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The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

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Nerissa and Gratiano's relationship and marriage in The Merchant of Venice

Summary:

Nerissa and Gratiano's relationship in The Merchant of Venice is characterized by mutual affection and loyalty. They mirror the main couple, Portia and Bassanio, and their marriage occurs quickly after Portia and Bassanio's union. Their relationship adds a secondary layer of romance and commitment to the play, reinforcing themes of love and fidelity.

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What is the relationship between Nerissa and Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice?

When Gratiano first appears in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, the merchant of the title of the play, gives Gratiano an opportunity to speak about the ages of man.

ANTONIO. I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;
A stage, where every man must play a part,
And mine a sad one.
(act 1, scene 1, lines 80–82)

Rather than offer an eloquent, poetic exploration of the stages of life, like Jaques does in As You Like It—which Shakespeare wrote about three years later—Gratiano speaks nonsense, which his friend, Bassanio, tells Antonio is part of Gratiano's fundamental nature.

BASSANIO. Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in all Venice: his reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff; you shall seek all day ere you find them; and when you have them they are not worth the search.
(act 1, scene 1, lines 119–123)

When Gratiano next appears in the play, he requests that he be allowed to accompany Bassanio to Belmont when Bassanio travels there to see Portia, a wealthy heiress with whom Antonio has fallen in love.

Bassanio acquiesces to Gratiano's request, but he tells Bassanio to his face that he has serious reservations about Gratiano's behavior and that he doesn't want Gratiano to embarrass him or cause him to lose his chance with Portia.

BASSANIO. Why, then you must.—But hear thee, Gratiano;
Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice;
Parts, that become thee happily enough,
And in such eyes as ours appear not faults;
But where thou art not known, why, there they show
Something too liberal: pray thee, take pain
To allay with some cold drops of modesty,
Thy skipping spirit; lest, through thy wild behavior,
I be misconster'd in the place I go to,
And lose my hopes.
(act 2, scene 2, lines 167–176)

Between these two appearances of Gratiano, the audience has an opportunity to observe Nerissa, Portia's lady-in-waiting, friend, confidant, and co-conspirator. Nerissa is bright, witty, and has no trouble whatsoever speaking her mind to Portia, either when calling Portia to task for complaining about her life—"You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were / in the same abundance as your good fortunes are"—or giving her good, common-sense advice about Portia's many suitors.

It's not entirely clear in the play as to when Gratiano and Nerissa become attracted to each other. When Bassanio chooses the correct casket and wins Portia's hand in marriage, Gratiano asks if he, too, can get married.

BASSANIO. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife.
(act 3, scene 2, line 199)

Gratiano tells Bassanio that he and Nerissa developed a relationship while Bassanio and Portia were becoming enamored of each other and that Nerissa promised to marry him if Bassanio chose the correct casket.

Portia is as surprised an Bassanio to learn about this.

PORTIA. Is this true, Nerissa?

NERISSA. Madam, it is, so you stand pleased withal.

BASSANIO. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?

GRATIANO. Yes, faith, my lord.
(act 3, scene 2, lines 213–216)

From what the audience knows about Gratiano and Nerissa, they seem wholly unsuited for each other. The basis of their relationship and the importance of their relationship to each of them is also open to question, particularly considering that the continuance of their relationship is based entirely on Bassanio's choice of casket.

Then, too, Portia and Bassanio's continuing relationship is based on Bassanio's choice of casket as well, and Portia and Bassanio have spent no more time together than have Nerissa and Gratiano. There is also a lingering question about whether Bassanio pursued and wooed Portia for her money.

Mismatched lovers are not uncommon in Shakespeare's plays, of course. The "love at first sight" scenario is the mainstay of his comedies and is seen in his histories and tragedies as well.

The minor subplot about the rings that Portia and Nerissa gave to Bassanio and Gratiano is comic, certainly, but it lends a dark undertone to their relationships. It also seems unnecessarily cruel as a means for Bassanio and Gratiano to prove their love to Portia and Nerissa, although this is entirely consistent with the nature of the play as a whole, in which comedy and cruelty appear side-by-side throughout.

