The Comedy of The Merchant of Venice is a classic play by William Shakespeare that tells the story of a young merchant, Antonio, who borrows money from a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, to help his friend, Bassanio, win the hand of the wealthy Portia.
From Wikipedia
The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock, with seemingly inevitable fatal consequences.