As a playwright, William Shakespeare had few, if any, colleagues of equal renown. He skillfully created works of incredible diversity; some tragic, others historical and still others comical. Of the latter genre, Shakespeare's play, The Merchant of Venice, is an example. With a defining excerpt of Northrop Frye's comic literature, we can carefully examine this play and better understand why it is considered a comedy. According to Frye, New Comedy presents a romantic plot between a man and a woman, hindered by an opposition controlling their current society. A plot twist resolves the conflict, allowing the couple to live happily in an idyllic society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay It is said that love makes the world go round, and after studying the contents of The Merchant of Venice, interest in questions of love certainly prove to be omnipresent. Numerous references to romantic plots are made, establishing the play as a new comedy. One of the main couples in The Merchant of Venice is that of Bassanio and Portia. The plot of the romance is first presented by Bassanio concerning Portia. He confides to Antonio: "In Belmont there is a lady.../And she is beautiful, and more beautiful than this word,/Of wonderful virtues... Her name is Portia..." (Act 1, scene 1, ll.161-165). Through this passage, Bassanio reveals that he is in love with Portia. According to him, Bassanio is also certain that he could woo the lady: "...many Jasons come in search of him/...[was I] [able]/to occupy a place of rival with one of them.../I should undoubtedly be lucky” (Act 1, scene 1, ll. 173-176) Once in Portia’s presence, he said to her: “Promise me life and). I will confess the truth... love/Was the very sum of my confession!" (Act 3, scene 2, ll. 33-36). By declaring himself, Bassanio reveals to his lady his romantic feelings for her . In yet another case, Bassanio shows himself in love with the beautiful Portia, scrutinizing a portrait of the latter: “And yet look, how far/The substance of my praise does harm to this shadow/By underestimating it. .." (Act 3, scene 2, ll. Undoubtedly confirming Bassanio's feelings for Portia, his words to Antonio: "...I am married to a woman/Who is as dear to me as life itself- even" (Act 4, Scene 1, ll. 280-281). From these extracts, Bassanio's love for Lady Portia is practically palpable. There is an undeniable romantic intrigue throughout The Merchant of Venice, on Bassanio's part. However, Bassanio is not the only soul to be struck by Cupid's arrow. The object of his affections is, in turn, struck. Portia complements Bassanio's love for her, with her own partiality for him. Although Portia is not as forthright as Bassanio, she tells her servant, "I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of your praise," in response to Nerissa's observation about Bassanio: "... He, of all the men who Every time my foolish eyes looked, was the most deserving beautiful/lady. (Act 1, scene 2, ll. 108-112). Once the object of her affections arrives, Portia begs him: "I beg you to wait.../Before you venture, for by choosing the wrong one/I lose your company" (Act 3, Scene 1, ll. 1-3). With these words, Portia reveals her feelings to Bassanio. She reaffirms them when she cries to Bassanio: "Half of me is yours, the other half yours-/I would say mine; but if mine is yours,/And therefore all yours!" (Act 3, scene 2, ll. 16-18). When Bassanio succeeds in obtaining Portia's hand in marriage, she says in pure ecstasy:“O love…/I feel your blessing too much” (Act 3, scene 2, l. 61). Once again, Portia emphasizes her love for Bassanio by telling him: “Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear” (Act 2, scene 3, l. 313). Through the comments of a praising Portia, there is compelling evidence of her romantic fascination with Bassanio. References to love are frequent when Bassanio or Portia speak. Thus, The Merchant of Venice meets one of the requirements of a new comedy as defined by Northrop Frye: a romantic plot between a man and a woman. Life is not always a bowl of cherries, and in the texts of The Merchant of Venice this fact becomes surprisingly clear. The play is fraught with pitfalls and obstacles, which are resolved by a complex set of tangled events. These obstacles, imposed on the lovers Bassanio and Portia, and their resolutions, contribute to identifying this drama as that of the New Comedy. At first, the biggest obstacle Bassanio faced was his lack of funds: "It is not unknown to you, Antonio,/How much I have disabled the mining estate" (Act 1, scene 1, ll. 122-123 ). Due to his self-proclaimed poverty, Bassanio cannot afford to try to win Portia over. Once again to Antonio, he confides: "...if I had the means/...I have a mind that lets me predict such economy/That I would undoubtedly be lucky!" (Act 1, scene 1, ll. 173-176). Hearing this, Antonio offers his help to Bassanio: "...my credit.../Will be exhausted to the end/To provide you at Belmont, at the beautiful Portia" (Act 1, Scene 1, ll. 180- 182). In this way, Bassanio is able to obtain enough money to give Portia a dignified trial. But coincidentally, Antonio's generosity towards Bassanio blocks the latter's happiness further in the play. To lend Bassanio the sum he needed to woo Portia, Antonio borrowed from Shylock, who agreed to take as security: "...an equal pound/of your fair flesh, to cut and take/In what part you like your body." me” (Act 1, scene 3, ll. 145-147). Antonio sealed this bond (Act 1, scene 3, l. 148) and was held to it when he was unable to repay Shylock on the appointed date. Bassanio received news of the confiscation and, in distress, said to Portia: "When I told you/My condition was nothing, I should then have told you/That I was worse than nothing; for indeed /I... committed my friend to his simple enemy/To feed my means” (Act 3, scene 2, ll. 258-263) Antonio’s only wish is to see Bassanio before he dies. following the loss of his deposit (Act 3, scene 2, ll. 317-319), Bassanio hastily leaves Portia, whom he had not yet married when Antonio's letter arrived. Antonio's bond is another obstacle to Bassanio's peaceful and happy life. This problem is unexpectedly resolved when, unbeknownst to everyone, his new wife, Portia, disguises herself as a judge and presides over Shylock's case. . She uses the illusory quality of language against Shylock and succeeds in saving Antonio's life (Act 4, scene 1, ll. 322-334). saves Antonio from certain death, Bassanio would have been forever deprived of the happiness he was looking for. He was said to have been tormented by the death of his dear friend, "I will be required to pay him ten times more/On the loss of my hands, my head, my heart" (Act 4, Scene 1, ll. 209 - 210). After resolving the conflict, Portia returns home, where she welcomes Bassanio and Antonio, both free of debt, to live in tranquility and love. The above quotes from the characters in The Merchant of Venice make it clear that this is a play of new comedy. As fortune can do, life often presents more than one trial to., 1987.