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In the play 'The Merchant of Venice' by William Shakespeare, the character Bassanio is Antonio's friend. He is a bit dithery about money and tends to overspend. Nowadays we would call him a spendthrift. Any money that may have been left to him to build his future has already been wasted so he casts about for someone else's. Then he gets to hear about a girl called Portia and her amazing fortune of a dowry. In those days, a woman's finances, capital and property almost always went to her husband on marriage - even if it had been left to her by her own family. However, there is one problem. He knows he will not 'look the business' as a good potential match himself as he may not even be solvent himself. So he uses people. He tries to get the money to look good off someone who is supposed to be his friend. He is also arrogant and thinks too highly of himself, thinking he has noticed admiring looks from Portia - all in all, he does need taking down a peg or two!

Karen P.L. Hardison | College Teacher | eNotes Employee
Posted January 23, 2010 at 4:30 AM (Answer #2) dislike1like Bassanio in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is the central instigator of all the follows and he not the most steady young man in Venice. He has considerable bad qualities but he also has considerable good qualities, although the good ones may not be of a nature that they can counterbalance the bad.
First, Bassanio is a reckless youth with no wisdom or thought for the future. He has spent whatever fortune he had instead of living within the scope of his financial means. He hasn't learned from anything that has transpired before the play opens that may have contributed to the loss of all his financial resources. We know this because he is staking his chance of recouping his lost fortune on a gamble that he will be the one to choose the right casket (a small chest or box for