The Merchant of Venice mercy". Critic Harold Bloom listed it among Shakespeare's great comedies. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees, but since he is cash-poor – his ships and merchandise are busy at sea to Tripolis, the Indies, Mexico and England – he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns
Shakespeare in the Arb Shakespeare in the Arb Shakespeare in the Arb is an annual event, presented in the open, in Nichols Arboretum. Nichols Arboretum is a 123-acre (49.7 hectares) heavily wooded park, with large landscape lawns surrounded by the woods, a river, and steep hills. The plays are moving events, with both performers and audience moving from location to location within the park as the play progresses. At each location a segment of the play is performed. The plays begin in the early evening, and are put on near the summer solstice as no artificial lighting is used. The park is near to