An interesting aspect of the subplot with the rings is that it upsets the traditional male-dominated aspect of Elizabethan marriages by giving Nerissa and Portia the upper hand over Gratiano and Bassanio, and it provides them with something they can use to control their husbands throughout their marriages.

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What is the relationship between Nerissa and Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice?

The relationship between Nerissa and Gratiano mirrors Portia and Bassanio's compassionate, supportive, and healthy relationship. Both Nerissa and Gratiano are portrayed as loyal, trustworthy friends, who are willing to follow and support Portia and Bassanio through difficult times. Gratiano accompanies Bassanio to Belmont, where Nerissa agrees to marry Gratiano if Bassanio chooses the correct casket for Portia. After Bassanio picks the right casket to win Portia, Nerissa and Gratiano get married alongside Bassanio and Portia. Similar to Portia, Nerissa allows Gratiano to accompany Bassanio back to Venice in order to save Antonio's life. Nerissa then disguises herself as Portia's assistant when the two women travel to Venice and intervene in Antonio's trial. After Portia saves Antonio's life, she convinces Bassanio to give up his ring, and Nerissa follows suit by also persuading her husband to give up his ring. In the end, Portia and Nerissa reveal their true identities and both couples remain happily married. Overall, Nerissa and Gratiano share a loving, supportive, and healthy relationship.

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What is the relationship between Nerissa and Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice?

Like Portia and Bassanio, Nerissa and Gratiano are in love and get married during the play. The eNotes study guide describes the two marriages as "almost a mirror image":

Nerissa imitates the actions and embraces the values of her mistress. In the copycat wedding of Nerissa and Gratiano and in the parallels of the ring subplot, The Merchant of Venice offers a lesson in Elizabethan social conduct: lower-class persons should mimic their social superiors.

The scene with the two couples and the missing rings in Act V serves as comic relief after Shylock's "trial."

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What is the relationship between Nerissa and Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice?

Portia is the daughter of a rich nobleman from Italy. Nerissa is noted as her "waiting-woman" in the text of the play before they first enter in Act 1, Scene 2. By the way they speak with each other, we know that they are close friends, but Nerissa only discusses Portia's life with her, not necessarily her own. Nerissa maintains her servant status with Portia by always being available when she is needed. This does not mean that Nerissa is Portia's cook or maid because that is not what a lady-in-waiting entails. A lady-in-waiting usually acts like a personal assistant for the lady in question. She may filter through guests for Portia or carry messages for her. She is a also a chaperone and witness who can be called on to account for her lady's actions and choices because she is with her at all times. For example, if a man were to claim that Portia did something unladylike with him, Nerissa could be able to say that he is lying if she attends to Portia like she should. Since the women are together continually, they naturally become friends. They are so close that one might think they are sisters; but again, Nerissa always maintains her status as a servant and knows her place. 

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Why does Nerissa choose to marry Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice?

The relationship between Nerissa and Gratiano is a good deal more traditional than that between Bassanio and Portia. In keeping with the prevailing standards of the time, Gratiano is the dominant partner in the relationship, whereas Nerissa is generally demure and submissive. At the same time, there is undoubtedly great love between them, though it's noticeable that their decision to marry is dependent on Bassanio choosing the correct casket and so being able to marry Portia. Once he does so, however, Gratiano wastes no time in getting hitched to Nerissa. This shows his impulsive side. Gratiano is presented throughout the play as a bit of a fool, a man seemingly incapable of taking anything seriously.

Nerissa goes along with this. Though she's quite submissive, as mentioned earlier, she does display some degree of independence; it is she who insists that marriage to Gratiano is conditional on Bassanio and Portia doing likewise. Gratiano and Nerissa's forthcoming nuptials thus parallel those of their social superiors. From a dramatic standpoint, the double marriage makes sense because it allows Shakespeare to say something important about love and marriage. But from Nerissa's perspective it's difficult to see why she'd marry Gratiano under such unusual circumstances, even if she does love him. Our perplexity is further reinforced by Gratiano's giving away Nerissa's ring just as Bassanio does with Portia's. But Nerissa follows her mistress in everything, and getting married is apparently no different.

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