Portia:
Portia is a beloved character in the Merchant of Venice. She enters in scene two, act one. She is depressed and is worried because she is in love with Bassano and her father has other ideas for her. He does not want her to marry a poor man. The essence of her famous first speech is “I could easier teach twenty what is the right thing to do than to do the right thing myself.” (Not the exact words but that’s their meaning.)
Antonio:
The Merchant is Antonio: He and Bassanio open the play with discussions on how to borrow money to finance a trip so Bassanio can marry Portia. He, like all business people at one time or another, is having money problems. His ships are to be in shortly however. But not soon enough so the he can lend Bassanio money. He will help him get the money, however. (Three of them come in as the play closes.)
Shylock:
The Jewish business man who lends Antonio the money, but reluctantly. Although he has fewer lines than the other important characters, he makes a great deal of sense with his words. His words reek of justice but since the other characters are bent on getting what they want then, money, he is reluctant to lend them money. Antonio wants to talk over the prospective deal over dinner and Shylock, being no hypocrite, informs them that he might be persuaded to do business with them, but he will not eat with them.
Bassanio:
He is a friend of Antonio and is important as a back-up character in that his need for money so that he can marry Portia, the woman he loves introduces the problem of business dealing. Also, his impending marriage a and he cantankerous father of Portia whose actions and conditions under which she can marry, adds a sub-plot to the twisted tale.
Gratiano:
A Friend of Bassanio who is in love with Nerissa, the
Maid of Portia.
Nerissa:
Nerissa is Portia’s maid and she is the one to whom Portia confides. Often in Shakespeare’s plays, the hero and heroine have maids servants and this allows thim to share their thoughts to the audience. Usually the first time we meet these characters are in the first act. In subsequent acts they will be contributing their own problems that will need be solved. Nerissa is that type of character.
Jessica:
Jessica is the daughter of Shylock. She steals from her father in order to elope with Lorenzo. It’s her influence that indirectly gets Antonio off the hook with Shylock. She’s not a thief, only a desperate girl in love.
Launcelot:
Launcelot is a clownish servant to Shylock. We first meet him when Shylock gets back home after the first meeting with Antonio and Bassanio. Their banter lead on to more important dialogue. Their talk alerts us, and Shylock, to some unusual happenings in the air. He tells his daughter to make sure the doors are locked tightly.
There are other minor characters in the play that appear now and then such as Leonardo, who is in love with Jessica; The Duke of Morocco and the Prince of Aragon who wanted to marry Jessica; Solanio, Salarino, who were also Bassanio and Antonio’s friends; Tubal, a friend to Shylock; Old Cobbo, Launcelot’s father; Salerio, a messenger from Venice; Balthazar and Stephano who worked for Portia. And of course, let’s not forget the nameless court officials.
It’s a good play but truthfully in places it is like most of Shakespeare’s plays, especially “Much Ado About Nothing, the next play up in my book “William Shakespeare: The Complete Works.
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