first he is a Shylock's servant, but later he goes with his father to ask Bassanio permission to work for him (it's only used like an evidence that Shylock is a bad person).

Tubal: Friend of Shylock. He's also Jew.

Lorenzo: Christian who is in love with Jessica.

Antonio: A merchant of Venice.

Salerio: Friend of Antonio and Bassanio.

Solanio: Friend of Antonio and Bassanio.

Bassanio: Wants to marry Portia and owes money to Shylock.

Gratiano: Friend of Antonio and Bassanio. He marries Nerissa.

Leonardo: Servant of Bassanio.

The prince of Morrocco: wants to marry Portia and chooses the gold chest.

The Prince of Arragon: wants to marry Portia and chooses the silver chest.

Balthasar: servant of Portia.

Stephano: servant of Portia.

Kisses,

Myn