The Merchant of Venice Group

Question:

nico-12345
nico-12345
Student
High School - 11th Grade

What is the significance (importance) of the title "The Merchant of Venice"?

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Posted by nico-12345 on Sunday October 4, 2009 at 4:04 PM and tagged with the merchant of venice, title.

Answers:

  1. kleinnj
    kleinnj Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Here is some insight for you:

    There are two merchants in the play which immediately creates "confusion" or ambiguity.  There is Antonio, a merchant and friend of a man named Bassanio, and Shylock, a Jewish merchant. Either Antonio or Shylock might be the title character of the play, so from the start we don’t get a real sense of who the main character is. But what we do know is that ambiguity will be a central point of this play. Who does Shakespeare side with?  Does he take a side?  Who is his protagonist?

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    Posted by kleinnj on Monday October 5, 2009 at 6:49 PM