Love in the Merchant of Venice

Eden Attarzadeh        

Barraza

Literature 10HP

September 24, 2015

Love in The Merchant of Venice

        “The course of true love never did run smooth (A Midsummer Nights Dream I.i.134)”. In The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, there are various types of love that appear throughout the play. Some include love between father and child, love of money, friendship, and romantic love. The strongest type of love shown in the play is romantic love, given tension between standards, and how truelove is formed.

        One example of romantic love shown in this play is the love between Bassanio and Portia. Even though he disobeyed her wish to not give the ring to anyone else, he did give it away technically back to her. Portia is obviously saddened by this but she overlooks this due to the fact she believes Bassanio is her true love. She believes he is her true love because he picked the correct casket when choosing out of the three, so she is confident that he knows her the best (III.ii.111-152). All throughout Act 3 Portia and Bassanio are kindling they’re love for each other, from Portia hinting to which casket to choose to them fawning over one another. Despite they’re arguments, they are convinced to be head over heals in love.

Love can be shown in many different ways; from risks to choices, they all represent how one loves another. Jessica makes the choice to leave her father Shylock to elope with Bassanios friend Lorenzo.  When Lorenzo and Jessica make they’re first encounter, they both realize they are in love, not only with one another but the idea of each other and they’re voices (II.vi.27-40). Even though Jessica is technically a Jew, she wants to convert to Christianity so she can marry Lorenzo. They steal duckets from Shylock to start their lives of together right before she leaves.

[“Beshrew me but I love her heartily.

For she is wise, if I can judge of her.

And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true.

And true she is, as she hath proved herself.

And therefore, like herself—wise, fair and true—

Shall she be placèd in my constant soul” (II.vi.54-59).]

Here, Lorenzo explains what he loves about Jessica. Lorenzo has already fallen for her, even though he’s only seen her dressed as a man. He explains that he’s crazy for her, her wisdom, her beauty, her loyalty, her faithfulness, and how she will always have a place in his heart. Although they talk about how their love is compared to Troilus and Cressida, Pyramus and Thisbe, Dido and Aeneas, and Medea and Jason (V.i.4-17), they don’t see how that’s implying that things may end badly for them; they’re blindsided by love.