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A Character Sketch of Antonio
Antonio is the title character in Shakespeare ’ s The Merchant of Venice. He is a middle-aged bachelor and 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 Christians who know him. ven !ortia, !ortia, who sees Antonio as a rival for her husband’s affections, reveres his character and appreciates his willingness to die for "assanio.
Passive And Non-Combative #he key-note of his character is melancholy, and it is struck in the very first words he utters$ ‘In sooth I know not why I am so sad’. And again I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano A stage where every man must lay a art And mine a sad one.
#here is a lack of combativeness and self-assertion in his character. %n the process of the trial, while friends and lawyers are doing their utmost for him, there is little show of fight in Antonio. All he can say is !ost heartily I do besee"h the "ourt #o give the $udgment ‘#his melan"holy, %aint-heartedness, %aint-heartedness, "arelessness o% li%e, "all it what one will, "ertainly makes Antonio a ale and somewhat uninteresting %igure to us.’
&Spilsbury and 'arshall( However, it should be remembere remembered d that he has been made a passive character for dramatic purpose. #he signing of the rash pound of flesh bond seems credible only on the part of a man so given to a nameless melancholy and so careless of life itself.
&is Poularity, A Generous 'riend Antonio is a rich merchant of )enice. %t is to be noted that all, e*cept Shylock, speak most highly of him. +ratiano calls him, #he royal merchant, good Antonio. #o "assanio he is a dear friend. "esides "esides being a general favourite with the magnificoes of )enice, )enice, he entertains a truly noble affection for "assanio. "assanio. ot only does he assure his spendthrift friend. ‘my urse, my erson, my e(treme means, lie all unlo"ked to self-sacrifice as to risk his very life to your o""asions’, but he goes to such lengths of self-sacrifice assist him.
&is )eligious Intoleran"e
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%t is /ust because Antonio has such an e*cellent character in every respect that we may forgive him for his ungentlemanly behavior towards the 0ew. Shylock protests$ 'air sir, you sit on me on *ednesday last+ ou surn’d me su"h a day another time ou "all’d me dog.
And Antonio answers at this I am as like to "all thee so again #o sit on thee again, to surn thee too.
#hese remarks of Antonio destroy in us all possibility of sympathy for him. According to Spilsbury and 'arshall, this is the only %ault o% his "hara"ter, but it is a grave one.
ramati" /igni%i"an"e Antonio is certainly a passive character, colourle colourless ss and unimpressi unimpressive. ve. He is a mere shadow besides Shylock and !ortia, and unsubstantial, even in comparison with his )enetian friends. "ut dramatically dramatically he is of the greatest importance. He is the very core and centre of the play. He is related to all the characters of the play in one way or the other. "assanio, +ratiano, Salarino, Salanio and 1oren2o are his friends. Shylock is his enemy. !ortia is his savior. He is the centre of interest in the play. %t is he who helps "assanio to go to "elmont and win the hand of !ortia there. His pound of flesh bond leads directly to the trial scene where !ortia comes to his rescue.
