Portia and Bassanio Relationship in 'The Merchant of Venice'

The Merchant of Venice is a traditional Shakespeare comedy, which means there is an abundance of romance and love (Devine, 29 Aug). The two main lovers in this play, Portia and Bassanio, are newly-wed lovers after Bassanio becomes the only suitor in all of Europe who is capable of earning the right to love Portia. He has to go through a trial to discover he is worthy enough of Portia’s love, and he wins her heart after picking the correct casket out of two others. This casket is made of a special type of metal, lead, and inscribed on the casket is a phrase: “Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath” (II.vii.11-12). This phrase indicates that the suitor who is to pick correctly must be willing to give up all he has for Portia. Although Portia’s dead father instilled the rules, some might argue that Portia likes and enjoys the attention of having many suitors trying to win her hand. Portia’s thoughts, motives, and actions are all driven by one factor - selfishness. Therefore Portia and Bassanio relationship is the topic of this essay.

Portia’s selfishness in her relationship with Bassanio

Portia’s selfishness first becomes apparent in a conversation with her closest friend, Nerissa. She starts complaining about not being able to choose the husband she wants, but having to accept the suitor who won the casket contest that her dead father created. Portia says, “I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike. So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none” (I.ii.22-26)? It seems that it would be a rather easy decision to follow and respect her father’s decision, considering he died. Yet, Portia is seen complaining and struggling with doing that. It may be understandable that a person would like to choose who they give their heart to, but her father is dead and it should be an easy decision to honor one thing he wanted. This is a prime example of Portia thinking of herself before thinking of others. Before Bassanio picked the correct casket, which will grant him Portia’s love, Bassanio starts to feel hopeful in his decision and says, “Joy be the consequence” (III.ii.110).

Although Bassanio feels hopeful, Portia is afraid to be hopeful and fears her strong feelings towards Bassanio. Portia selfishly concentrates on herself and how she is going to be affected, rather than how Bassanio might feel. She doesn’t even think about how she could be good to Bassanio and serve him well. She had “doubtful thoughts”, feelings of hopelessness, fear, and “green-eyed jealousy” (III.ii.12-13). She wanted all of these negative feelings to go away, although these feelings reappear later in the play. She focuses on these feelings rather than enjoying the beginning of her love for Bassanio, and she has to make sure that these feelings are true. Next, Portia becomes doubtful in her relationship with Bassanio, because she starts to develop jealousy of his relationship with Antonio. Portia thinks about herself and wants what they have as friends. This is evident in how Antonio talks with Bassanio in his letter, “Sweet Bassanio” (III.iii.328). In the letter, Antonio writes about his bond that is soon due to Shylock and how he can’t afford to pay off the bond. This is when Portia knows she could come in and appear to be a worthy Christian in Bassanio’s eyes. She offers to pay off Antonio’s debt, not just once, but twenty times over: “For never shall you lie by Portia’s side with an unquiet soul. You shall have gold to pay the debt twenty times over” (III.iii.318-20). The quote is textual evidence of Portia taking control and one-upping Bassanio. She wants to imply that she can help Antonio easily whereas Bassanio can’t, showing that she is the dominant figure in the relationship. Her paying off the debt may look good, but it is also a way of showing off to Antonio. She is making Antonio feel weak, because his best friend’s girlfriend is now paying off his bond. It is generally known that selfish people like to have control of every situation that they can, and that is an example of Portia doing just that. She is now in control of Antonio’s life.

