However, it can be argued that it is not Portia’s lack of faith for Bassanio that makes her play the music, but her desire for Bassanio. This is justified by her anxiety prior to the challenge as well as her delight following Bassanio’s correct choice. “How all the other passions fleet to air, as doubtful thoughts, and rash-embraced despair, and shuddering fear, and green-eyed jealousy”. Portia poetically describes her fear of Bassanio’s motives evaporating as Bassanio correctly chooses the lead casket. Portia also prays in the aside for help in containing her emotions. “O love be moderate, allay thy ecstasy, in measure rain thy joy, scant this excess”. Additionally, Bassanio also presents his delight at choosing the lead casket, and also displays his admiration and love for the portrait of Portia within the casket. “What demi-god hath come so near creation”. Bassanio’s love is also presented as, even though he admits that the portrait is beautifully painted, it fails to do her justice. “Yet look how far the substance of my praise doth wrong this shadow in underprizing it, so far this shadow doth limp behind the substance”. At this point of the scene, Shakespeare presents nothing but the love between Bassanio and Portia, as the play has reached its romantic peak, presenting the long awaited union of Bassanio and Portia.
Nevertheless, the song that Portia allows Bassanio to hear is full of hints that would encourage Bassanio to choose lead. “Tell me where is fancy bred, or in the heart or in the head? How begot, how nourished?” Most apparent from this song is that both “bred” and “head” rhyme with the correct casket; lead. Also, the song’s lyrics encourage or warn Bassanio not to judge by external appearances, and therefore reject the silver and gold caskets. Additionally, the second verse of the song includes lyrics such as “it is engendered in the eyes, with gazing fed, and fancy dies”. This also encourages Bassanio that love in the eyes is not ever lasting, which again, implies the correct choice is lead. Shakespeare uses the words in the song to show Bassanio as well as his audience, that lead is the correct choice, which also expresses the Portia’s desire for Bassanio to choose correctly.
Instantly, Shakespeare presents Bassanio as fully understanding Portia’s message from the song, by stating, “So may the outward shows be least themselves”. In the following speech, Bassanio emphasises this point by showing that in many aspects of life, external experiences can hide something much less attractive. “In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt but being seasoned with a gracious voice obscures the show of evil?”. By doing this, Shakespeare presents Bassanio as both smart for identifying Portia’s message, but also aware of the message that the casket challenge brings. Bassanio presents himself as the man that Portia’s father is looking for, but ironically, was and potentially still is the complete opposite, as shown in the opening scene of the play. This yet again, allows the audience to interpret whether Bassanio’s methods have changed, as shown by his language previously in the scene expressing his love, or if that was a show in order to gain his fortune and Portia’s money.
However, even though Portia may be seen to have blatantly cheated in aiding Bassanio, her actions can be seen as being purely in her desire for Bassanio. Though the methods which she used can be questioned, the love between the two present. Following Portia’s giving of the ring, she claims that Bassanio is to never “part from, lose, or give away”. Bassanio then romantically promises that “when this ring parts from this finger, then parts life from hence: O then be bold to say Bassanio’s dead”. Both these promises from both Portia and Bassanio present the true love they feel, and are used as symbols by Shakespeare to represent the climax of the love story in the play.
Nonetheless, even though Bassanio and Portia are united at the end of the scene, I believe the regardless of Portia’s hints; Bassanio feelings for Portia are heartfelt and true. Bassanio’s affection shown through his language implies that his love is sincere. The contrast between the presentations of Bassanio in the opening scene displays the development of Bassanio’s character by Shakespeare, and establishes that in this play, Venice is a place of commerce compared to the setting of love, Belmont. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Bassanio chose correctly due to Portia’s hint, and it would be difficult to ponder whether Bassanio would have guessed correctly without the hints, but regardless of the process, the love between Portia and Bassanio is clearly established by the end of Act 3, Scene 2.
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
“The only way to understand the structure of the play is to see Antonio and Shylock as parallel presentations: Antonio as an outsider in the game of love and marriage; Shylock as an outside in Christian Venice.” How far do you support this view? What other ways are there to understand the structure of the play?
Throughout the play, Shakespeare presents Shylock as an outsider, in terms of religious morals and beliefs. The only other Jews are Jessica and Tubal, and both are presented negatively by Shakespeare in order to emphasise Shylock’s role was an outsider within Venice.. Shakespeare presents Jessica as completely disrespecting her religion and her father, by changing religions in order to marry a Christian. Additionally, Shakespeare also presents Tubal as disrespecting Shylock, by presenting him playing with Shylock’s emotions by delivering both good and bad news in quick succession. “I spoke to one of them [sailors] who escaped the wreck…one of them showed me a ring that had of your daughter for a monkey…but Antonio is certainly undone”. Furthermore, Shylock’s separation is emphasised by the insults he receives when in the company of Christians. Shakespeare presents the Christians as being viscous in their verbal attacks upon Shylock, described as “the villain Jew” and “the dog Jew”. This instantly presents Shylock as an outsider within Venice, and emphasises the separation that exists between the Christians and Jews within Venice.
