Character List
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.
Portia - 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 an d
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.
Antonio - 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 by his friends and proves merciful to Shylock, albeit with
conditions.
Bassanio - 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.
Gratiano - 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.
Jessica - 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.
Lorenzo - 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.
Nerissa - 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.
LauncelotGobbo - 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.
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.
Portia - 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 an d
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.
Antonio - 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 by his friends and proves merciful to Shylock, albeit with
conditions.
Bassanio - 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.
Gratiano - 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.
Jessica - 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.
Lorenzo - 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.
Nerissa - 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.
LauncelotGobbo - 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.
