Antonio-Bassanio Relationship: Its Dramatic Importance: The Merchant of Venice

Q7. Antonio-Bassanio Relationship: Its Dramatic Importance

Ans. The relationship between Antonio and Bassanio is the very basis of the main plot of The Merchant of Venice. Without this relationship of close friendship between these characters, several major incidents in the play would not have taken place. Bassanio could never have been gone to Belmont to win Portia’s hand for marriage.

There would have been no bond story. There would have been no Casket Scene in which we come to know about several qualities of Portia and Bassanio’s characters. There would have been no Trial scene that throws much light on several characters like Portia, Bassanio, Antonio, shylock, Gratiano, Jessica and even the Duke.

If we see in totality this relationship keeps on moving the ball of action of the main plot of the play at a quick pace. The interest of the reader/audience also remains maintained (intact).

Let’s now have a glimpse of this relationship of close friendship between Antonio and Bassanio.

Antonio-Bassanio relationship becomes crystal clear to the reader in act I, Scene (i).

At Bassanio’s entry on the stage, Solanio tells Antonio:

‘Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman, …’

Bassanio is Antonio’s kinsman also. We also come to know that Antonio is ready to do anything for his friend, Bassanio. Bassanio also confides (opens his heart to) in him his heart’s secrets.

In this scene, Antonio asks him to tell him about his love:

‘Well, tell me now what lady is the same/ To whom you swore a secret pilgrimage…’

Here Bassanio does tell about Portia and also requests his friend about a fresh loan in order to reach Belmont to take part in the casket contest. He says:

‘Tis not unknown to you, Antonio/ How much I have disabled mine estate…’

Thus Bassanio opens his heart to Antonio and tells him about Portia, his love, in his most poetic manner. But he needs a fresh loan to reach Belmont to take part in the casket contest. Antonio has recently invested all his money on ships. At present, he has no cash with him. But he cannot see his friend sad. So he manages somehow a loan of three thousand ducats from Shylock, the cruel money lender of Venice.

But he has to sign a dangerous bond. If he fails to repay the loan in fixed time, then, Shylock would be free to cut one pound of flesh from Antonio’s body part that is very close to his heart. Bassanio stops him to sign this bond, but Antonio is hopeful that his ships would return in time with profits in his business.

It is this loan that lands Antonio in Shylock’s death trap. The reason for Shylock’s enmity with Antonio is just the latter’s (Antonio’s) generous nature. He gives loan to people without any rate of interest. Thus Shylock considers Antonio his business rival.

Bassanio takes part in the casket contest and wins Portia’s hand for marriage. But as soon as he comes to know about Antonio’s troubles, he reaches Venice at once to save Antonio. Ithappened that Antonio’s all ships were destroyed in the sea.

According to the bond’s condition, Shylock was free to cut one pound of flesh from Antonio’s body.

In the meantime, Portia reaches Venice in the guise of a lawyer in male dress. She enters the Duke’s court and proceeds to argue. She saves Antonio very cleverly from Shylock’s death trap. She also proves the Jew guilty of a crime against humanity and gets him duly punished.

Thus in the Trail scene, Bassanio’s character is also redeemed (saved/recovered). Otherwise, the reader would have thought him to be a spendthrift person who marries Portia for money. He offers his life to Shylock in order to spare his friend’s life.

Thus we see that the relationship between Antonio and Bassanio has a lot of dramatic significance.