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Act III, Scene II

This scene takes place in Portia's house in Belmont. Portia welcomes Bassanio after his successful choice of the lead casket. They celebrate with Nerissa and Gratiano who also wish to marry. Their happiness fades when a letter from Antonio arrives, informing Bassanio that Antonio is in debt to Shylock. Bassanio grows pale upon reading the letter. Portia insists on helping in any way she can. Bassanio declares Antonio's misfortunes and that Shylock demands forfeiture of the bond. Portia unsuccessfully offers multiple times the debt amount. She asks Bassanio to leave for Venice to help his friend.

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55 views1 page

Act III, Scene II

This scene takes place in Portia's house in Belmont. Portia welcomes Bassanio after his successful choice of the lead casket. They celebrate with Nerissa and Gratiano who also wish to marry. Their happiness fades when a letter from Antonio arrives, informing Bassanio that Antonio is in debt to Shylock. Bassanio grows pale upon reading the letter. Portia insists on helping in any way she can. Bassanio declares Antonio's misfortunes and that Shylock demands forfeiture of the bond. Portia unsuccessfully offers multiple times the debt amount. She asks Bassanio to leave for Venice to help his friend.

Uploaded by

Pravin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SCENE II

Where're they?
Who're in?
A room in Portia's house
Bassanio, Portia Belmont:
Gratiano, Nerissa

Progress of the scene


Portia welcomes Basanio a
The scenebrings back the environment of happiness and love as
of his possible choi
the choice of the casket. She loves him by heart and is afraid
appeals him to delay
casket at once and try his luck:
ofwrong casket. But he decides to go for the
Confess' and love'
Had been the very sum of my confession:

O happy torment, when my torturer


Doth teach me answers for deliverance!
But let me to my fortune and the casket.
1o inspire her lover in the right direction, Portia asks the musicians to play and they play a son8
giving the message that outward appearances are deceptive. He ponders on various thoughts and finally
goes tor the leaden casket and finds a beautiful portrait of Portia there. Portia is overwhemed on his
success and he too is stunned out of joy and stands bewildered:
"Fair Portia's counterfeit! What demi-god
Hath come so near creation? Move these eyes?"
Nerissa and Gratiano congratulate them and in the joyful scenario of love, wish to marry themselves
too. Bassanio and Portia grant their wish happily and soon, Lorenzo and Jessica join them. But their
happy moments fade away as soon as Salario reaches there from Venice. He delivers a letter to Bassanio
from Antonio. As Bassanio goes through the letter, his face grows pale and Portia readily submits herself
to his services enthusiastically;
What, worse and worse!
With leave, Bassanio; I am half yourself,
And I must freely have the half of anything
That this paper brings you.
same

Bassanio declares the tragic impact of Antonio's mistortunes and informs her that
Shylock is amant
for the forefeiture of the bond. Portia offers twice, thrice times of the debt in vain. She
asks him to
leave everything and reach Venice to help such a rare friend

Significance
After the gloomy sight of the possible ship wreck of Antonio, the scene revives the
romantic el
in the play with two married couples Bassanio with Portia and Gratiano with Nerissa. nt

I t also serves as an apt testimony of Bassanio Portia love-affair eulminating in marriage


.The delivery of Antonio's letter induces an environment of sufferings in the play and gives an im
an impetus
to the development of the plot further.

Enolish Literattue(UCSE)

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