The Homosexual Relationship Between Antonio and Bassanio in William Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice

In the next paragraph Alessandra mentions that she saw Mona Lucrezia di Piero had sent him a nice letter for thanking him for the flax that he sent to her. Alessandra then says she should reward him with kind words about Filippo to Piero. This is basically saying that Alessandra thinks Mona should put in a good word for Filippo. This shows us just how much power the Medici family had during this period. In the last paragraph, Alessandra mentions that two

“In this world, it is disturbing easy for Don John and Borachio to convince Claudio, because rumors happen to be everywhere.” (xxxii)

Antonio’s acceptance of beliefs that are condemned by his religion conveys the novel’s theme of truth being subjective. Before learning of Florence’s death, Antonio is eager to share the legend of the golden carp with his friend, “Florence needed at least one god, and I was sure he would believe in the golden

These assumptions are clearly present in Shakespeare's work. In Merchant, financial language and romantic language are inextricably linked, suggesting that money is a source of both power and sexual desirability, particularly for males. The opening scene depicts Bassanio asking Antonio for money so that he may woo the beautiful and wealthy Portia. Bassanio is penniless and, it seems, made weak, unattractive, and perhaps less masculine by his poverty.

Before I discuss the possibility of Antonio's sadness being caused by his love for Bassanio, I must point out that there are scholars who do not believe that Antonio harbors any homoerotic feelings towards Bassanio. Danson, while conceding that

          Florence- Florence is one of Atonio’s friends. Although he does not believe in God, he attends catechism lessons with his friends. Florence’s mother died when he was three. Afterwards, his father slowly killed himself with alcohol. His sisters are now prostitutes at Rosie’s house. He asks Antonio insightful questions that point out the gaps in the Catholic Religion. When Antonio becomes

Romantic desire is struggle ingrained within William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, strained by the nature of homosexual love. The depths of human sexuality are explored in Twelfth Night through the relationships between Duke Orsino and Viola as Cesario, Olivia and Viola, and Sebastian and Antonio. Twelfth Night represents homoerotic love in both radical and conservative ways, while furthermore questioning the boundaries of gender and disguise depicted by the relationships featured in the play. Shakespeare’s work is profound, since the play acknowledges homosexual love without punishment, and challenges if love is truly determined by gender, while also upholding

Different types of love and marriage play a significant role in Shakespeare’s twelfth night, whether unrequited like with Antonio and Malvolio; or something seemingly unattainable like with Duke Orsino. Love is prevalent as one of Shakespeare's central theme emphasized in the Twelfth Night. With that, we see Shakespeare communicate different interpretations and feelings regarding the subject. He does this with the medium of melodramatic characters. However, this essay will solely elaborate on the character Duke Orsino and his exploration of love. Through Orsino’s actions, Shakespeare conveys several messages still applicable today, some of which are about the fine line between superficial love and genuine love, love's incoherency, and love's

	The tragedy is not Antonio's previous two years of unemployment- it is that he has no future in his new job, due to the theft of his bike. Antonio must face this tragedy with no public support other than his friend Baiocco. Baiocco's willingness to help with his friends and his optimistic response to Maria constitute another case of human optimism. This form of optimism pervades the film with Antonio's perseverance and determination to find the stolen bike. These events stimulate the viewer's mind to think of solutions related to Antonio's situation, perhaps to try to solve problems of post-war Italy such as crime, famine, health issues, living condition, etc.; ills that have affected society then and now around the globe.

    The meaningful term “love” can be applied to differing relationships in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. In this essay let us examine under a microscope the “love” that we find throughout the play.

First, we see Antonio, a soft-hearted and morose Christian gentleman whose riches cannot provide him the fulfillment that others deem appropriate. He is sad because he lacks love. To fulfill that love, he assists Bassano in his own quest to pursue love. Though usually depicted as a homosexual relationship, it is a portrayal of love between friends or brothers, another type of bond. This act of bonding puts Antonio in gracious light. He helps his loved one by borrowing money from Shylock and pawns his life to strengthen that bond. This reinforced bondage reflects Antonio’s selflessness, God-like quality, and most importantly Christian morality.

Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is so alike to our financially afflicted world. The rules of law and commerce are subject to deceptive manipulation, fear of "the other" overwhelms respect for a common humanity, duplicity is the norm, sexuality is a vehicle for ambition, and money drives and wraps almost every action. It is a classic tale that includes important details of the financial crisis in the United States during 2007-2009. Shakespeare’s Venice, like the New York of his time - and the financial capitals of ours - is a city based on borrowing, on market speculation and greed masquerading as wealth and sophistication. Behind the curtains of the practice of lending and borrowing money in Shakespeare’s play lay the transition to capitalism: the rise of banking system; the scarcity for credit in developing industrial enterprises; and the growing dispute of default facing both aristocratic landlords and, above all, small, independent early entrepreneurs on trading ventures. Even though almost 600 years apart from each other, both Shakespeare’s tale and the financial crisis in the United States during 2007-2009 have a similar financial dilemma, each has its unique Shylock, Bassanio and Antonio- people who were responsible for causing the meltdown of their days.

With every great story line comes a theme. William Shakespeare created an art of intertwining often unrecognizable themes within his plays. In Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice, one hidden theme is the idea of homosexuality. This theme might not have even been noticed until modern Shakespeare fans discovered them. According to Alan Bray’s book, Homosexuality in Renaissance England, “the modern image of ‘the homosexual’ cannot be applied to the early modern period, when homosexual behavior was viewed in terms of the sexual act and not an individual's broader identity.” (Columbia University Press). This difference between homosexuality as a “sexual act” and an

In the beginning of this play, we are introduced to a melancholic Antonio, who claims he does not know why he is sad, but his friends Solanio and Salerio suggest that he is worried about whether or whether not his ships will make it back, which can make or break his wealth. At this point in the play, Bassanio, Antonio’s friend reveals that he is not only broke, but in serious debt. Bassanio says he owes Antonio “the

From the very beginning of The Merchant of Venice, we see the comedic element of lovers being separated time and time again. First, Jessica and Lorenzo are not permitted to marry or see each other because of their different religions and her father’s fervent hatred for Christians. “Lorenzo certain, and my love indeed / For who love I so much?” (2.vi.30-31). Jessica and Lorenzo and certain they are in love, despite the distance that separates them. Later, in Act 3, Bassanio must leave Portia to return to Venice where Antonio is waiting to see him one last time. “And then away to Venice to your friend! / For never shall you lie by Portia’s side / With an unquiet soul” (3.ii.317-19). This separation between Bassanio and Portia allows the audience to connect with the irony of these young lovers’ struggle. These separations between lovers lead to another element of comedy--costumes.