Major Characters in The Merchant of Venice

Although The Merchant of Venice is often described as a romantic comedy, and although the play does have comic and romantic elements, an analysis of the characters, especially the central figures of Shylock, Antonio, and Portia, reveals the play to be far more dramatic and tragic than comedic.

A. He is ruled by a greed which alienates him from others.

B. He is shown to be in part a character wronged by others and justified in his desire for revenge against Antonio.

C. The complexity of his character shows Shakespeare himself to be ambivalent about him, but at no time is he shown to be a comic villain.

A. He is melancholy and self-absorbed from the beginning to the end of the play.

B. He is ignorant of the cause of his melancholy.

C. He is shown to be at least in part deserving of Shylock's hatred.

III. Portia is a dramatic and idealized character.

A. She is a woman true to herself, her ideals, and to the pledge she made to her father.

B. She is generous and worthy of her suitors' love.

C. She is a wise judge capable of beautiful expressions in favor of mercy.

IV. An analysis of the three central characters of The Merchant of Venice shows the play to be a dramatic, even tragic, piece.

This study will analyze the major characters in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Although the play is often described as a comedy or a romantic comedy, an analysis of the characters, especially the c

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ader pause when tempted to judge Shylock too quickly and harshly for his desire for revenge against his tormentors, represented primarily by Antonio. Shylock confronts Antonio after the latter asks for a loan for Bassanio: "You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,/ And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine" (I, iii, 106-108). Not only does Antonio not deny these charges, he says that he may well do the same in the future. He does not want to be Shylock's friend; he only wants to borrow money for Bassanio. In other words, Antonio refuses to see Shylock as a human being with human sensibilities, just as Shylock refuses to see his customers as the same. Shylock asks no interest for the loan, but instead demands a literal "pound of flesh" from Antonio should the latter fail to repay the loan. Later, when Antonio is indeed unable to repay, Shylock demands what he is owed, and speaks his mind with a bitter hatred which is nevertheless in part justified by the words Shakespeare allows him. By the time the lines are spoken, Shylock has been abandoned by his own daughter, who has stolen Shylock's jewelry and run off to marry a Christian. Every character in the play, with the single exception of Tubal, the only other Jew in the piece, has lined u

Category: Literature - M