Antonio (The Merchant of Venice) Antonio (The Merchant of Venice) Antonio is the title character in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice". An influential, powerful and wealthy nobleman of Venice, he is a middle-aged man and a merchant by trade who has his financial interests tied up in overseas shipments when the play begins. He is kind, generous, honest and confident, and is loved and revered by all the Christians who know him. His willingness to die for Bassanio is a manifestation of his character. Antonio manifests anti-semitism by cursing and spitting at Shylock (anti-semitism was common in Europe in Shakespeare's days). He is a structural
Jessica Merchant Jessica Merchant Jessica Merchant (born 1983) is an American softball coach and former softball player. She is currently an assistant coach with the Minnesota Golden Gophers softball team. She previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. She played professional softball in the National Pro Fastpitch league (NPF) for the New England Riptide (2005, 2007-2008) and Connecticut Brakettes (2006). In 2006, she was named NPF Offensive Player of the Year. Merchant also played college softball for the Michigan Wolverines softball team from 2002 to 2005. She was the captain of the 2005 Michigan Wolverines softball team that