What is Love
Love is multiple things but commonly known as an emotion caused by chemical reactions occuring in the body.
Love means;
-Happiness
-Having a soul mate
-An intense emotion
-The wilful intent to serve the well being of another (M.Scott Peck)
Love is mysterious, magical, complex, difficult, imaginary, though-provoking, inspirational, intuitional, joyous, immeasurable, ecstasy and undefinable.
Love is lllogical but above all logic.
It is experinced by everyone, whether it be for a person or an object.
Love means;
-Happiness
-Having a soul mate
-An intense emotion
-The wilful intent to serve the well being of another (M.Scott Peck)
Love is mysterious, magical, complex, difficult, imaginary, though-provoking, inspirational, intuitional, joyous, immeasurable, ecstasy and undefinable.
Love is lllogical but above all logic.
It is experinced by everyone, whether it be for a person or an object.
Quotation
Antonio-Bassanio (love)
"To you, Antonio, / I owe the most, in money and in love" (1.1.4). So says Bassanio as he prepares to court his future wife. Like Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice is interested in the dynamics of male friendship, a bond that's often valued above all other relationships (especially heterosexual romance and marriage). Antonio loves Bassanio enough to give his life for him – indeed it seems that Bassanio's pursuit of a wife is the cause of Antonio's deep melancholy, which may suggest that his affection for his friend is romantic in nature. In the end, though, The Merchant of Venice is a Shakespearean comedy, which means that Bassanio's marriage to Portia replaces his bromance with Antonio.
[http://www.shmoop.com/merchant-of-venice/friendship-theme.html]
"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 unlocked to your occasion." [Page110, act 1.1]
-This quoting from Antonio expresses his love for Bassanio because he offers all he has to help Bassanio in his quest for a wife. Because of his love he asks for no repayment.
"You shall not seal to such a bond for me. I'll rather dwell in my necessity." [Page126, act 1.3]
-This shows Bassanio's love for Antonio as he does not agree to him risking his life for him (Bassanio).
"I am a tainted wether of the flocks, meetest for death, The weakest kind of fruit drops earliest to the ground; and so let me. You cannot better be employed, Bassanio, than to live still and write mine epitaph." [page194, act 4.1]
-Anotonio has been portrayed as melancholy since the start of the play. But from this quote we see he has found a solution to his unhappiness, and it is via his love for Bassanio.
"To you, Antonio, / I owe the most, in money and in love" (1.1.4). So says Bassanio as he prepares to court his future wife. Like Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Merchant of Venice is interested in the dynamics of male friendship, a bond that's often valued above all other relationships (especially heterosexual romance and marriage). Antonio loves Bassanio enough to give his life for him – indeed it seems that Bassanio's pursuit of a wife is the cause of Antonio's deep melancholy, which may suggest that his affection for his friend is romantic in nature. In the end, though, The Merchant of Venice is a Shakespearean comedy, which means that Bassanio's marriage to Portia replaces his bromance with Antonio.
[http://www.shmoop.com/merchant-of-venice/friendship-theme.html]
"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 unlocked to your occasion." [Page110, act 1.1]
-This quoting from Antonio expresses his love for Bassanio because he offers all he has to help Bassanio in his quest for a wife. Because of his love he asks for no repayment.
"You shall not seal to such a bond for me. I'll rather dwell in my necessity." [Page126, act 1.3]
-This shows Bassanio's love for Antonio as he does not agree to him risking his life for him (Bassanio).
"I am a tainted wether of the flocks, meetest for death, The weakest kind of fruit drops earliest to the ground; and so let me. You cannot better be employed, Bassanio, than to live still and write mine epitaph." [page194, act 4.1]
-Anotonio has been portrayed as melancholy since the start of the play. But from this quote we see he has found a solution to his unhappiness, and it is via his love for Bassanio.
The caskets and love
The three caskets (gold, silver, and lead) are major symbols in the play. The big tipoff is the fact that each of them is inscribed with a message on the outside and also contains a note on the inside.
The outside of the blinged-out gold chest promises, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." Sounds nice, but it's a trick, because the inside contains a skull with a smug message: "All that glisters [glitters] is not gold [...]" (2.7.3). In other words, appearances are often deceiving, and human desire (for wealth, sex, what have you) can be dangerous.
The inscription on the outside of the silver chest reads, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." The inside contains a picture of an "idiot," with a nasty little note: "So be gone: you are sped. / Still more fool I shall appear / By the time I linger here / With one fool's head I came to woo, / But I go away with two" (2.9.3). In other words, whoever chooses the silver casket is a fool who'll get what he deserves (a picture of another fool).
Finally, the lead chest, which is made of a very humble metal, seems to symbolize inner beauty and modesty (the exact opposite of the shiny gold casket) and contains a picture of Portia. The inscription is also significant: "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath" (2.7.5). Gee, this sounds like a pretty good description of marriage: a big risk that requires a lot of sacrifice. The inscription also reminds us of the fact that Bassanio's courtship of Portia literally involves a man who must "hazard all he hath." (That would be Antonio, who risks his life to loan his best pal the money to woo the rich heiress.)
The three caskets scene creates an anti-materialistic context for the kind of love Bassanio has for Portia.
The three caskets (gold, silver, and lead) are major symbols in the play. The big tipoff is the fact that each of them is inscribed with a message on the outside and also contains a note on the inside.
The outside of the blinged-out gold chest promises, "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire." Sounds nice, but it's a trick, because the inside contains a skull with a smug message: "All that glisters [glitters] is not gold [...]" (2.7.3). In other words, appearances are often deceiving, and human desire (for wealth, sex, what have you) can be dangerous.
The inscription on the outside of the silver chest reads, "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves." The inside contains a picture of an "idiot," with a nasty little note: "So be gone: you are sped. / Still more fool I shall appear / By the time I linger here / With one fool's head I came to woo, / But I go away with two" (2.9.3). In other words, whoever chooses the silver casket is a fool who'll get what he deserves (a picture of another fool).
Finally, the lead chest, which is made of a very humble metal, seems to symbolize inner beauty and modesty (the exact opposite of the shiny gold casket) and contains a picture of Portia. The inscription is also significant: "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath" (2.7.5). Gee, this sounds like a pretty good description of marriage: a big risk that requires a lot of sacrifice. The inscription also reminds us of the fact that Bassanio's courtship of Portia literally involves a man who must "hazard all he hath." (That would be Antonio, who risks his life to loan his best pal the money to woo the rich heiress.)
The three caskets scene creates an anti-materialistic context for the kind of love Bassanio has for Portia.