They are the conflicts of two opposite ideas, identification, convention and religions.
Bassanio although is a noble, actually he is a declining aristocrat. He has squandered his money at different meeting, gathering and on woman. Not to speak so tactful, he is a playboy who never plans to get a job or doing some business. Instead, he would like to life his head from a profitable marriage. When he borrows money from Antonio as chip to pursuing Portia. Antonio says:
I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it;
And if it stand, as you yourself still do,
Within the eye of honour, be assured
My purse, my person, my extremest means,
Lie all unlockt to your occasion② (ActⅠsceneⅠ,P12,135-140)
And when his boats wreck on sea, he has had to obey the contract, and he says:
Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried, my creditors grow crule, my estate is very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all debates are cleared between you and I. if I might but see you at my death. Notwithstanding, use your pleasure; if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter. ② (Act Ⅲ Scene Ⅱ P132,315-321)
From these words, we can confirm Antonio is the best friend of Bassanio. He always helps other not to ask for reward, even sacrifice his life. When Bassanio hears the news that Antonio will lose his life for him. He returns immediately and gives his lover’s ring back to the clerk to show his thanks. Their friendship has been proved so perfect.
Conclusion
The period that Shakespeare created the Merchant of Venice was the reign of Elizabeth Ⅰ. What was the name of that period called “the First Flowering Period of English Literature” and the greatest change began with drama. Shakespeare was the representative at that time. In his romantic comedies, Shakespeare takes an optimistic attitude toward love and youth. The Merchant of Venice, in which he has created tension, ambiguity, a self-consciousness and self-delighting artifice that, is at once intellectually exciting and emotionally engaging.
There are two comic characters exists in the Merchant of Venice. The first one is comedy united with mock. As we see, what the center place this story happened is a city full of the smell of commercialize and capitalism. Different race, identification, religion, law and some ideas about fair and unfair are all showed out. In this play, Jew Shylock performs great greed for money. When he is resulted and treated unfair, he is brewing a strongly dissatisfaction to revenge the Christian and graceful gentleman and appealing for equal treatment. In fact, Shylock’s characteristic has many aspects. He is a usurer. He is avaricious and stingy. But he also has the pity point: being lost daughter; being humiliated by Antonio; being treated unfair in Christian society, and his endless miss for his wife. All of his role action has surpassed the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, and the propagation of Christian by Portia. So in the thesis, the author argues Shylock not only as a curt, greedy and sly person, but also as a sympathetic figure.
The second distinguishing feature is comedy united with the ideal of humanism. One critic says that Shakespeare’s comedies and romances tend to focus on daughters whose age and rank make them desirable spouses for men seeking to improve their social standing. There is no exception of Shakespeare’s comedies takes love as the theme. And the most used expression to describe the lover’s relationship in debate. They match with intelligent, minds and sentiments. Woman always emerges the victor. They are not only chaste, beautiful, young and more sensible.
