Who Is The Merchant Of Venice?

It's often supposed that this play's title refers to Shylock, its most famous character. In fact the merchant is Antonio, a Venetian who wants to raise money for his friend, Bassanio, to go to Belmont and woo a wealthy lady there. Antonio's own money is tied up in his ships, but he is sure they will come back safely, so feels safe in borrowing money for Bassanio. He goes to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender who hates him because of Antonio's openly anti-Semitic attitude. Seeing an opportunity for revenge, Shylock proposes an unusual security for the loan; if Antonio can't repay him, Shylock can take a pound of his flesh in revenge. Antonio accepts because Shylock makes it seem like a joke, and anyway he is confident that he can repay the money.
However, the ships don't arrive and Antonio's life is threatened. In the end he is saved by Portia, Bassanio's wife, who disguises herself as a judge and warns Shylock (already sharpening his knife) that he must not take any blood, only flesh. Since this is obviously impossible, Shylock gives up – and finally loses all his possessions because he has threatened the life of a citizen.