Write a note on the theme of friendship and loyalty in The Merchant of Venice

Answer

Write a note on the theme of friendship and loyalty in “The Merchant of Venice”. 

William Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) famous play The Merchant of Venice was first published in 1600. The play’s main themes are friendship and loyalty. The story shows how true friends help each other in hard times. It also describes how loyalty can lead to big risks and sacrifices. The actions of the main characters clearly express these strong human values. We will take a closer look at these themes below.

Friendship between Antonio and Bassanio: At the center of the play is the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio. Antonio is a wealthy merchant of Venice. Bassanio is his young friend. Bassanio needs money to marry a rich and beautiful lady named Portia. He asks Antonio for help. Antonio’s money is on ships at sea. Still, he wants to help his friend. So, he borrows money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. However, Shylock hates Antonio and wants to harm him. He reveals his intention to the audience:

 “If I can catch him [Antonio] once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.”

So, Shylock agrees to give Antonio the loan under a strange condition. He says if Antonio fails to repay the loan in time, Shylock will take “a pound of flesh” from Antonio’s body. Still, Antonio agrees to this risky bond (agreement). This shows the true friendship between Antonio and Bassanio.

Bassanio’s Loyalty: Bassanio’s loyalty to Antonio is also evident. When Antonio is in danger of losing his life because he cannot repay Shylock, Bassanio quickly comes to help. He even offers Shylock two times that is owed to him. He says to Shylock,

“For thy three thousand ducats here is six.”

But shylock wants to take revenge on Antonio. Here, Bassanio’s actions show his gratitude to Antonio. He shows a deep sense of responsibility to his friend. He knows Antonio risked everything for him, and he now stands beside