The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 10.0673  Sunday, 18 April 1999.

From:           Brian Haylett <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Friday, 16 Apr 1999 20:04:08 +0100
Subject:        Bassanio

'Who chooseth me, must give and hazard all he hath' When you think about
it, Bassanio has nothing to give or hazard, apart from love, though he
certainly gains what many men desire. Antonio, on the other hand, gives
all he has(and more)in money and hazards his life and (in Act V) his
soul - all in aid of Bassanio. Moreover, to choose the lead casket one
must forgo the gold and silver: is it coincidence that Antonio's wealth
- in the argosies - are withheld from him until after he has risked all,
when some of them are restored? In other words, are the three caskets
emblematic of the possible choices in the main action? (Sorry to add
another rhetorical term!)

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