Literature Project Mov.docx

Intro_ The Merchant of Venice, like so many of Shakespeare’s plays, opens with a depressed and melancholy character. The depression of Antonio at the beginning for which he can give no explanation, is much like Antipholus of Syracuse in ‘The Comedy of Errors’. Portia, the wealthy Belmont heiress, is likewise a depressed and unhappy character in the opening scenes. The reasons for their melancholy, although never expressed, are due to their self-absorption. Bassanio represents the gambler who cannot lose. He is a sort of character that will risk everything, and having lost everything, will risk what he does not have. He, therefore has been compared to Jason in the quest for the Golden Fleece, namely a risk-taker.

Main First off, when one begins considering Bassanio, one should dismiss all the critics who condemn him for his financial habits. Bassanio's request to Antonio for more money is perfectly natural for him. He is young; he is in love; and he is, by nature, impulsive and romantic. Young men in love have often gone into debt; thus Bassanio has always borrowed money and, furthermore, no moral stigma should be involved. Shakespeare needs just such a character in this play for his plot. The thing to know about Bassanio is that he loves his lavish lifestyle, but he's really bad with money, which is why he ends up borrowing from Shylock. Not only that, but before leving for Belmont Bassanio's spending has buried him under a big pile of debt and he's hoping to pay it all off. It becomes pretty clear that Bassanio has been sponging off his rich BFF. And even though Bassanio says he loves Antonio, Bassanio looks, sounds, and smells like a big user, the kind of guy willing to take as much as his generous friend has to offer. So how does Bassanio plan to get out of debt? By borrowing even more money so he can hook up with a rich heiress, Portia, who will pay off all his loans and continue to float his rap-star lifestyle. He's even willing to let his best friend risk his life by putting up a "pound of flesh" as collateral so he can take out a personal loan from Shylock. What kind of a person does that ‘a lover’ or ‘a fortune hunter’?

If you thought Bassanio was bad for using Antonio, Notice how Bassanio uses words like "value" and "worth" to describe his future wife? It's clear that Bassanio sees Portia as a meal ticket. We're not saying Bassanio doesn't care about Portia. There does seem to be some real affection between the two when they're hanging out in Belmont. What we are saying is this: even after he gets hitched to Portia, Bassanio's loyalty to his new wife is questionable and he seems to value his bromance with Antonio more than anything else. Our evidence? Well, Bassanio admits that Antonio is his number one priority when he rushes from Portia's house to Antonio's trial. Conclusion If Bassanio is not a powerful hero, he is certainly a sympathetic one. First, he has some of the most memorable verse in the play — language which has music, richness, and dignity. Second, he shows us his immediate, uncalculated generosity and love; this is especially obvious when Bassanio, who has just won Portia, receives the letter telling him of Antonio's danger. Bassanio is immediately and extremely concerned over the fate of Antonio and is anxious to do whatever is possible for his friend. Here, the situation is melodramatic and calls for a romantic, seemingly impossible, rescue mission.