Shakespeare’s Presentation of Antonio in The Merchant of...

Shakespeare’s Presentation of Antonio in The Merchant of Venice Shakespeare’s portrayal of Antonio in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ is decidedly open to interpretation, as his melancholic nature is revealed at the start of the play and foreshadows his later bad luck, but a specific reasoning behind it is never given. For an Elizabethan audience, Antonio provides the perfect Christian protagonist to Shylock’s evil Jewish antagonist, although our modern reception of him is much more diverse and as such provides the audience with a greater sense of suspense concerning his fate, and enigma surrounding his personality. Arguably this was Shakespeare’s intention as Antonio is perceived as being the eponymous†¦show more content†¦Antonio’s agreement to the ‘bond’ with Shylock may be a final attempt to keep Bassanio in his life, in the real world, which to him involves business rather than the fairytale land of Belmont; no such place could be further from Antonio’s reach – he â⠂¬Å"loves the world only for† Venice. He seems intent on playing the wounded victim as his part in the world â€Å"is a sad one†, yet in spite of this morbid self-indulgence the audience feel compassion for him because outwardly he seems to embody all the virtues of a Christian; he is kind and noble towards his friends and clever as he has not â€Å"trusted† all his â€Å"ventures† in â€Å"one bottom†. He appears fair in his business dealings, ambitious and the perfect gentleman; the antithesis of Shylock and supposedly the admirable hero of the play. Shakespeare emphasises the rift between Jews and Christians during the Elizabethan era to good dramatic effect through the relationship between â€Å"noble† Antonio and â€Å"misbeliever† Shylock. In a time when Christianity was seen as the ‘one religion’ and Jews were still loathed and blamed for the death of Christ, the audiences favour would have fallen with Antonio andShow MoreRelatedA Study of Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice Essay1540 Words   |  7 PagesA Study of Anti-Semitism in The Merchant of Venice ‘The Merchant of Venice’ was written by Shakespeare in 1596 and appeals to both audiences of comedy and tragedy. The play features anti-Semitism which is a response to 1500’s Britain as well as other literature of the time. 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