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He emerges in Act I, scene i as a hopeless depressive, someone who cannot name the source of his melancholy and who, throughout the course of the play, devolves into a self-pitying lump, unable to muster the energy required to defend himself against execution.
- Antonio Quotes
Antonio speaks with Solanio about the contract he made with...
- Character List
Antonio. The merchant whose love for his friend Bassanio...
- Antonio Quotes
- Shylock
- Portia
- Antonio
- Jessica
- Bassanio
- Gratiano
- Lorenzo
- Nerissa
- Launcelot Gobbo
- The Prince of Morocco
A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his mistreatment at the hands of Venice’s Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Although seen by the rest of the play’s characters as an inhuman monster, Shylock at times diverges from stereotype and reveals h...
A wealthy heiress from Belmont. Portia’s beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by a clause in her father’s will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses correctly among three caskets, Portia is nonetheless able to marry her true love, Bassanio. Far and away the most clever of the play’s characters, it is Portia, in the disguise...
The merchant whose love for his friend Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock’s contract and almost lose his life. Antonio is something of a mercurial figure, often inexplicably melancholy and, as Shylock points out, possessed of an incorrigible dislike of Jews. Nonetheless, Antonio is beloved of his friends and proves merciful to Shylock, albeit wit...
Although she is Shylock’s daughter, Jessica hates life in her father’s house, and elopes with the young Christian gentleman, Lorenzo. The fate of her soul is often in doubt: the play’s characters wonder if her marriage can overcome the fact that she was born a Jew, and we wonder if her sale of a ring given to her father by her mother is excessively...
A gentleman of Venice, and a kinsman and dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio’s love for the wealthy Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock with Antonio as his guarantor. An ineffectual businessman, Bassanio proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly identifying the casket that contains Portia’s portrait. Read an in-depth analysis of Bassanio.
A friend of Bassanio’s who accompanies him to Belmont. A coarse and garrulous young man, Gratiano is Shylock’s most vocal and insulting critic during the trial. While Bassanio courts Portia, Gratiano falls in love with and eventually weds Portia’s lady-in-waiting, Nerissa. Read an in-depth analysis of Gratiano.
A friend of Bassanio and Antonio, Lorenzo is in love with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. He schemes to help Jessica escape from her father’s house, and he eventually elopes with her to Belmont. Read an in-depth analysis of Lorenzo.
Portia’s lady-in-waiting and confidante. She marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on Portia’s trip to Venice by disguising herself as her law clerk. Read an in-depth analysis of Nerissa.
Bassanio’s servant. A comical, clownish figure who is especially adept at making puns, Launcelot leaves Shylock’s service in order to work for Bassanio. Read an in-depth analysis of Launcelot Gobbo.
A Moorish prince who seeks Portia’s hand in marriage. The prince of Morocco asks Portia to ignore his dark countenance and seeks to win her by picking one of the three caskets. Certain that the caskets reflect Portia’s beauty and stature, the prince of Morocco picks the gold chest, which proves to be incorrect.
Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains to his friends of a melancholy that he cannot explain. His friend Bassanio is desperately in need of money to court Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in the city of Belmont. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan in order to travel in style to Portia’s estate.
Oct 14, 2020 · The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, and is widely studied and has been subject to considerable analysis. Contrary to what many people think, the ‘merchant’ of the title isn’t Shylock (of whom more below) but the far less famous character, Antonio.
- Gratiano. Gratiano is Antonio and Bassanio’s friend and Nerissa’s suitor. He accompanies Bassanio to Belmont. Gratiano is described as “wild,” “rude,” and “bold.”
- Nerissa. Nerissa is Portia’s “woman-in-waiting.” After Bassanio successfully completes the casket test, Nerissa weds Bassanio’s friend Gratiano. Throughout the play, Nerissa serves as Portia’s closest friend, ally, and co-conspirator.
- Launcelot Gobbo. Launcelot Gobbo begins the play as Shylock’s servant and ends it as Bassanio’s servant. He is a bright young man who enjoys wordplay. He resents the treatment he receives from Shylock and helps Jessica elope with Lorenzo.
- Gobbo. Old Gobbo is Launcelot’s aged, blind father. He cares deeply for his son, going so far as to bring gifts to Shylock, Launcelot’s master. When Launcelot wants to become Bassanio’s servant instead, Old Gobbo agrees to help him.
Antonio, a leading merchant of Venice, is a wealthy, respected, and popular man. Among his many friends is a young man named Bassanio, who owes Antonio a good deal of money. Bassanio would like to repay his friend, but so far he has been unable to do so.
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Merchant of Venice might be described as a revenge tragedy barely averted, as Portia swoops into the courtroom scene and saves Antonio from Shylock.
