Relationships in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

Relationships in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

'The Merchant of Venice' is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays

and Act 1 Scene 3 is a key scene. There are three characters involved

in the scene and these are: Antonio, Bassanio and Shylock. Shakespeare

portrays their characters effectively as well as the contrasting

relationships between them. He uses various themes, his language and

style and the plot of the bond to achieve this.

Before I look at scene 3 it is important to look at the first scene of

the play. At the beginning of Act 1 Scene 1 Antonio, the merchant of

Venice, is portrayed as a troubled man, "In sooth, I know not why I am

so sad," (line 1) and a character in low spirits as his friends

Salerio and Solanio try to raise them. He seems to be in a state of

sadness as he and his friends discuss possible reasons this. Looking

for reasons for the sadness is also a convenient way for Shakespeare

to tell us how highly Antonio is regarded by his friends, and to make

sure we know all about his business interests. We learn that he is a

businessman.

Antonio is a character who has confidence in his decisions, because

even though Salerio and Solanio discuss their nervous feelings about

one of his merchant ventures, and we learn that there are many risks

and worries facing a merchant who's assets are at sea, he assures them

that he has no need to worry about it because he has reduced the risks

by spreading his merchandise between different ships, "My ventures are

not in one bottom trusted, / Nor to one place". This also shows his

intelligent thinking. Antonio is a calculated risk taker and all the

main devel...

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...stage, seems more

interested in her money than in her: "in Belmont is a lady richly

left/And she is fair". I think it is significant that he mentions her

money before her looks.

He is quite a shrewd character as he sees the danger of Antonio

singing the bond. He is still, however, still prepared to let his

friend go ahead and make the promise to Shylock. Antonio obviously

feels unconditional love for Bassanio, "That in your knowledge may by

me be done,/And I am prest unto it." However I do not feel that

Bassanio is fully deserving of it.

Act 1 Scene 3 is a very important scene which firmly establishes three

of the most important characters in the whole play. Shakespeare uses

many writers techniques and ingenious plots to portray the characters

and exciting dialogue to convey the relationships between the three.