THE LOTTERY
Did Bassanio receive help with the lottery?
Commentators are divided over whether or not Bassanio received help with the lottery. Some hold that Portia may have fixed the lottery by giving Bassanio a hint, through the words of a song, where the ending words of each line rhymed with the word lead. If Portia did not give Bassanio a direct hint, we clearly see her hopeful wish that Bassanio choose the right casket. Critics argue that Portia’s fixing of the lottery in favor of Bassanio would go against her father’s wishes—something she swore she would never do—and thus destroy the integrity of her character. By all accounts, then, we must reject the premise that Portia helped Bassanio with some kind of direct or indirect hint. Thus, if Bassanio received help with the lottery we must consider Nerissa as the most likely suspect.
In this treatment I put forth the argument that Bassanio not only received help from Nerissa (in choosing the right casket) but that he received her assurance that she would help him (if he could win Portia’s heart) even before he borrowed the money from Antonio and set sail for Belmont. Thus, the "secret meeting" which Bassanio and Antonio discuss in the opening scene, which set up the whole scenario, was between Bassanio and Nerissa.
Did Bassanio receive help with the lottery?
Commentators are divided over whether or not Bassanio received help with the lottery. Some hold that Portia may have fixed the lottery by giving Bassanio a hint, through the words of a song, where the ending words of each line rhymed with the word lead. If Portia did not give Bassanio a direct hint, we clearly see her hopeful wish that Bassanio choose the right casket. Critics argue that Portia’s fixing of the lottery in favor of Bassanio would go against her father’s wishes—something she swore she would never do—and thus destroy the integrity of her character. By all accounts, then, we must reject the premise that Portia helped Bassanio with some kind of direct or indirect hint. Thus, if Bassanio received help with the lottery we must consider Nerissa as the most likely suspect.
In this treatment I put forth the argument that Bassanio not only received help from Nerissa (in choosing the right casket) but that he received her assurance that she would help him (if he could win Portia’s heart) even before he borrowed the money from Antonio and set sail for Belmont. Thus, the "secret meeting" which Bassanio and Antonio discuss in the opening scene, which set up the whole scenario, was between Bassanio and Nerissa.
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