However, even though the verbal abuse Shylock receives presents him as an outsider, his role within Venice presents him as an equal with the Christians. Shylock is a moneylender, and even though Antonio and Shylock possess a strong hatred for each other, they are more than willing to trade and lend money to each other. This allows Shakespeare to emphasise the importance of Venice as a place of commerce, by presenting the equality that money lending brings despite the fierce religious differences. Nevertheless, Shylock remains constantly within Venice, and is never present within Belmont, unlike all of the main characters within the play. This structural aspect by Shakespeare allows him to emphasise Shylock’s withdrawal from love and marriage within his life. Furthermore, this undermines the comment that Shylock is separated from Christian Venice, as even though he is not Christian, he traits are predominantly Venetian, in the sense that he is predominantly motivated by money, connecting him to the Venice. However, this can then be undermined by the pain Shylock displays not only when his daughter leaves him, but when she sells his ring from his previous marriage. “I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys”.
Shakespeare employs the same methods for Antonio, presenting different sides to the character encouraging the audience to question their interpretations. Antonio is instantly presented as a melancholic and empty Venetian male, but shown to have many friends, all who are keen to revitalise his morale. “Let us say you are sad because you are not merry”. Antonio is initially presented as a father figure by his Christian friends, which can be argued to be a presentation of love, but certainly not marriage. However, Shakespeare also presents Antonio as rejecting and ignoring the reason of love due to his unhappiness, as he replies “Fie, fie” when Salerio suggests “Why then you are in love”. Additionally, Shakespeare undermines Antonio’s presentation of an outsider of marriage and love by presenting the strong and trusting relationship between Antonio and Bassanio. Nevertheless, Antonio can be interpreted as being partially weak within this relationship, as he lends Bassanio money even though Bassanio already owes him money. Conversely, this can emphasise Antonio’s love and trust for his friend, therefore encouraging the view that Antonio is not an outsider in love, due to this friendship. “My purse, my person, my extremist means lie all unlocked to your occasions”.
Equally, in terms of structure, Shakespeare fails to present Antonio within Belmont, apart from the final scene, and Shakespeare’s presentation of Antonio is particularly interesting. When Antonio arrives, he arrives with Bassanio and Gratiano, shortly followed by Portia and Nerissa. This structural element of this scene literally presents Antonio as an outsider, due to the marriages of Bassanio and Portia and Nerissa and Portia. This is also emphasised by the fact that throughout the arguments between Nerissa and Gratiano as well as Bassanio and Nerissa, Antonio is presented as embarrassed, stating, “I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels”. Antonio’s separation is also reiterated by his lack of participation within the scene, which is especially important considering this is Antonio’s only scene within Belmont. Antonio’s father figure role within Venice allows Shakespeare to emphasise the respect he has gained from the Christians due to his trading skills, but throughout the play, he seems to lack any loving relationship except one with Bassanio. Therefore, I would argue that although Antonio is presented as an outsider of marriage, especially in his scene within Belmont, he is loved and loves his Christian friends through a fatherly role.
Both Antonio and Shylock are presented as opposites in terms of trade and commerce, but both contain similar attributes in love and marriage. The hatred between Shylock and Antonio instantly separates them but their similarities are revealed throughout the play. Shylock is shown to be predominantly motivated by money whereas Antonio’s main role within the play is due to his lending of money to Bassanio. Additionally, both lack participation within Belmont, the place where all love and marriage matters take place, which reiterates and presents a simple aspect of Shakespeare devices by separating Belmont and Venice. Furthermore, Antonio lacks any female relations within the play, whereas Shylock is betrayed by his daughter, and is emotionally distraught when his ring from his dead wife is sold. Throughout the play, Shakespeare attempts to separate Antonio and Shylock from each other by presenting them as complete opposites and rivals, but constantly shows similar aspects of each other, which increases the interpretations available of the characters.
Nevertheless, even though both characters can be viewed as outsiders, both are presented with differing aspects that can allow interpretation to argue to statements. For example, even though Shylock hates the Christians within Venice, he lives and works within Venice, and also trades with Venetians as well as obeying Venetian law, as shown by the trial. “The strict court of Venice must needs give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there”. Conversely, Antonio’s unconditionally trust and love for Bassanio, shown by Antonio’s plea prior to his sentencing in the court scene. “Repent but you that you shall lose your friend and he repents not that he pays your debt”. Both these aspects present differing aspects of the character, which shows how Shakespeare constantly changes his, portray of his key characters in order to allow varying interpretations and understandings of the men.