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cause of his melancholy, but the evidence seems to point to his being in love, and the most likely object of his affection is Bassanio. Antonio has risked the entirety of his fortune on oversea trading ventures, yet he agrees to guarantee the potentially lethal loan Bassanio secures from Shylock. He is willing to offer up a pound of flesh, signifying a union that grotesquely alludes to the rite of marriage, where two partners become “one flesh”. Further evidence of the nature of Antonio’s feelings for Bassanio appears later in the play, when Antonio’s proclamations resonate with the hyperbole and self-satisfaction of a doomed lover’s declaration: “pray God Bassanio come/ To see me pay his debt, and then I care not”② (Act Ⅲ, Scene III, 35-36) without a mate, he is indeed the “tainted wether”—or castrated ram—of the flock, and he will likely return to his favorite pastime of moping about the streets of Venice② (Act Ⅳ, Scene I, 113). After all, he has effectively disabled himself from pursuing hid hobby—abusing Shylock—by insisting that the Jew convert to Christianity. Although a 16th century audience might have seen this demand as merciful, as Shylock is saving himself from eternal damnation by converting, we are less likely to be convinced. Not only does Antonio’s reputation as an anti-Semite precede him, but the only instance in the play when he breaks out of his doldrums in his “storm” against Shylock②(ActⅠ, Scene III, 132). In this play, Antonio proves his character is melancholy, cruelty and some seldom saying—homosexual. B. Bassanio It is said Middle Ages is the most deathly stillness period in Europe. It also can be seemed it’s the time that west Europe’s culture and literature go to grave. As to the pillar of spirit, there is nothing except a total series of religious doctrine. In this environment, people used compliment and boast words to exchange their minds and thoughts. In that society, everyone remain under artificial mask wandered in different kinds of occasion. An absolutely undisguised money relationship makes the true human nature into ash during the masks scraped each other. Bassanio, a noble who is neatly dressed, whose speech and deportment is natural and graceful, gradually becomes a declining aristocrat by spending without restraint. He is a handsome and intelligent young man. But living in such a society, what his every day’s schedule is to squander money on different meeting and use blandishment speech to talk with other aristocrat. His property is limitation. Once he runs behind his expenses, he will ask his best friend—the wealth merchant in Venice—Antonio for money. From the context, it seems he never returned what he borrowed. To be such a man who wants of lofty aspiration. Maybe the best method frees himself from poverty is to get a profitable marriage. And we mostly can make sure; to obtain money is more important than to marry Portia. This can be improved in later—he gives his bride’s ring to the clerk. Although his lover has declared that if he loses her ring, she will never pardon him. C. Shylock Shylock in this play is the antagonist. He is the model of usurer. Most people read him as a bogeyman, a clownish Jewish stereotype. He is selfish, curtly, avaricious and niggard. Once he has the chance to revenge his foe. He will try his best to make the other into deathtrap. In the court, he is clam and wisdom, even fights for several Christian’s joint attack. But most of his speech is coarse, and sometim