In The Merchant Of Venice what do Antonio and Shylock think of each other?

I think you need look no further than Act I scene 3 to
find a full description of how Shylock and Antonio think about each other. In many ways,
the central conflict of the play is between these two characters, as Shylock seems to
pick Antonio as a representative of all those who have mocked and disparaged his people
or tribe, and Antonio seems to pick out Shylock especially for bad treatment because of
his race.

Shylock's aside in Act I scene 3 when Antonio
enters his office is particularly telling, revealing the reasons for his hatred and
dislike:

How
like a fawning publican he looks!

I hate him for he is a
Christian,

But more for that in low
simplicity

He lends out money gratis and brings
down

The rate of usance here with us in
Venice.

Later on in the same
scene, Shylock openly confronts Antonio with the behaviour he has shown Shylock, saying
that he has bullied him, insulted him and spat on him. Of course, Shylock is enjoying
the twist of fate that has Antonio, his enemy, who has so often mistreated him, come to
Shylock begging for money, and is using this incident to point out to Antonio the
inhumanity of his treatment of Shylock. But it is clear that Antonio, in his response,
feels no remorse:

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I am like to call thee so
again,

To spit on thee again, to spurn thee
too.

If thou wilt lend this money, lend it
not

As to thy friends, for when did friendship
take

A breed for barren metal of his
friend?

But lend it rather to thine
enemy,

Who, if he break, thou mayst with better
face

Exact the
penalty.

Antonio here
expresses no guilt, but maintains the existence of the enmity between him and Shylock,
basically offering Shylock the chance to gain his revenge if Antonio is unable to pay
back the loan. Note too that after Shylock's reference to Jacob's gulling of his father
in law, Laban, Antonio compares Shylock to the Devil in his ability to twist scripture
to make it say what he wants it to say.

Clearly, therefore,
both Shylock and Antonio have a deep and bitter hatred of each other, based on Antonio's
mistreatment of Shylock. I think that it is particularly interesting that Antonio
chooses to punish Shylock in the most profound way possible at the end of the story -
Antonio knows that Shylock would prefer death than conversion, and it is a very cruel
ending which should give the audience sympathy for Shylock.