The happy news is made happier still when Graziano asks Bassanio if he can be married on the same day that Bassanio and Portia are to wed. As Graziano explains, he had long been interested in Nerissa, Portia’s maid. But Nerissa told him that she would marry him only if Bassanio successfully chose the correct casket and would marry Portia. Bassanio is happy for his friend and agrees to the double-weddingceremony.
The feeling of happiness for Bassanio and the others at Belmont lasts all too briefly; for moments later Salerio, along with Lorenzo and Jessica, arrives and informs Bassanio about Antonio’s misfortunes.Ina letter from Antonio, Bassanio reads that all of his business ventures have failed: all of Antonio’s merchant ships have suffered mishap anddisaster.
To make matters worse, now that Antonio’s debt is past the due date, Shylock refuses to accept any payment but instead demands the “pound of flesh” as Antonio had promised. Salerio contributes to the description of Shylock as something unnatural andmonstrous: