The terms of the loan are unusual, to say the least. If Antonio can’t repay his debt on time, he will owe the grasping moneylender a pound of flesh! All seems hopeless—until a clever young woman named Portia dares to impersonate a judge at Antonio’s trial.

“The devil can quote Scripture for his own purposes.”  (Act I, Scene III)

“All that glitters is not gold; Often you have heard that told.
Many a man his life has sold, Just my outside to behold.
Golden tombs do worms enfold.”  (Act II, Scene VII)

這真是一筆非常不尋常的借據條約。若安東尼歐無法及時償還他積欠的債務，他將欠貪婪的夏洛克一磅肉！一切看似無望了──直到聰明的年輕女子波西亞，大膽地在安東尼歐的法庭上假扮法官。

“The devil can quote Scripture for his own purposes.”
魔鬼會為了他自己的意圖而引述聖經文句。(Act I, Scene III)

“All that glitters is not gold; Often you have heard that told.
Many a man his life has sold, Just my outside to behold.
Golden tombs do worms enfold.”
閃亮之物非皆黃金，此番箴言人人常聽。眾人紛紛把命賣，為我容貌一眼看。黃金陵墓藏蛀蟲。 (Act II, Scene VII)

威廉‧莎士比亞 William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare（1564－1616）

威廉．莎士比亞出生於英國，被公認是英國文學史和戲劇史上最傑出的詩人和劇作家。父親在他十三歲時因經商失敗而破產，他因此無法上大學。他十八歲時娶了大他八歲的Anne Hathaway，育有三名小孩。莎士比亞在1590年成為劇作家，起初只是模仿別的作家寫故事，藉此磨練寫作技巧，後來他越漸歡迎，最後成為成功的演員與劇作家。

莎士比亞擅於刻畫人物心理，運用生動的戲劇語言扣動讀者心弦，他的故事結構嚴謹、情節豐富多元，更富含人生哲理。他一生共寫了37部作品，可分成四個時期：歷史劇、喜劇、悲劇和浪漫喜悲劇。其中四大悲劇：《哈姆雷特》、《奧賽羅》、《李爾王》和《馬克白》寫於悲劇時期。這些戲劇故事在世界各地不斷地改編、上演，數百年來雋永不朽，為他贏得最偉大的劇作家的聲譽。