Shylock agrees to a bond with Antonio, the merchant of Venice. This bond requires Antonio to give a pound of his flesh next his heart should the money not be repaid on a certain date. When Antonio fails, Shylock goes to court to get the pound of flesh. Antonio had previously insulted and spat on him in the Rialto (the commercial centre of Venice). This helps to explain why Shylock demanded his "pound of flesh".