The Merchant of VeniceShakespeare did not title his plays loosely. Why then is THE MERCHANT OF VENICE truly Antonio’s story?
... Antonio’s ship is lost, he is unable to pay Shylock. Then, later on in the play, Antonio is the reason why all of the plots of the story come together in the court room. One of the most important reasons, moreover, that this play is truly Antonio’s story is because it is Antonio that the audience is rooting for in the story’s main plot. The story’s main plot is the bitter confrontation that develops between Antonio and Shylock over the loan payment. During the trial, the lines are clearly drawn between the play’s protagonist and antagonist. Facing a horrible judgment that could cost him his life, Antonio has more at stake than any of the other characters. The play’s entire emotional resolution depends on what happens to Antonio. If Shylock wins, the play ends on a truly tragic note. If Antonio wins, the play’s antagonist is beaten and the story ends on a more uplifting, comic note. Because this play is partly a tragedy, the main character must have a tragic flaw. In this play Antonio has a tragic flaw, his generosity. The whole tragic plot is set in motion by Antonio borrowing money from Shylock in order to help Bassanio woo Portia. In a way, this story offers a variation on the old saying that “No good deed will go unpunished.” Certainly Shylock also has a tragic flaw, his greed and his bitterness at the treatment he receives from Christia...