“Yes, yes, it was Bassanio!”
The enthusiasm with which Portia recalls his name shows us that she remembers him with delight.
Later on, in Act 2, we learn some new information about the caskets. Portia says to a new suitor who is the Prince of Morocco:
“You must take your chance or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong, never to speak to lady afterward in way of marriage: therefore be advis’d.”
We learn from this that if the suitor chooses the wrong casket, he is never to propose marriage to a woman afterwards.
In scene two, we learn from Lancelot, who is Shylock’s servant, that living in Shylock’s house is hell and he goes on to describe him as being the devil:
“To be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master who, -God bless the mark! - is a kind of devil.”
In scene 3 we are introduced to Shylock’s daughter and what Lancelot had said in the last scene about Shylock, prepares us for what Jessica thinks of her father. Lancelot has been offered by Bassanio to go and work for him, and when he is saying goodbye to Jessica she says:
“Alack, what heinous sin is it in me to be asham’d to be my father’s child!”
We also find out the fact that Jessica is in love with a Christian, Lorenzo. She hands Lancelot a letter to give to Lorenzo and when he leaves, she remarks how she is in love with the man.
“O Lorenzo, if thou keep promise, I shall end this strife, become a Christian and thy loving wife.”
Jessica is intends to run away from her father’s house in order to marry Lorenzo.
In scene 5, Lorenzo and his friends are preparing for the masque, which is Bassanio’s party. Lancelot arrives and gives the letter from Jessica to Lorenzo, who reads it and reassures Lancelot that he will not fail her. When Lorenzo and Gratiano are alone, Lorenzo shows him the letter sent by Jessica. He tells Gratiano that he is planning to steal Jessica away from her father’s house, along with a great deal of her father’s gold and jewels.
In scene 5, when Shylock prepares to leave the house to go to dinner, he hands Jessica the keys to the house and orders her to lock up the house. Lancelot privately tells Jessica that Lorenzo will come for her later on that night, just as Shylock is ready to depart.
In this scene we are shown that there is not much love between the father and daughter, therefore, Jessica’s elopement with Lorenzo was inevitable:
“I have a father, you a daughter, lost.”
Scene 6 is where we are shown to true love, as it is the first time, so far in the play, that Jessica and Lorenzo have seen one another. Lorenzo arrives at Shylock’s house and calls out to Jessica who appears at the balcony dressed as a man. She is planning to be a page for Lorenzo for the masque. She throws out a casket full of her father’s gold and jewels out to Lorenzo and steals even more ducats before she finally joins the men on the street.
After this scene we are brought back to the peace of Belmont where the Prince of Morocco has arrived to make his choice of a casket. We again learn something new of the caskets. The correct casket contains a picture of Portia, as she tells the Prince:
“The one of them contains my picture, prince. If you choose that, then I am yours withal.”
He fails to choose the correct casket, ‘thus losers depart’.
In scene 8, Salarino and Solanio are discussing the current events that have been going on for the past few scenes. Solanio informs Salarino about the way in which Jessica’s father reacted when he realised that his daughter was missing, as well as all of his money:
“…As the dog Jew did utter in the streets: ‘My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!’.”
In scene 9 we again return to the calmness of Belmont where another suitor has arrived and makes his choice. Portia, happy that the prince chooses the wrong casket, is informed by her messenger, that a young Venetian has just arrived. As Portia is eager to see who has arrived, Nerissa hopes that the man is Bassanio.
“Come, come, Nerissa, for I long to see quick Cupid’s post that comes so mannerly.”
“Bassanio, Lord Love, if thy will it be!”
There are two main love plots that we are introduced to in the first two acts of this play. The first is the one involving Jessica and Lorenzo. We are not yet told how they met and why they have eloped but we are informed that there is a very intense love that exists between them if Jessica is willing to run away from home to get married to him.
The second is the love plot involving Portia and Bassanio. We are not yet given much information about what history lies between them, however, we are quite convinced near the end of act 2 that they are destined to meet again, as they both hold fond memories of one another. Nerissa has obviously seen how they have got on in the past and is confident that they would make a good couple rather than any of the other suitors, which is why she hopes that Bassanio is the young Venetian who has arrived at the house. Portia too, is excited at this news, and we as the audience are further convinced that this love plot will develop further in the rest of the play.
