 Now let's look at key quotes relating to the character of Antonio. Now very mind that he is one of the main characters of the play, indeed the play itself, Merchant of Venice is centred around him because he is the merchant of Venice. He is the person whom all of the events begin because he's the one out of his generosity towards his friend Bassanio. He decides to generously ask and let Bassanio go out, take money, the three thousand due cats that he needs for a loan in order to gain Porsche's hand in marriage. So on the one hand, Antonio, whom the title is named after, whilst he is presented as really generous and loyal as an individual, particularly to his friend Bassanio, in fact, maybe generous to a fault because this is not going to be the first loan that he gives over to his friend and even if he knows that his friend is not very good with money, so he seems really, really excessively generous. On the other hand, he is also presented as very melancholic at the beginning. In other words, when I say melancholic, I mean sad. He seems somewhat really fatalistic, very down, a little bit moody, a little bit depressed. However, we also find that he can be very prejudiced towards outsiders like Shylock. So he's also anti-Semitic. When I say anti-Semitic, I mean people who dislike Jewish people. And we can see this through his treatment of Shylock. And even at the end of the play, when the tables are turned and Shylock is now at his mercy, even if we see him sparing half of Shylock's wealth, he's still quite harsh in forcing Shylock to convert to Christianity. So there's two sides to Antonio's character. Now, as you can see behind me, essentially, I've prepared the key quotations, especially when you are very short on time, to really memorise when it comes to Antonio's characters. We're going to go over each quotation, what word-level analysis to do, and of course, when it comes to both structure, so sentence types, interesting punctuation, but also when it comes to language, so things like alliteration, metaphors, similes and so on. Okay? Now, the first quotation to remember when it comes to Antonio's character is right at the beginning in Act 1, Scene 1. When we meet him, and we can see that he's really sad, very melancholic, almost fatalistic, he feels almost like he doesn't really have control over his fate. He says, in Soothe, I know not why I am so sad. Now, here, this is really interesting because it seems like he finds his own melancholy a mystery. And when I say melancholy, I mean sadness. Now, the analysis and the word-level analysis you want to do here, you want to focus on structure. Here, you can look at Caesura, okay? So, Caesura is the midline pause. But also separately, you've got Sibilance here of S is so sad, and even you can add Soothe for your Sibilance. Finally, bear in mind that this whole sentence is written in what is called iambic pentameter. Now, if you're not entirely clear on what iambic pentameter means, iambic pentameter is simply a line, or a particular line in a verse, which has 10 syllables, one syllable stressed, one syllable unstressed, 10 times. I will go over what iambic pentameter means, so do make sure you check out that video, where I explain and I illustrate to you really the easiest way to remember iambic pentameter. It sounds way more complicated than it is. It's actually very straightforward to remember, okay? So that's the first quotation to remember when it comes to Antonio's character. The second quotation for his character is when he, we can now see his real antisemitism coming through when both him and Bassanio are getting money from Shylock. However, Shylock is basically showing that his money-lending practices, we can also find it in the Bible, right? It can also be biblical. However, Antonio is still really rude to him, and he describes him as a devil. He's basically stating the devil can cite scripture for his purpose. In other words, even the devil can use scripture to try and justify his actions. And of course, this shows just how much Shylock, rather Antonio, dislikes Shylock simply because he's Jewish. He's damned if he does, he's damned if he doesn't. Okay, so this is now the darker antisemitism coming through. And of course, this is one of the reasons why this play is so controversial, because of course it is depicting a hatred towards a different group just because they belong to a different category. And that's not really fair on someone like Shylock. Now, going back to this quotation, which of course shows just how Antonio despises Shylock and doesn't trust him. He uses the metaphor devil to describe Shylock. Okay, so seeing the devil can cite scripture for his purpose. And of course, this is what we call a declarative sentence. A declarative sentence meaning a sentence that states a fact, feeling or mood. And here, Antonio is essentially stating as fact that even a horrible person like Shylock can use scripture, the Bible, to justify his actions. The other quotation that illustrates just how Antonio really dislikes Shylock is when he says, an evil soul producing holy witness. Now here, what you want to focus on is oxymoron, evil and holy. Again here, he's depicting Shylock as really evil even if he knows the Bible. The other quotation for Antonio to remember is when he states, now this is when he realises his bankrupt or his ships have completely been sunk and he realises he's going to have to give a pound of his flesh to Shylock. And of course, Shylock is really delighted at this because he's now going to get the ultimate form of betrayal. If he does take Antonio's pound of flesh, he's going to kill him. Now, Antonio tries now to maybe reason with him. He says, him yet good Shylock. Now, of course, here we can say that he's being a little bit manipulative, right? He was calling him a devil just a few scenes ago, but now because things have changed, he's now trying to be really kind and reasoning with Shylock, which maybe this is how he should have been the whole time when he's dealing with Shylock. Now, going back to this quotation, the word love analysis you want to do is, of course, the adjective good to describe Shylock, which is the opposite