the merchant of venice friendship essay

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The Merchant of Venice

William shakespeare.

In connection with mercy and generosity, The Merchant of Venice also explores love and friendship between its characters. The central romantic relationship of the play is that between Bassanio and Portia . Their marriage is paralleled by several others: the elopement of Shylock's daughter, Jessica , with the Christian, Lorenzo ; and the marriage of Portia's servant, Nerissa , to Bassanio's companion, Gratiano . In addition, numerous critics have suggested that the strongest friendship in the play—between Antonio and Bassanio—also approaches romantic love. In addition, the play shows how strong the amicable ties are that connect all the various Venetian characters.

Given the generosity that they motivate between characters, love and friendship might seem to offer alternatives to the ugly emotions of prejudice, greed, and revenge on display in The Merchant of Venice . However, beginning with Bassanio's borrowing money from his friend Antonio in order to woo Portia, the play also demonstrates that the apparent purity of love and friendship can be tainted by selfish economic concerns. In addition, love and friendship are also at the mercy of the law, as seen in Portia's being subject to the terms of her father's riddle of the caskets .

Love and Friendship ThemeTracker

Love and Friendship Quotes in The Merchant of Venice

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The Merchant of Venice Theme of Friendship

"To you, Antonio, / I owe the most, in money and in love" (1.1.4). This is what Bassanio says as he prepares to court his future wife. Like Two Gentlemen of Verona , The Merchant of Venice is interested in the dynamics of male friendship, a bond that's often valued above all other relationships (especially heterosexual romance and marriage).  

Antonio loves Bassanio enough to give his life for him—indeed it seems that Bassanio's pursuit of a wife is the cause of Antonio's deep melancholy, which may suggest that his affection for his friend is romantic in nature. In the end, though, The Merchant of Venice is a Shakespearean comedy, which means that Bassanio's marriage to Portia replaces his bromance with Antonio.

Questions About Friendship

• Does Antonio's sadness have anything to do with his affection for Bassanio?
• Is Bassanio a good friend to Antonio, or is he just a user?
• How does Portia view the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio?
• Does Portia resent Antonio, or does she genuinely want to help him? Does helping him serve her purposes somehow?
• Why does Antonio insist that Bassanio give up Portia's ring? (And why the heck does Bassanio give it away?)

Chew on This

Antonio's sadness at the beginning of the play stems from his affection for Bassanio, who is too busy wife-hunting to pay attention to his friend.

Bassanio loves Antonio more than his wife, which is why he runs off to Antonio's trial immediately after his wedding and gives away Portia's ring.

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