Who is the title character in Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice'?

'The Merchant of Venice' is a play written by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) about Antonio, the merchant of Venice. The date the play was written is unknown but it was mentioned in the writing of churchman Francis Mere in 1598. The play was officially published in 1600. Shakespeare based the story on 'Il Pecorone' (The Simpleton) by Ser Giovanni, a 14th-century Italian writer.

Bassanio, a friend of Antonio's, has fallen in love with a lady called Portia. Needing money to woo the lady, he asks his friend Antonio for a loan. Unfortunately, Antonio's money is tied up in business ventures, so he borrows money from a Jewish moneylender named Shylock. The moneylender forces Antonio to sign a bond agreeing to give Shylock a pound of his flesh if the money is not repaid by a certain date.

Whilst Bassanio wins Portia's heart, Antonio cannot repay the borrowed money on time. He refuses to give Shylock the pound of flesh as stated in the bond and the case goes to court. Portia, disguised as a lawyer, declares Shylock is cruel and traps him in the loopholes of his own bond. Thus Shylock is forced to release Antonio and also give away his wealth and religion.

Antonio is depicted as a kind, generous Christian, whilst Shylock was a stereotypical greedy Jew. English society in Shakespeare's era was antisemitic and Jews had been expelled in 1290. Modern performances of the play attempt to remove the prejudiced language from the script, sometimes making Shylock the good guy.