Unexpectedly, Antonio's merchant ship was overdue, which made him unable to pay his debts on time. Shylock, who gloated, sharpened his knife and prepared to cut meat from him. At this critical moment, Bassanio's fiancee Portia arrived. She pretended to be a lawyer in court to judge the case, and with her own intelligence, she skillfully led Shylock, who thought she was sure of winning, to the deadlock. She decided that Shylock could cut Antonio's flesh to pay off his debts, but on one condition that he could not violate, that is, he could only cut off a pound of flesh, neither too much nor too little: neither bleeding nor endangering his life. Shylock couldn't cut the meat according to Bohemian conditions anyway, so he had to give up in frustration.
It is a common practice in Shakespeare's plays to skillfully integrate the most interesting and dramatic folk stories into the drama, making it natural with the whole plot. For example, in the love between Bassanio and Bohemia, the courtship story from three boxes of gold, silver and lead was incorporated, named after the smart and beautiful Bohemia. Examples hidden in unpretentious lead bottles show that true love does not necessarily have a gorgeous appearance. In addition to the main story line, there are some double lines. For example, Shylock's own daughter fell in love with Lorenzo, a Christian youth, and they eloped resolutely to avoid her father's obstruction. The addition of these reasonable ingredients makes a hilarious comedy contain rich and profound contents.
Twelfth night stills