The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare
(Character of ANTONIO)
Antonio is a
wealthy merchant of the city of Venice. He is a prominent citizen, commands
great respect. When he was first introduced in the play, he was in a depressed
mood. His friends ask him, if he is feeling depressed because all his ships are
at sea, facing all kinds of hazards from storms and rocks, but he tells them,
that he is not at all feeling worried about the safety of his ships. He then
tells them, that his melancholy is something natural to him, something
temperamental or inborn. He says that he
sees this world as the stage of a theater, on which every man has a role to
play, his own part being that of a sad man. Thus, melancholy may be regarded as
one of the principal traits of his Character.
Another key
feature of Antonio's character is his ability for friendship and a deep
affection for Bassanio. In fact, Antonio and Bassanio's friendship is one of
the romantic elements in the play, as this friendship is made ideal and
glorious by Shakespeare. Bassanio had once taken a loan from Antonio but had
not repaid it; And now again he badly needs money. This time he again asks for
a loan from Antonio. Antonio currently has no cash on hand, and still does not
want to disappoint his friend. He therefore asks Bassanio to go to some
money-lender in the city and take a loan on his (Antonio’s) behalf. Bassanio
approaches Shylock, who is a Jew and a professional moneylender, and asks for a
loan of three thousand ducats in the name of Antonio. Antonio then signs a bond
that seems potentially dangerous regardless of the danger which it implies. It
contains a clause, according to which Shylock would be entitled to cut off one
pound of Antonio's flesh from nearest his heart, if Antonio fails to repay the
debt, within a period of three months. Antonio voluntarily signs this bond to
meet the needs of his friend Bassanio; And his act shows how much he loves Bassanio.
He is truly a friend in need. He is willing to risk his life for his friend's
sake.
Antonio is a kind
man who lends money to needy people, without charging any interest from them. In
this respect, he offers a striking contrast to Shylock who is a usurer. It is
true that Shylock is a professional money-lender and should take interest on
the loan he gives. Antonio, on the other hand, is not a money lender by
profession. The point to note is, that Shylock charges an unreasonably high
interest rate; And Antonio lends money to people, even if he is not a
money-lender, and he lends money without charging any interest. While Shylock
is a greedy man, Antonio is not at all greedy. In fact, Antonio is almost
indifferent to wealth.
Although Antonio
is a man, who wins our respect and admiration because of his fine qualities, he
still suffers from a serious flaw. As a Christian he shows an intolerance
towards the Jews. He hates Shylock because Shylock is a usurer but even more
because Shylock is a Jew. This religious or racial intolerance on his part,
somewhat lowers him in our estimation. In fact, Antonio goes out of his way,
and insult Shylock. On several occasions, he has abused Shylock and even spat
on his clothes. He does so, because Shylock is a usurer and a Jew. And even
when he is asking Shylock for a loan, he says that in future also he would
abuse him and spit on him. He tells Shylock, that he wants loan from him not as
a friend but as an enemy. There was a general prejudice against Jews in those
days; But we would expect a good man like Antonio, to be free from that kind of
prejudice. Antonio is a perfect gentleman but his religious bigotry is
undoubtedly a defect of his character.
Antonio also
suffers from a deficiency. He doesn't have much sense of humor. As he is
constitutionally an indifferent man, he is unable to laugh much. He cannot
enjoy a joke; And he is certainly unable to make a joke. He does not like
Gratiano's flippant and lighthearted talk. Being a serious-minded
man, he is unable to enjoy torch processions, masked processions, which Lorenzo
and others enjoy greatly. It also seems, that he is unable to fall in love.
When it is suggested, that he must be feeling depressed because he is in love,
he immediately rejects the suggestion, saying; “Fie, fie!”
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