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GCSE English Literature · key term
A person who buys and sells goods for profit, often trading with other countries.
Used by AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas
Paper 1
A trader who buys and sells goods. Antonio’s wealth depends on goods transported by sea.
Revise: Money and tradeMoney in The Merchant of Venice is more than a possession: it connects characters, enables courtship and exposes people to danger. Shakespeare repeatedly asks what a person is worth, and whether that worth can be measured financially.
Paper 1
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Antonio is the merchant who gives The Merchant of Venice its title. His wealth comes from overseas trade, and his standing in Venice enables him to borrow money. When his friend and kinsman Bassanio needs funds to court Portia, Antonio accepts responsibility for a loan of three thousand ducats from Shylock, repayable after three months.
A person who makes a living by buying and selling goods, often through overseas trade.
Component 1
A merchant buys and sells goods for profit, often trading over long distances. Antonio’s wealth depends on ships carrying merchandise.
Revise: AntonioAntonio is the merchant who gives The Merchant of Venice its title. He is wealthy, respected by his Venetian friends and exceptionally devoted to Bassanio. Yet Shakespeare makes him difficult to judge simply: the man who offers everything to a friend also humiliates Shylock, a Jewish moneylender.
