The Merchant of Venice mercy". Critic Harold Bloom listed it among Shakespeare's great comedies. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees, but since he is cash-poor – his ships and merchandise are busy at sea to Tripolis, the Indies, Mexico and England – he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassanio turns
Title role title character is the primary antagonist. The title role and the lead can be different genders; for example, in the 2003 revival of August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", Whoopi Goldberg had the title role, but the lead was Charles S. Dutton. The title character in narrative works is one who is named or referred to in the title, such as The Doctor in the TV series "Doctor Who", Harry Potter in the namesake series of novels and films, "Romeo and Juliet" in the Shakespeare play or Annie Oakley in the musical "Annie Get Your Gun". The "title character" need