Shylock
A Jewish moneylender in Venice. Angered by his
mistreatment at the hands of Venice’s Christians, particularly Antonio, Shylock
schemes to eke out his revenge by ruthlessly demanding as payment a pound of
Antonio’s flesh. Although seen by the rest of the play’s characters as an
inhuman monster, Shylock at times diverges from stereotype and reveals himself
to be quite human. These contradictions, and his eloquent expressions of
hatred, have earned Shylock a place as one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters.
A wealthy heiress from
Belmont. Portia’s beauty is matched only by her intelligence. Bound by a clause
in her father’s will that forces her to marry whichever suitor chooses
correctly among three caskets, Portia is nonetheless able to marry her true
love, Bassanio. Far and away the most clever of the play’s characters, it is
Portia, in the disguise of a young law clerk, who saves Antonio from Shylock’s
knife.
The merchant whose love for his friend
Bassanio prompts him to sign Shylock’s contract and almost lose his life.
Antonio is something of a mercurial figure, often inexplicably melancholy and,
as Shylock points out, possessed of an incorrigible dislike of Jews.
Nonetheless, Antonio is beloved of his friends and proves merciful to Shylock,
albeit with conditions.
A gentleman of Venice, and a kinsman
and dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio’s love for the wealthy Portia leads him to
borrow money from Shylock with Antonio as his guarantor. An ineffectual
businessman, Bassanio proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly identifying the
casket that contains Portia’s portrait.
A friend of Bassanio’s who
accompanies him to Belmont. A coarse and garrulous young man, Gratiano is
Shylock’s most vocal and insulting critic during the trial. While Bassanio
courts Portia, Gratiano falls in love with and eventually weds Portia’s
lady-in-waiting, Nerissa.
Although she is Shylock’s daughter,
Jessica hates life in her father’s house, and elopes with the young Christian
gentleman, Lorenzo. The fate of her soul is often in doubt: the play’s
characters wonder if her marriage can overcome the fact that she was born a
Jew, and we wonder if her sale of a ring given to her father by her mother is
excessively callous.
A friend of Bassanio and Antonio, Lorenzo is
in love with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. He schemes to help Jessica escape
from her father’s house, and he eventually elopes with her to Belmont.
Portia’s lady-in-waiting and
confidante. She marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on Portia’s trip to Venice
by disguising herself as her law clerk.
Bassanio’s servant. A comical,
clownish figure who is especially adept at making puns, Launcelot leaves
Shylock’s service in order to work for Bassanio.
A Moorish prince who seeks Portia’s hand in
marriage. The prince of Morocco asks Portia to ignore his dark countenance and
seeks to win her by picking one of the three caskets. Certain that the caskets
reflect Portia’s beauty and stature, the prince of Morocco picks the gold
chest, which proves to be incorrect.
An arrogant Spanish nobleman who
also attempts to win Portia’s hand by picking a casket. Like the prince of
Morocco, however, the prince of Arragon chooses unwisely. He picks the silver
casket, which gives him a message calling him an idiot instead of Portia’s
hand.
A Venetian gentleman, and friend to
Antonio, Bassanio, and Lorenzo. Salarino escorts the newlyweds Jessica and
Lorenzo to Belmont, and returns with Bassanio and Gratiano for Antonio’s trial.
He is often almost indistinguishable from his companion Solanio.
A Venetian gentleman, and frequent counterpart
to Salarino.
The ruler of Venice, who
presides over Antonio’s trial. Although a powerful man, the duke’s state is
built on respect for the law, and he is unable to help Antonio.
Launcelot’s father, also a servant
in Venice.
A Jew in Venice, and one of
Shylock’s friends.
A wealthy Paduan lawyer and Portia’s
cousin. Doctor Bellario never appears in the play, but he gives Portia’s
servant the letters of introduction needed for her to make her appearance in
court.
Portia’s servant, whom she
dispatches to get the appropriate materials from Doctor Bellario.
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