The Merchant of Venice which Shakespeare was likely familiar. (Auden sees the theme of usury in the play as a comment on human relations in a mercantile society.) Other interpreters of the play regard Auden's conception of Antonio's sexual desire for Bassanio as questionable. Michael Radford, director of the 2004 film version starring Al Pacino, explained that, although the film contains a scene where Antonio and Bassanio actually kiss, the friendship between the two is platonic, in line with the prevailing view of male friendship at the time. Jeremy Irons, in an interview, concurs with the director's view and states that he did not
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