CHARACTER ANALYSIS Of ANTONIO

Introductory -
Antonio is the title character in William Shakespeare’s famous tragi-
comedy, ‘The Merchant of Venice’. Antonio is a wealthy merchant in
the city of Venice. He is a leading citizen, commanding great respect.
When he is first introduced to us in the play, he is in a melancholy
mood. His friends ask him if he is feeling melancholy because all his
ships are at sea, facing all sorts of dangers from storms and from
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 looks upon this world as the stage of a theatre on which
every man has to play a part, his own part being that of a sad man.
Thus, melancholy may be regarded as one of the principal traits of his
Character.
Antonio’s Profound Affection for Bassanio
Another major trait of Antonio’s character is his capacity for
friendship and his profound affection for Bassanio. Indeed, the
friendship of Antonio and Bassanio is one of the romantic elements in
the play because this friendship has been idealized and glorified by
Shakespeare. Bassanio had once before taken a loan from Antonio but
had not repaid it; and now again he needs money badly. This time he
again asks Antonio for a loan. Antonio has no cash in hand at the
moment, and yet he would not like to disappoint his friend. He
therefore bids Bassanio approach 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 money -lender, and asks for a loan of
three thousand ducats in Antonio’s name. Antonio then signs a bond
which seems to be potentially dangerous but which Antonio signs,
regardless of the danger which it implies. There is in it a clause
according to which Shylock would be entitled to cut off a pound of
Antonio’s flesh from nearest his heart in case Antonio fails to repay
the loan within a period of three months. Antonio willingly signs this
bond to meet the needs of this friend Bassanio; and this act on his part
shows how much he loves Bassanio. He is really a friend in need. He
is willing to risk his life for the sake of his friend.

A Kind-hearted and Accommodating Man

Antonio is a kind-hearted 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. (A usurer is a money
lender who charges excessive rates of interest on the loans which he
gives). It is true that Shylock is a professional money-lender and he
must, therefore, charge interest on the loans which he gives.
Antonio, on the other hand, is not a money-lender by profession. But
the point to note is that Shylock charges unreasonably high rates of
interest; and Antonio lends money to people even though he is not a
money-lender, and he lends money gratis (that is, without charging
any interest). While Shylock is a greedy man, Antonio is not at all
greedy. In fact, Antonio is almost indifferent to wealth.

Religious Intolerance, a Serious Defect in His Character

Although Antonio is a man who wins our respect and admiration
because of his fine qualities, yet he also suffers from a serious defect.
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 to
insult and degrade Shylock. On many occasions he has abused
Shylock, and even spat on his clothes. His reason for thus treating
Shylock is that 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 a loan from him
not as a friend but as an enemy. There was certainly in those days a
general prejudice against the Jews; but we would expect a nice man
like Antonio to be free from a prejudice of that kind. Antonio is a
perfect gentleman but his religious fanaticism is undoubtedly a flaw
in his character.

A Melancholic Man
Antonio also suffers from a deficiency. He does not have much of a
sense of humour. As he is constitutionally a melancholy man, he is
unable to laugh much. He cannot enjoy a joke; and he is certainly
incapable of making a joke. He does not approve of Gratiano’s
flippant and light-hearted talk. Himself a man of few words, he does
not approve of Gratiano’s glibness or garrulity (that is, excessive
talkativeness). Being a serious-minded man, he is also unable to enjoy
such merry-making as torch -light, masked processions in which
Lorenzo and others take great pleasure. And it also seems that he is
incapable of falling in love. When at the outset it is suggested that he
may be feeling melancholy because he is in love, he promptly rejects
the suggestion, saying; “Fie, fie!”
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