Portia obviously likes to have control of every situation; in doing so, she “gives” a ring to Bassanio. The ring comes with much more than a commitment, “Myself, and what is mine, to you and yours is now converted. But now I was the lord of this fair mansion, master of my servants, queen o’er myself; and even now, but now, this house, these servants, and this same myself are yours, my lords. I give them with this ring,” (She now has leverage over Bassanio since he cannot pay that back to her.) “Which, when you part from, lose, or give away, let it presage the ruin of your love and be my vantage to exclaim on you” (III.ii.170-78). She puts conditions on her gift to Bassanio, because being selfish, she won’t give something unless she is getting something in return. I believe that Portia, in doing that, treated herself with the better gift, considering she can now test Bassanio and see if her feelings of doubt and untrustworthiness about him are true. “Selfish people plot and scheme against you” (Paler). This is exactly what Portia did in the final act of the play. She is so lacking in trust of Bassanio that she goes undercover as a male doctor of law, Balthazar, to test his promise to her. Balthazar (Portia) saves Antonio’s life in the courtroom, and deserves so much for doing so. In return, she requests that Bassanio give her his ring, “And for your love I’ll take this ring from you. Do not draw back your hand; I’ll take no more, and you in love shall not deny me this” (IV.i.45-47). Bassanio stays true to his promise and denies her the ring even though Balthazar just saved his best friend’s life. As Balthazar, Portia continues to make an effort to catch Bassanio failing. Antonio adds to the pressure: “My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring”(IV.i.48).

Finally, Portia’s scheme comes through and Bassanio gives her the ring in knowing Balthazar deserves it. I take that as a great moral deed, but Portia gets exactly what she wants - drama. “By heaven, I will ne’er come in your bed until I see the ring” (V.i.204-05), Portia is so caught up on a materialistic item that she gave to Bassanio as a “gift,” when all she cares about is herself and making sure her negative feelings are correct towards Bassanio. She has to be right, selfishly, and has to have her plan succeed. Portia displays selfish behavior throughout the whole play. She was selfish from the very beginning when she complains about not being able to choose a suitor, when it was her dead father’s will to ensure her safety and future with a worthy husband. She has to prove to Bassanio’s closest friend that she is better than he is by paying off his debt. She selfishly devised a plan to prove Bassanio couldn’t be trusted by giving him a ring and then putting conditions on it that would benefit her more.

Next, she disguises herself as a lawyer, saves Antonio, and requests she gets paid with Bassanio’s ring. Even when Bassanio wouldn’t give it to her (honoring his promise), she wouldn’t take any other payment. All she wanted him to do was fail and she insisted on having the ring until he did. She has to have control, her feelings have to be right, and she will make sure that everything goes her way so she can be happy. “[Portia] is fully convinced that in finding her husband, her weariness of the world has melted away for good. Ignorance is bliss, and Portia is blissful to say the least” (Dartmouth). There is more than enough evidence to prove Portia will go out of her way to make sure she feels happy, which proves she is selfish. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Portia's character in 'The Merchant of Venice' is a complex portrayal of human nature, highlighting the intricacies of selfishness. While the play encompasses themes of love, romance, and societal norms, Portia's actions and motivations underscore a prevailing self-centeredness that guides her decisions. From her reluctance to accept her father's will to her manipulation of situations to test Bassanio's loyalty, Portia consistently prioritizes her own emotions and desires. Her behavior demonstrates a need for control, a desire for affirmation, and a willingness to bend situations to serve her own interests. 

References

1. Shakespeare, William. 'The Merchant of Venice.'

2. Bloom, Harold. 'Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.' Riverhead Books, 1999. 

3. Berry, Ralph. 'Shakespeare's Comedies: Explorations in Form.' Princeton University Press, 1997. 

4. Paster, Gail Kern. 'The Idea of Character in Shakespeare's Theory and Practice.' University of Delaware Press, 1991. 

5. Greenblatt, Stephen. 'Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare.' W. W. Norton & Company, 2004. 

6. Kolin, Philip C. 'Shakespeare and Southern Writers: A Study in Influence.' University of Georgia Press, 2010. 

7. Wells, Stanley. 'Shakespeare & Co.: Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Dekker, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, John Fletcher and the Other Players in His Story.' Vintage, 2007. 

8. Smith, Emma. 'Shakespeare's First Folio: Four Centuries of an Icon in 82 Treasures.' Oxford University Press, 2016. 

9. Maguire, Laurie E. 'Shakespearean Suspect Texts: The 'Bad' Quartos and Their Contexts.' Cambridge University Press, 1996. 

   Keep in mind:
   This is only a sample.

   Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

   Get custom essay

10. Carroll, William C. 'The Great Feast of Language in 'The Merchant of Venice'.' University of Chicago Press, 2006.