The merchant of Venice
Discuss Antonio's
character in the play-3
sentences
Answers
Answer:
An influential, powerful and wealthy nobleman of Venice, he is a middle-aged man and a merchant by trade who has his financial interests tied up in overseas shipments when the play begins. He is kind, generous, honest and confident, and is loved and revered by all the Christians who know him except Shylock.
Answer:
Antonio is the hero of the play. However, he has a small speaking part and we do not get a chance to know him well so the most of what we know about him is through the other characters of the play. According to Bassanio, he is the kindest man, the best conditioned and and unwearied spirit in doing courtesies. This is the impression of most of the characters in the Play. His sadness affects his friends and his losses that sea worry all.
The play opens with Antonio saying that he cannot understand the reason behind his sadness and when his friends suggest that worry for his merchandise on the sea could be the cause he assures them that this is not the case. He is not in love either. One get the impression that he is a very lonely man and despite Jolly friends who surrounds him his temperament is that of a melancholic man. Antonio's sadness maybe an indication of his impending disaster. He is an extremely loyal friend who is willing to lay down his life for Bassanio. Even though he is against lending or borrowing money he makes an exception for Bassanio. When he realises that Shylock is bent upon getting a pound of flesh he never blames Bassanio for his plight but in fact he only wishes that his friend should be present to see his end.
It seems difficult to believe that a noble man such as Antonio has been abusing and insulting Shylock but it has to be true because when Shylock reminds him of that he shows no remorse and declares he will do it again. He is a devout Christian and thinks he is showing mercy when he asks for more favourable terms of punishment for Shylock on condition that he gets converted to Christianity. The strange thing is that he does not realise that asking Shylock to give up his religion must be the worst punishment - a religion that has been the cornerstone of his life.
Thus, Antonio is a loyal friend, a kind hearted person however a lonely man.