Antonio is one of the main characters in The Merchant of Venice, a play by William Shakespeare. Antonio and his friend Bassanio ask for a loan so that Bassanio can impress Portia, the woman he loves.

The Merchant of Venice is a complicated play. Apart from its interweaving storylines, its genre defies classification: in its first quarto of 1600, the play is described as an “excellent history” and ...

Antonio tells Bassanio to not be sad because he feels lucky. He said only be sad he is losing a friend, not that he helped pay Bassanio's debt. Shylock, a money-lender, lends Antonio a loan, even ...