Introduction
The Merchant of Venice is a play about a man who is wronged and almost destroyed by fortune, but then he realizes he has the power to influence his destiny. When a dispute arises between Antonio and Bassanio over money, Antonio agrees to let his brother-in-law kill him and save himself from spending years in prison. It leads to one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated speeches, where he tries to persuade the audience that Antonio was asleep when Bassanio was killed and only wishes to protect him from harm. This essay examines the lessons learned from the character of Antonino and the shape of character change throughout the story.
Lessons learned from the Character
The Character Antonio is a man of wealth, power, and love. He is a man who has everything he needs in this world—except the one thing he wants most: Portia. He is the son of a wealthy merchant and has been raised by his father to become one too. However, when he meets Shylock, he finds himself in a situation where he needs money desperately, and Shylock promises to loan him the money on interest—which is not unheard of for the period in which the play takes place (1592) (Lanier, 2019). However, Antonio is not interested in helping Shylock because he does not want anything to do with the Jews or their money. As people can see from Antonio’s behavior throughout the play, one can see him change over time as his relationship with Shylock progresses. After initially refusing to lend him money, Antonio begins taking on Shylock’s requests while trying to avoid doing anything that would involve his Jewish friend directly; he will not even sit at his table.
In addition, Antonio is not like the other characters in Shakespeare’s play; he is not only physically large, but also mentally large. He does not have the same temper tantrums or violent outbursts as other characters. Instead, Antonio uses his wealth to manipulate others into doing what he wants them to do. Despite this, however, Antonio does develop throughout the play – he learns that it is possible to be powerful without being cruel and selfish. Antonio is a character who learns something about himself throughout the play. He starts as a man who believes that he can do anything he sets his mind to, but we see him change over time and become more aware of his limitations and capabilities. As the story progresses, Antonio learns that he cannot rely on his wealth and influence alone to get what he wants but must work hard. Antonio also learns that he needs to be honest with others if they will trust him or never truly know him.
The characters in Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice are many-sided creatures; there are many different sides to each Character, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Some characters might seem like they are always doing the right thing, while others might seem like they are always doing something wrong; this is especially true when it comes to Antonio’s Character. In Act 2, Scene 3, when Antonio visits Portia’s house for the first time, he is invited inside for a meal. Portia asks what kind of person he would like her daughter Jessica to marry, and Antonio does not know because Jessica has not yet been introduced (Scene 4) (Lanier, 2019). He also learns that Portia would like Jessica to marry someone rich/powerful but has no idea how much wealth/power this person should have – she knows they must be rich/powerful enough so that Jessica can inherit money (Scene 5).
The shape of the Character change
The Character Antonio in the Merchant of Venice is a man who an unjust system has wronged. Although he was not the original perpetrator, he ended up being punished and sees himself as a victim. This idea is conveyed through his Character’s shape and how he speaks to others. Antonio’s Character is portrayed as a man who is angry and upset by the fact that he has been wronged. He speaks in a very animated manner with quick gestures, which helps to convey this idea. In addition to speaking more quickly than normal, he also often touches his face or body as he speaks, which gives him a nervous or agitated appearance. It is reinforced when we see that his face is often flushed pink, as seen in his cheeks and forehead, which emphasizes his anger towards those around him. Antonio’s voice also conveys this idea of being angry at being wronged. He speaks angrily throughout most of the play, but especially when addressing Shylock directly about money for Jessica’s hand in marriage (Lanier, 2019). He also uses swear words like “damned,” “hell,” “devil,” “hugger-mugger,” etc., which again emphasizes his anger.
In addition, Antonio is a man who changes in the play, represented in how he speaks and changes his manner of speech. The first time we see him; he is drunk and makes fun of Shylock. He calls him a Jew and says he will never get a loan from him because “his name is odious to me” (Lanier, 2019). It shows how Antonio has a negative outlook on lending money to others. Later on in the play, when Antonio finds out that Shylock has been insulted by Bassanio, he becomes enraged by what has happened. He yells at Shylock and says, “The Jews have been whipped enough” (Lanier, 2019). It shows how much more seriously Antonio takes this incident than any other previous ones because it’s not just Shylock who was hurt by the insult but also Antonio himself who feels betrayed. After all, he thought he was being honest with Bassanio about his relationship with Jessica.
The way that Antonio speaks throughout the play shows how much his Character has changed from when one first meets him to his final death scene. Even though he dies after saving Jessica from being raped by Shylock’s soldiers – his last words are for her alone: “I am dying! And yet I love thee” (Lanier, 2019). Overall, I believe that Antonio’s Character changes throughout the play. He starts as a gullible, naïve young man who Shylock easily manipulates. As the play progresses, we learn that he has been quite successful in life and has profited from his trade.
Conclusion
Antonio has learned the importance of patience in his suffering. He tells us he is ‘contented to suffer’ and it is through this self-control that he stays alive. But in doing so, Antonio has found his happiness. In Act 4, the story introduces the audience to a new Antonio. Whereas once before, he wanted revenge, now the audience has a man who is pleased to be forgiven.
Reference
Lanier, D. M. (2019). The Merchant of Venice: Language and writing. Bloomsbury Publishing.