The Merchant of Venice," a play by William Shakespeare, is indeed set in Venice and revolves around the character of Antonio, a merchant who borrows money from a Jewish moneylender named Shylock on behalf of his friend Bassanio. In Venice, a merchant named Antonio worries that his ships are overdue. As his colleagues offer comfort, his young friends—Bassanio, Graziano, and Lorenzo—arrive. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan, so that he can pursue the wealthy Portia, who lives in Belmont. Antonio cannot afford the loan.