of evil earlier on when he called Shylock evil. Then also, you want to think about Zerah here. Again, here we can see Antonio is really nervous. The other quotation to remember when it comes to Antonio's character is when once he realizes actually Shylock is dead set on taking a pound of his flesh and he's going to die. He then gives up and he says, I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers. Now, here basically he's saying, I'm done. I've tried to speak to a Shylock. He basically wants to kill me. I can't really do anything about it. Now, he shows this through the personification bootless prayers. Of course, hair prayers are personified as not having any boots, basically being inept, not being able to be effective anymore. The other quotation to bear in mind with Antonio's character is when he seems, again, remember, as I mentioned here in 2,000, I don't know what I'm so sad. He's melancholic, very fatalistic. He doesn't really have control over his fate. This melancholy and this fatalism especially comes through when he states and when he realizes, okay, I've just accepted I'm going to die and he states, I am a tainted weather of the flock. Now, weather hair, he's basically saying, I'm the weakest sheep in the entire flock, right? Weather is a small, young sheep. Now, hair, of course, he's speaking in a metaphor, basically saying that it's basically my fate to die. Okay, and of course this shows Antonio's very fatalistic attitude. So he almost feels like he has no control over his fate, no control over his future, and no control ultimately over the way he dies at Shylock's hands. The other quotation to bear in mind for his character is when Bessonio is there and Bessonio is really upset because of course if he hadn't given this loan over, Antonio wouldn't be in this bind. Now, Antonio, however, of course now here we can see his loyalty to his friend. He says, grieve not that I am fallen to this for you. Here, basically he's saying, Bessonio, I still am your friend. Don't worry, don't feel bad that I'm going to die because I've given you the money because I'm happy even if I die, I'm happy in the knowledge that you were able to win Portia's hand, you were able to find happiness in marriage. So of course that seems almost very too self-sacrificial. Now, the word level analysis here, which obviously shows his loyalty to Bessonio even to the end, is the alliteration of F in fall and fall and of course this is an imperative sentence. Bear in mind imperative sentence means a sentence that issues a command. So here, he's telling Bessonio grieve not. So he's telling him don't grieve, don't feel bad. The other quotation to bear in mind with Antonio's character is when he now, again, things change. Balthazar shows up, he picks all these holes in the contract that Shylock and Antonio have and then they all realise that actually Shylock is on the wrong. He's now actually committed a crime by asking for Antonio's flesh and now essentially Shylock might face the punishment of losing all of his money. However, Antonio seemingly shows some kind of mercy by basically saying actually instead of Shylock having to give up all of his wealth, he can give up half of his wealth, just to Jessica, his daughter and Lorenzo, her husband. His second condition, Antonio's second condition is he presently become a Christian. In other words, he's basically saying oh and Shylock, you're not allowed to be a Jew anymore. You have to convert into being a Christian and of course again, this is really anti-Semitic. This is why a lot of people take issue and have some problems, especially a modern reading with this play. Now here, the one level analysis you want to do which shows obviously Antonio's anti-Semitism is the assonance of E in he presently became. Now the next quotation to bear in mind with Antonio's character is when he states, my Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring. Now this is when both Antonio and Bassanio basically go up to Balthazar who they've never met before, the lawyer that basically successfully saves Antonio's life and they basically say you know what gift can we give you. Balthazar then asks for Bassanio's ring and Bassanio says no, I can't give you that ring. That is a token of love from Portia. However, Antonio convinces him. He says how can you refuse to give this man your ring? He saved my life, okay? And so of course he speaks convincingly to Bassanio and this is what leads Bassanio to give the ring to Balthazar which Portia had given to him. Now the word level analysis you want to do here is alliteration of H and him have. This is Antonio trying to, and what this shows is Antonio being very passionate in convincing Bassanio, you have to give over your ring because he saved my life. Also you want to focus on Cezera here, okay? After Bassanio. This is Antonio kind of trying to show Bassanio the gravity of the situation and the gravity and the importance of what Balthazar did for him and that's obviously what leads Bassanio to give away his ring. Even if he promised Portia that he wouldn't. Now the final quotation when it comes to Antonio's character is at the end of the play when he gets the letter which is given over by Portia that all of his chips actually are fine after all and he's not lost any of his money so he's really happy and he says my sweet lady you've given me life and living and don't forget of course not only does Portia deliver that letter which has the good news he also realizes that Portia is Balthazar so she saved his life at court, okay? Now this whole sentence is hyperbole over exaggeration in other words he literally can't believe just how lucky he was that Portia did everything in order to save his life and of course the final word level analysis to do for this is alliteration of life and living. In this instance we can see that Antonio contrary to him at the beginning where he was really melancholic now he's really happy, he's very thankful and he almost has a new lease on life. So that's it when it comes to Antonio's character especially the key quotations to remember and to revise for when revising and writing about his character in your assessments or exams.