Antonio is the Merchant of the title of the play written by William Shakespeare. He is a passive actor in the play and he is portrayed as a generous Christian willing to help his friend Bassanio. Antonio is willing to give all of his wealth to his friend Bassanio even if it involves him borrowing from others. Antonio gets involved in a bond with Rich Jew Money Usurer, wherein, he has to repay the borrowed ducats within the given time, and forfeiting will cause him to give a pound of flesh. His character reveals his love for his friends but hatred towards the Jewish community.
Bassanio is a young and pretty man who loves nothing but merrymaking. He is the best friend of Antonio and because of this Antonio risks all his wealth, and enters the bond with Shylock. Bassanio has wasted all his wealth by spending lavishly and now he wishes to restore his wealth by courting an heiress of Belmont Portia. Bassanio makes a good Judgement and ends up winning the love of Portia for his wife.
Gratiano is a young man but a fol. who makes fun of serious jokes and makes fool out of himself. He is said to be wild but a good friend of Bassanio as he accompanies Bassanio to Belmont. He falls in love with Nerissa a lady in waiting for Portia.
Lorenzo is a friend of Bassanio and falls in love with the daughter of Shylock. He plans to steal Jessica and ends up succeeding.
Portia is the most important character in the play. She is the heiress of Belmont bound by her father's test in choosing a suitor for marriage. Her father has devised three caskets and whosoever chooses the correct casket will marry her. She is a beauty with a brain lady, as in the play, she is also found dressed as a lawyer who goes to rescue Antonio from being killed by Shylock.
Nerissa is the lady-in-waiting for Portia. She is like a sister to Portia as she accompanies Portia everywhere. She falls in love with Gratiano.
Shylock is a money-lender, and he is hated for being a usurer as he is a Jew and those days in their time, Jews were discriminated against for existing. He hates Christians for wronging Jews and in particular hates Antonio for spitting on his face one time in a marketplace. He lends money to Bassanio and when the money is not repaid, he demands the pound of flesh from Antonio. He is also hated for being a miser and for ill-treating his servant Launcelot Gobbo.
Jessica is the daughter of Shylock however, unlike her father she is in love with Christian boy Lorenzo. She defies to live with her father Shylock and flees with her lover dressed as a boy. She steals ducats from her father's chest and runs away to live as a Christian.
Launcelot Gobbo is the servant of Shylock who leaves Shylock to work for Bassanio. He is portrayed as a comedian as he is found making fun of his former master through his monologue.
Salerio and Solanio are friends of Antonio and they are more like an audience who brings out the story by going around and engaging themselves in witty talk.
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