Who is Shylock from Tales from Shakespeare and what is their importance?

Shylock is a Jewish userer who hates Antonio, a generous Christian merchant. When Antonio is forced to ask Shylock to lend him money to give his friend Bassanio, Shylock devises a shocking scheme where Antonio is persuaded to sign a contract promising a pound of his flesh should he not repay the loan within the time period set by Shylock. Portia, the future wife of Antonio's friend Bassiano, is a virtuous and intelligent woman who disguises herself as a man and acts as Antonio's lawyer. Through clever manipulation of the facts, Portia saves Antonio from his desperate situation and Shylock gets his just desserts.