Bassanio. A gentleman of Venice, and a kinsman and dear friend to Antonio. Bassanio’s love for the wealthy Portia leads him to borrow money from Shylock with Antonio as his guarantor. An ineffectual businessman, Bassanio proves himself a worthy suitor, correctly identifying the casket that contains Portia’s portrait.
Why is Bassanio important in The Merchant of Venice?
The character of Bassanio in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice is an important one. In fact, he is the instigator of the two main story-lines — the casket story and the bond story. Bassanio somehow hears about the heiress Portia and her wealth and decides to try his luck in winning Portia’s hand.
What is the dramatic importance of Bassanio?
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Bassanio also embodies and emphasizes the themes of friendship, love, generosity, and devotion. After choosing the correct casket, Bassanio receives the news of Antonio’s fate and illustrates his love/devotion by immediately leaving for Venice.
Who is the most important character in Merchant of Venice?
The two most important characters in William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” are Antonio, the title character, a businessman who, hoping to help a friend, Bassanio, win the heart of the woman he loves, Portia, agrees to an unconventional financial arrangement with the other most important character, Shylock, a …
What is the development of character in Bassanio?
Bassanio’s character is more fully drawn than Antonio’s, but it does not possess the powerful individuality that Shakespeare gives to his portraits of Portia and Shylock. … 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.
Who does Bassanio marry?
Bassanio wins the right to marry Portia because he solves the riddle and correctly chooses the right casket.
Is Bassanio poor?
Bassanio tells Antonio that he has squandered and spent all of his money by living well beyond his means. … Essentially, Bassanio became poor by living well beyond his means in order to impress his fellow noblemen and maintain society’s superficial standards.
Is Bassanio really in love with Portia?
Despite not knowing each other very well, Portia’s expressions prove that love can come quickly and unexpectedly. Portia highlights her true love for Bassanio by describing her sacrifice to save Antonio as an act of love for Bassanio.
Is Bassanio a good person?
At the beginning, Bassanio is a good-natured but irresponsible young man who has gotten himself into debt by living beyond his means. … Bassanio’s success in solving the riddle indicates his worthiness as a suitor for Portia.
Why is Bassanio So much emotional?
(2) Bassanio comes to know from Salarino that Antonio is in great trouble because Antonio has lost his ships at sea. He laments that it is because of him that his friend is in trouble. This makes him sad.
Who is the real hero of Merchant of Venice?
Portia is the hero of the The Merchant of Venice. Men create or get themselves into predicaments, but Portia steers them through them successfully. Her greatest triumph comes when she disguises herself as a male lawyer and is able to save Antonio’s life.
Is Shylock a villain or a victim?
Shylock is a combination of both victim and villain in The Merchant of Venice. He is a victim of discrimination and mistreated by Antonio and his daughter, Jessica. Shylock’s greedy, vengeful nature is what makes him a villain, which helps drive the plot of the play.
What is the most important scene in The Merchant of Venice?
1. Antonio offers to act as Bassanio’s guarantor (Act 1, Scene 1) Antonio, a prosperous Venetian merchant, is unable to explain his sadness to his friends, who suggest he must have business or love worries. When Bassanio arrives with Lorenzo and Gratiano, he asks his close friend Antonio to lend him some more money.
How are Calpurnia and Portia similar?
Calpurnia is the wife of Julius Caesar, and Portia is the wife of Brutus. Both women are concerned with their husband s well being and fear for their lives. These two women of similar character show how women of early roman times acted towards their husbands.
Why does Bassanio choose the lead casket?
Bassanio refuses gold because he knows that “all that glisters is not gold.” He also refuses silver, calling it “common drudge ‘tween man and man,” as coins are. He chooses lead because he knows that true worth lies inside, even if the outside doesn’t look like much.
What does Bassanio worry about and why?
Bassanio has a problem; he still owes Antonio a great deal of money and wants to pay it back to his friend. He has a plan. If Antonio lends him still more money, he will pursue the very beautiful and wealthy Lady Portia whose “sunny locks / Hang on her temples like a golden fleece;” (Line 170).