"showing a more swelling port / Than my faint
means would grant continuance"
Lives beyond his means
irresponsible
owes Antonio money and tries to solve it by borrowing more money from Antonio
selfish
shallow
uses people for their money
"To you, Antonio, / I owe the most in money and in love"
"In Belmont is a lady richly left, / And she is fair [...]
Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued [...] Nor is
the wide world ignorant of her worth"
Language use is all about value and worth instead of love
Seems selfish at first but ultimately proves to be a good friend.
Seems to make irresponsible choices about how to live his life, but
ultimately a friend who is willing to lay down his life for another
good judgement
does not judge a book by its cover
"so may the outward show be least themselves"
apologetic
honest
when i told you my state was nothing i should have also told you i was worth than nothing.....to feed my means
Bassanio was being very honest with Portia and telling her his full situation although he was very embarrassed of his act
loyal
Portia
does not want to give Portia's ring away
but gave it away anyway
We should sympathise with the dilemma he faces and excuse his action
does not seem to be as loyal to Portia as he is to Antonio
"I am married to a wife / Which is as dear to me as
life itself, But life itself, my wife, and all the world /
Are not with me esteemed above thy life"
Antonio
offered his life to be taken in place of Antonio's
selfless
A loyal friend. One with a good heart.
"You shall not seal such a bond for me!/ I'll rather dwell in my necessity"
Playful
" You go exceedingly strang- must it be so"
This suggests that Bassanio is playfully teasing the 2 men ( Salerio and Solanio )