Merchant Of Venice Final

When lost, most of us look to a companion for guidance and strength through the rough patches in life, and when your resilience fails, someone else's will prosper. This two way street keeps people going in the roughest of times. In "The Merchant of Venice" written by William Shakespeare, Antonio found himself isolated from the rest of the world and couldn't put his finger on what brought about his sadness. Shortly after his pondered sadness, he found Bassanio, a man with a contemplated love for the lovely Portia and needed help to win her hand in marriage. And with that Antonio's void was filled he forgot about his lack of happiness for a moment and helped his friend conquer his despair. Despite all shortcomings in life, we will never not be able to offer love and friendship in a world of deals and trades. And that's what William Shakespeare wanted to portray through his words, that although some characters lacked money or fancy possessions they still offered friendship over everything. 
      One of the most significant character relationships in "The Merchant of Venice" that expressed the theme of love and friendship being the best gifts we can offer to the world is Antonio, a merchant in the city of Venice and Bassanio, a good friend to Antonio prior to the beginning of the book. In act one, Antonio could not describe nor define his discontent until he met with hid old friend Bassanio and discovered contentment in helping his friend win the hand of his true love. However, they made a deal with the vile and rude merchant Shylock who tricked Antonio into a devil's trade. In the end, Shylock planned to kill Antonio for his racism towards him and when Bassanio tried to intervene Antonio replied; "Give me your hand Bassanio, fare you well! Grieve not that I am fall'n to this for you; for herein Fortune shows herself more kind than is her custom...Commend me to your honorable wife, tell her the process of Antonio's end, Say how I loved you, speak me in fair death; and when the tale is told, bid her be jude whether Bassanio had not once a love." Antonio was ready to die just for the love and friendship of his friend, he didn't need money to bring him satisfaction just knowing his friend would be happy, and that he helped him return to that state of contentment was payment enough. Seeing Antonio gave a mile and Bassanio only an inch, he argued, "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." Friendship can only be earned with love and not bought or traded and therefore even for all the ducats in the world, Bassanio's friendship with Antonio was still more valuable to him. 
      Another relationship that illuminates the gift of friendship and love is Lorenzo and Jessica. Jessica, the proud in spirit, but shamed to be the daughter of Jewish Shylock, left Shylcok for the  Christian Lorenzo, leaving everything behind (except for some stolen money) to embark on a trial of love that was worth more than her father's money that he provided her with. "Beshrew me but I love her heartily, for she is wise, if that mine eyes be true, and true she it, as she hath proved herself: and therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true,  shall she be placed in my constant soul." Although Jessica dressed as a boy to escape, and was the daughter of a Jewish man, he loved her for what was inside and still gave her a chance to love her for that while most people might have just passed her by. In return Jessica returned love with love and the two lived a prosperous life of love and happiness; "In such a night did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well, stealing her soul with many vows of fait, and ne'er a true one." After trials and tribulations of the their love, they beat all the tests involving money, kin, and virtue, proving love was the greatest blessing they would earn from each other. 
      Every story must have the handsome man win the princess and the lovestruck Bassanio's quest for the beautiful yet secretly insecure Princess Portia. Portia confirmed that Bassanio's presence of love was the only thing that would help him pass the test and merit her love, that pretentious looks and unsentimental conversations would get him no where. "So may the outward shows be least themselves- the world is still deceived with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted or corrupt, But, be seasoned with a gracious voice, obscures the show of evil? In religion what damned error, but some sober brow will bless it, and approve it with a text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament?...Thy plainness moves me more than eloquence, and here choose I- joy be the consequence! He didn't Portia to have beautiful things or money, for him to love her, just the simplicity of her being her was perfect for him. Therefore, he chose the lead casket and opened it to find her picture, and her heart. However, sometimes the gift has to be tested and tested to be proven true, and although very true, Portia was insecure and the gift of Bassanio's love became less valuable than his one to Antonio or Jessica's to Lorenzo. The gift of love or friendship shouldn't have to be tested to be proven true but evident day by random acts of kindness such as Antonio's deal with Shylock. 
       Life is a plane ride full of turbulence and many of us along the way can't find a way to make the shaking stop, like Shylock who was filled with revenge and greed that drove him to a life of solitude because he couldn't find it in his heart to offer friendship instead of vengeance. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the world handed Antonio what he put out in the world, acceptance, friendship, love and dedication and in return his sadness diminished from sight. Sometimes no matter how cliche it sounds, the best gifts in life are not tangible or visible but felt with the heart and "The Merchant of Venice" portrayed that very well by highlighting that the gift of friendship was far more valuable than the ducats or pound of flesh. Sometimes in life, when we can't think of anything we have, the best thing to always have a guarantee of is a friend, and I would love to have a friendship as powerful as Bassanio's and Antonio's.