Cassi’s Blog

Throughout the reading Shakespeare has a comical voice behind the scenes of the marriage acts in the play. The comedy comes from the complication with held between each two partners. Weather it be Jessica and Lorenzo’s steeling away home or Portia’s various suitors the twisted obstacles that they are put in front of present Shakespeare’s idea of the crazed dynamics of marriage. When Jessica and Lorenzo decide to run away together and become eloped; Lancelot was trying to understand the problematic situation that had occurred. “Truly, the more blame he: we were Christians enow before; e’en as many as could well live, one by another. This making Christians will raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters. We shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money”(Lancealot p.24). Comically, Lancelot is referring a Jew to a pig and simply raising the price because she is in company with a Christian. But the complication aspect settled in when he says to blame Lorenzo for her fleeing to her elopement with all her father’s money. Although nothing gets more difficult then Portia’s way of choosing her fiancé.

Casket of gold, silver, and lead, Shakespeare’s witty comical insight, of course, would have the winner choose the lead, because it’s the one that no one would have chosen. Then once Bassanio chose the leaden box and set out with Gratiano; Nerissa and Portia also set out dressed as men in disguise and followed them, also some humor there. “Sir, I would speak with you. I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring, which I did make him swear to keep for ever” (Nerissa p.31). They watched them trade off the rings to the doctor and the clerk. Then even though the girls retrieved the rings back into their possession they were still livid with the men because they gave their promise rings away. Shakespeare introduced the complication and comedy of the never ending, lose-lose, situation that engagement brings.