Write the story of the "rings" in your own words and bring out its

Write the story of the “rings” in your own words and bring out its dramatic significance.

Ans.

Portia and Nerissa appear at the trial of Antonio in the court of the duke of Venice. They are disguised as the lawyer and his clerk respectively. Portia saves Antonio from the mortal vice grip of the wicked Jew, Shylock. No amount of pleadings on behalf of Antonio and offer of money many times over the actual loan could dissuade Shylock from his avowed resolve to cut a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. Portia turns tables on the Jew in such a simple yet convincing manner that the Jew himself catapults and the entire court is simply dazed and bewildered at the genies of the young lawyer.

Quite naturally Antonio and Bassanio owe a debt of gratitude and are eager to express their feelings of indebtedness. Bassanio offers to present three thousand ducats, that were to be returned to the Jew, to the young lawyer, Portia. But Portia, politely but firmly declines to accept it. Both Antonio and Bassanio insist that the young lawyer must accept some present from them. Portia has a very subtle and cultured sense of humour. She takes the advantage of this and requests Bassanio to give him (Portia in disguise) his ring, Bassanio finds him in a very ugly and awkward situation. He pleads with the lawyer to accept the costliest ring in Venice instead of his wedding ring. But Portia pretends to take offence at Bassanio’s refusal and leaves after commenting sarcastically on Bassanio. Antonio understands Bassanio’s reluctance in parting with the ring but in view of the service rendered by Portia he persuades Bassanio to present his ring to the lawyer in the hope that his wife will understand and not mind the loss of the ring. Bassanio send his ring with Gratiano. When Gratiano meets Portia and Nerissa and presents the ring, Nerissa relieves Gratiano of his wedding ring.

Bassanio and Gratiano do not recognize their wives in disguise. Portia and Nerissa hasten back to Belmont and rhea a bit earlier than their husbands and Antonio.

While Portia is introduced to Antonio and she welcomes him to Belmont, Nerissa and Gratiano start a quarrel over the lost ring. Portia, when apprise of the cause of their quarrel so early after Gratiano’s return admonishes him of this gross insult to the sacred vow of marriage and mutual faithfulness. She very shrewdly involves her own husband Bassanio by asserting her faith in him saying that Bassanio may Ise his life but not his ring as Gratiano has done. But Gratiano, in self defence, reveals the secret that Bassanio has also lost his ring under similar circumstances. Portia enjoys to the maximum Bassanio’s embarrassment. She accuses him of infidelity and tells him that she is convinced that he has given the ring to some other woman. She does not hear to the pleadings and explanations of Bassanio till Antonio intervenes on his behalf and assures Portia that he will not repeat such a blunder in future. Portia accepts Antonio’s intervention. When she gives the ring back to Bassanio through Antonio, Bassanio recognizes the ring and the mystery is resolved about the lawyer and his clerk. Antonio and Bassanio are surprised and Bassanio and Gratiano wonder how they could not recognize their own wives.

The story of the ring grows out of the Bond Story- immediately after conclusion of the trial scene and reaches its culmination and the end in the Final Act of the play which consists of only one scene. With the end of the “ring” episode the paly almost ends and it does so on a happy note.

The “ring episode” has a very great dramatic significance. It dispels the tragic, strained impressions of the Trial-scene and seeks to bring us back to the sphere of comedy, or rather of calm and lover’s joy, this to is part and parcel of the main action. The incident, as has already been pointed out, arises out of the “Casket Story” through the “Bond Story”, the ring beings given away as the reward for Antonio’s rescue from a certain death, and then is concluded through the intervention of Antonio. It was Antonio who was instrumental in the coming together of Portia and Bassanio, and so it is only proper that he should be the person to bring about their reconciliation (howsoever nominally).

Then there is the other significance: Antonio and Bassanio are greatly indebted to the lawyer and it is natural that they should know about their benefactor. This rings episode serves that purpose.

Portia appeared vain and pedantic in her comments on her various suitors. This episode reveals Portia better-she is neither vain nor pedantic. She is a lady with a very cultured and subtle sense of humour.

The rings episode is important because it provides the meeting point of the chief characters of the romantic comedy-Portia, Antonio, Bassanio, Lorenzo, Jessica, Nerissa and Gratiano.