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How does the Merchant of Venice teach us about friendship? (Please use evidence from the text)

Thank you.

I’m assuming your question is one you’ve been asked to respond to for an assignment, so I think it would be best to read the play and to figure out the answer for yourself. However, I will tell you that The Merchant of Venice does not teach the lesson of friendship. It teaches TOLERANCE.

3 Responses

1. Kim Says:
   November 16th, 2010 at 6:58 pm

   I’m assuming your question is one you’ve been asked to respond to for an assignment, so I think it would be best to read the play and to figure out the answer for yourself. However, I will tell you that The Merchant of Venice does not teach the lesson of friendship. It teaches TOLERANCE.
   References :

2. Wiki Read Says:
   November 16th, 2010 at 7:07 pm

   Friendship in The Merchant of Venice is more notable for its fragility than its strength. Friendship between characters is often built on fairly artificial constructs – the knaves of the play all get along because they’re funny, Shylock’s one friendship with Tubal seems entirely due to the fact that they’re both Jewish, and Portia’s closest friend seems to be Nerissa, who has no choice but to spend time with her because Nerissa is her servant. The play’s most notable friendship is the one between Antonio and Bassanio, which is at some points inexplicable in its depth. Antonio loves Bassanio enough to give his life for him – indeed it seems that Bassanio is one of his only reasons for living. There’s an undercurrent of Antonio’s potential romantic love for Bassanio, which is necessarily unrequited and seriously complicates matters, since Antonio is possessive of Bassanio even though he can never truly possess him. Bassanio too has suspect reasons for being friends with Antonio as Bassanio is always living outside of his means and relies on Antonio to fund him. Their friendship, though deep, is arguably one of mutual self-deception and self-interest. Neither fully admits to why the other might be in the relationship, but it’s too good for either of them to really get out of it. Friendship like theirs is ultimately at odds with the fact of Portia’s marriage to Bassanio, meaning that friendship and love become competing forces. Ultimately, friendship loses.

   http://wikiread.com/
   References :
   http://wikiread.com/

3. Now Now Says:
   November 16th, 2010 at 7:57 pm

   It doesn’t actually. It’s all about each after their pound of flesh.
   References :

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