Bassanio's Role in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"

Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is a complex amalgamation of three separate stories. Although Bassanio is not the central character to each mini-plot, nor is he an entirely likeable character, he does play an important role in the plot in it's entirety, and therefore is considered the central character. Bassanio can be both criticized and praised for several reasons, and his friendship with two other main characters, Portia and Antonio, must be evaluated on several levels in order to evaluate Bassanio's character.

The Merchant of Venice can be divided into three stories: The bond between Antonio and Bassanio, and Antonio's debt to Shylock; The love of Lorenzo and Jessica, which plays a small part; and Bassanio's marriage to Portia, including their "courtship" which consisted of Bassanio choosing the correct casket. The actions of Bassanio propel the plot of the play from beginning to end. He borrows the money from Antonio in order to have the means to obtain Portia, and in turn, Antonio owes Shylock a pound of flesh (1.3). Bassanio chooses the correct casket, thus obtaining Portia, who, seeing her husband's friend in trouble, goes to Venice in disguise to save Antonio. As a result of this service, Bassanio is encouraged to give up the ring that Portia gave him, making his brand new marriage already unstable. The only thing that Bassanio does not directly contribute to the elopement of Jessica and Lorenzo, but since they are barely present in the play this does not affect his designation as the central character.

The fact that Bassanio's actions cause the incidents in the play to happen is not the only reason for defining him as the central character. He is also the most ambiguous character in terms of the audience's feelings toward him, and so he begs for further contemplation. Some of the characters, like Portia, Lorenzo, and Jessica are the ones that are most easily favored. They tend to act in a more ideal manner and elicit sympathy by those means. On the other hand, there are the character like Antonio and Shylock, who one may feel sorry for, but who can also be criticized most easily. Bassanio is the type of character about whom the audience has a harder time positioning itself. They tend to like Bassanio for the strength of his friendship with Antonio, and yet they may grow wary of him as they realize that Portia may not mean so much to him as she should. So Bassanio, more so than the other characters, really causes the audience to explore his intentions and, to use one of the play's themes, his value or worth.

When contemplating the character of Bassanio, one must consider whether or not he is a "healthy" character, and in fact, what "healthy" really is in the context of this play. The definition of "Venetian well-being" is up for debate. However, one way in which "Venetian well-being" may be interpreted is by projecting some characteristics of Venice onto its peoples. In this manner, Bassanio does embody well being, because he is concerned with the idea of trade and worth, although not necessarily in regards to money, and Venice was, at one time, the trading capital of the world. Therefore, his concern with trade and value, in relation to human beings, are not the symptoms of an ill mind, but rather an effect of being Venetian.

Bassanio puts immense emphasis on the idea of trading one thing for another, and on the idea of credit and debt. When he asks for Antonio to lend him money, he talks of what he owes Antonio already:

...To you, Antonio,

I owe the most in money and in love,

And from your love I have a warranty

To unburden all my plots and purposes

How to get clear of all the debts I owe. (1.1.130-134)

Bassanio shows a sense of weighing everything, as though each action is a form of credit or debt that must be balanced out at some point. However, it also seems that Bassanio does not have a reliable way to pay back what he owes until he has Portia. But, in another way, he has repaid Antonio in friendship. It is obvious that the two care very much about each other, and sometimes that is worth more than money, so, to them, it is a fair trade.

In the case of Bassanio and Antonio, it is also important to point out the feeling of responsibility that Bassanio shows when Antonio is about to repay the debt owed to Shylock. Bassanio is aware that Antonio is repaying a debt that Bassanio himself should be repaying: "The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all / Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood" (4.1.111-112).

Bassanio also exhibits this idea of evaluating the value of things, and people, when he takes Portia's "casket test." If he had not correctly evaluated Portia, he would not have chosen the correct casket (3.2). In a way he trades the lead casket for Portia, just as, if he loses, he will have forfeited some of his privileges, such as marriage, in exchange for the mere opportunity of attaining Portia.

From the beginning the reader is aware that both Antonio and Portia have a very high opinion of Bassanio. When Portia's suitors are taking the "casket test" Portia remembers Bassanio, and shows that her regard for him is much higher than her regard for the present suitors:

Nerissa: Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time, a Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither in the company of the Marquis of Montferrat?

Portia: Yes, yes, it was Bassanio - as I think, so was he called.

Nerissa: True madam. He of all the men that ever my foolish eyes looked upon was the best deserving a fair lady.

Portia: I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy praise. (1.2.94-101)

It is necessary for one to evaluate the degree of love that Portia and Antonio have for Bassanio, and to discover whether his worth is subjective - particular to the situation, or absolute - unconditional, to these two characters.

One could easily argue that Bassanio's worth is something absolute in the eyes of Antonio. After all, Antonio not only puts himself on the line in order to give Bassanio three thousand ducats. Not only does he stake his life, but he also does not show regret for having helped Bassanio. And so it seems that Bassanio's happiness really is the most important thing to Antonio, insinuating that, to Antonio, Bassanio's worth is even greater than his own. In his letter to Bassanio, he expresses the feeling that Bassanio need not feel that he owes Antonio anything:

Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried,

my creditors grow cruel, my estate is very low, my bond to the

Jew is forfeit, and since in paying it, it is impossible I should

live, all debts are cleared between you and I if I might but see

you at my death. Notwithstanding, use your pleasure. If your

love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter. (3.2.314-319)

Portia, on the other hand, is more subjective when it comes to Bassanio, but she still finds absolute worth in him, or she would not be so forgiving. Although she originally does agree that Bassanio is a very worthy man, as is referenced above, her love for him fluctuates depending on Bassanio's actions. After he has chosen the correct casket, Portia seems satisfied with him, and does not even seem too upset that he leaves as soon as they have settled their marriage. However, when Portia disguises herself, and hears what Bassanio says, she is none too pleased:

Bassanio: Antonio, I am married to a wife

But life itself, my wife, and all the world

Are not with me esteemed above thy life.

I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all

Here to this devil, to deliver you.

Portia: