charecter sketch of gratanio of 1 page
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He helps Lorenzo abduct Jessica, which almost makes him late for the departure to Belmont. He falls in love with Nerissa, Portia’s lady-in-waiting, who agrees to marry him on condition that Bassanio succeeds in the task of the caskets. He has no compunction about admitting to the mercenary nature of Bassanio’s choice of bride. He returns to Venice with Bassanio on his mission to rescue Antonio, and gives his tongue free rein during the trial, spitting out invective against Shylock, and then mercilessly mocking him once the carpet is pulled out from under him. Like Bassanio, he is willing to prefer Antonio’s life to his newly-acquired wife’s. The law-clerk manages to convince him to give his wedding ring as a gift of thanks in return, which leads to some problems on his return to Belmont, as he had sworn to Nerissa that he would never remove it. He gives away that Bassanio has done much the same. On it being revealed that Nerissa and the clerk were one and the same, he is much relieved to discover that he has not in fact been cuckolded, and closes the play on a bawdy pun.
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Gratiano is a very talkative and witty man. Indeed, his garrulity is his most striking trait; and this trait would have repelled us if his talk had not been witty. He has a keen sense of humour, an infinite capacity for talk, and a fertile wit. He is never short of words, and almost every remark that he makes is amusing in one way or another. Antonio, who is a serious-minded man, does not relish Gratiano’s ceaseless talk which is nothing but chatter for his ears. And even Bassanio says that Gratiano talks an infinite deal of nothing and that there is very little real sense in his talk. Bassanio expresses the view that the sense in Gratiano’s talk may be compared to two grains of wheat hidden in a large heap of chaff (or straw). However, Bassanio does not feel much upset by Gratiano’s endless talk though he does have some apprehension that Gratiano’s glib tongue would create some embarrassing moments for him (Bassanio) at Belmont. He feels it necessary to get a promise from Gratiano not to talk too much at Belmont before agreeing to Gratiano’s request that he should take him (Gratiano) there. Gratiano makes a substantial contribution to the comedy of the play. The Merchant of Venice is a romantic comedy which means that it is a play containing both romantic and comic elements in ample measure. If Bassanio is a man who contributes greatly to the romantic character of the play Gratiano is a man who contributes equally greatly to the play’s comic character.