“My message is: ‘You have to get back to playing your serious role as a leader, playing a liberatory role for the rest of the world’,” Pillay, 85, told Reuters in The Hague, ​where she is currently a judge at the United Nations’ highest legal body, the International Court of Justice.

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    • g_mer [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
      27·
      29 days ago

      Plot and Summary

      • The Loan: Antonio, a Venetian merchant, borrows 3,000 ducats from the Jewish moneylender Shylock to help his friend Bassanio court the wealthy heiress Portia.
      • The Bond: Because Antonio’s money is tied up in shipping, Shylock agrees to an interest-free loan on one condition: if Antonio defaults, Shylock can claim a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
      • The Caskets: In Belmont, Bassanio successfully wins Portia’s hand by choosing the correct lead chest in her father’s riddle test.
      • The Courtroom Trial: When Antonio’s ships seemingly sink at sea and he defaults, Shylock demands his pound of flesh. Portia disguises herself as a young lawyer and saves Antonio by noting the contract allows flesh but no single drop of blood. Shylock is penalized for threatening a citizen’s life, losing his wealth and facing forced conversion.

      Main Characters

      • Antonio: The melancholy merchant of Venice whose loyalty to Bassanio drives the central conflict.
      • Bassanio: Antonio’s dear friend and suitor to Portia.
      • Portia: The intelligent heiress of Belmont who outsmarts Shylock in court.
      • Shylock: The complex Jewish moneylender caught between villainy and the sting of societal antisemitism.