William Shakespeare
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The Merchant of Venice Study Guide." Course Hero. 27 Feb. 2017. Web. 9 June 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Merchant-of-Venice/>.
In text
(Course Hero)
Bibliography
Course Hero. (2017, February 27). The Merchant of Venice Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 9, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Merchant-of-Venice/
In text
(Course Hero, 2017)
Bibliography
Course Hero. "The Merchant of Venice Study Guide." February 27, 2017. Accessed June 9, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Merchant-of-Venice/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "The Merchant of Venice Study Guide," February 27, 2017, accessed June 9, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Merchant-of-Venice/.
Professor Regina Buccola of Roosevelt University explains the main characters in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice.
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Shylock | Shylock is a moneylender in Venice who seeks revenge for a lifetime of persecution and insults for being a Jew. Read More |
| Antonio | Antonio is a merchant who confidently borrows money on his friend Bassanio's behalf only to find his life in danger when he is unable to repay the loan. Read More |
| Bassanio | Bassanio is a Venetian gentleman who has racked up a lifetime of debt in his leisurely pursuits but hopes to marry the wealthy and beautiful Portia. Read More |
| Portia | Portia is a gentlewoman who lives near Venice; her father has devised a complex riddle challenge for her suitors, which makes courtship difficult for her. Read More |
| Gratiano | Gratiano is Bassanio's friend who supports him and accompanies him to Portia's estate, where he finds a wife of his own. Read More |
| Nerissa | Nerissa is Portia's waiting woman, friend, and confidante. She encourages Portia as Portia copes with the woes of courtship and marriage. Read More |
| Jessica | Jessica is Shylock's daughter, his only child, who breaks her father's heart by eloping with the Christian Lorenzo. Read More |
| Balthazar | Balthazar is Portia's servant who helps her obtain the disguise she uses to pose as a man and defend Antonio in court. She uses his name while in disguise. |
| Doctor Bellario | Doctor Bellario is Portia's cousin, a law scholar from Padua, who supplies Portia with letters of introduction and clothing to gain admission to court in Venice. |
| Duke of Venice | When Antonio defaults on his loan, Shylock demands payment of a pound of flesh, and the Duke of Venice must preside over the trial that ensues. |
| Launcelot Gobbo | Launcelot Gobbo is Shylock's jester; he tires of his employer's abuse and goes to work for Bassanio as a servant. |
| Old Gobbo | Old Gobbo is Launcelot's elderly father, who convinces his son to leave Shylock's employ and work for Bassanio. |
| Leah | Leah is the name of Shylock's deceased wife and Jessica's mother. |
| Leonardo | Leonardo is one of Bassanio's servants. |
| Lorenzo | Lorenzo is a friend of Bassanio and Gratiano; he falls in love with Jessica and elopes with her. |
| Prince of Arragon | The Prince of Arragon is the second of Portia's suitors to accept her father's riddle challenge; he fails. |
| Prince of Morocco | The Prince of Morocco is the first of Portia's suitors to accept her father's riddle challenge; he fails. |
| Salerio | Salerio is a Venetian messenger who comes to Belmont to tell Bassanio Antonio has forfeited on the loan. |
| Salarino | Salarino is one of Antonio's fellow merchants in Venice who offers less-than-encouraging comments on Antonio's life events. |
| Solanio | Solanio is another of Antonio's fellow merchants in Venice who, like his counterpart Salarino, tends to offer unhelpful advice. |
| Stephano | Stephano is one of Portia's servants; he's an adept musician. |
| Tubal | Tubal is Shylock's fellow moneylender and friend. |
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