Antonio's chiefly involved in Bassanio's romance by way of providing him with money. In this status-conscious age, it's important to have either wealth or position to marry an aristocratic lady like Portia. As Bassanio has precious little of either, he instinctively turns to his good friend Antonio to help him out. Bassanio has often borrowed money from Antonio in the past, and as Antonio's such a soft touch, he has no hesitation in lending him some more. Bassanio's a young man in love, a hopeless romantic with a somewhat naive view of life. But he's still all too aware of the harsh realities of finding a wife in his hierarchical society; if he wants to woo Portia, he's going to need to get his hands on some ready cash.
Though Portia is very much in love with Bassanio, she also knows that it would be considered beneath the dignity of her class to marry someone without means. Love is important to Portia, but society's conventions must also be given their due. So Bassanio has little choice but to borrow money from Antonio; the prevailing social standards demand it.
Saturday, May 7, 2016
How is Antonio involved in the romance of Bassanio?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What is the theme of the chapter Lead?
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
The statement "Development policy needs to be about poor people, not just poor countries," carries a lot of baggage. Let's dis...
-
James is very unhappy on a number of occasions throughout the story, but he's especially unhappy with his life situation as the story be...
-
Primo Levi's complex probing of the Holocaust, including his survival of Auschwitz and pre- and post-war life, is organized around indiv...
-
One of the plot lines in Pride and Prejudice is Mrs. Bennet’s plan to marry off her daughters, preferably to rich men. Throughout the novel...
-
Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms that thrive in diverse environments (such as the ocean, the soil, and the human body). Various bac...
-
Note that these events are not in chronological order. The story is told by the narrator, looking back upon her life. The first notable even...
-
As if Hamlet were not obsessed enough with death, his uncovering of the skull of Yorick, the court jester from his youth, really sets him of...
No comments:
Post a Comment