please explain how has Shakespeare interwoven the bond story and the casket story in Merchant Of Venice
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Shakespeare is a genius in conveying many small lessons of human life through his plays. So he adds many side plots, which usually give the readers an insight into human life and character.
The caskets which are used for choosing a husband for Portia is a clever device that brings out the real character of her suitors. The Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket because it promised him 'what many men desire'. He thought it meant Portia and opened the casket to find a skull. Prince of Arragon chose the silver one because it offered 'as much as he deserves' and in his arrogance the Prince thought he deserved nothing less than Portia herself. He opened the casket to get a clown's head. Bessanio, on the other hand, was ready to 'hazard all he hath' for Portia and got her picture from the casket. So Shakespeare gives the reader an important advice without preaching about it.
Shylock's cunning bond is another matter altogether. At the end it tells you about how mercy is twice blessed and how important is for man to be merciful to his fellow beings. When Shylock is snared by his own web by Portia, it gives the readers a lesson about falling into the very pit one digs for others.
The two plots are incorporated into the play seamlessly to mete out important principles of human life.
The caskets which are used for choosing a husband for Portia is a clever device that brings out the real character of her suitors. The Prince of Morocco chose the gold casket because it promised him 'what many men desire'. He thought it meant Portia and opened the casket to find a skull. Prince of Arragon chose the silver one because it offered 'as much as he deserves' and in his arrogance the Prince thought he deserved nothing less than Portia herself. He opened the casket to get a clown's head. Bessanio, on the other hand, was ready to 'hazard all he hath' for Portia and got her picture from the casket. So Shakespeare gives the reader an important advice without preaching about it.
Shylock's cunning bond is another matter altogether. At the end it tells you about how mercy is twice blessed and how important is for man to be merciful to his fellow beings. When Shylock is snared by his own web by Portia, it gives the readers a lesson about falling into the very pit one digs for others.
The two plots are incorporated into the play seamlessly to mete out important principles of human life.
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Until Bassanio made his choice of the lead casket, the two sub-plots- casket and bond sub-plots were developing almost independent of each other. Though Portia came into the picture even before Bassanio borrowed the money, she never came face to face with Bassanio. Hence, she was in the background. However, by the end of the casket scene, Portia grows as a character and tends to be more in control of things. Her influence eventually goes beyond Belmont. The casket scene lays the foundation for the main characters to come closer, both physically and mentally, as they are all trying to save Antonio. Shakespeare masterfully uses Portia's marriage to Bassanio as a tool to interweave the two sub-plots.
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