Character in The Merchant of Venice
Bassanio ♂ male
336Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.1Last Scene
12.6%Of Play Dialogue
Bassanio is the #3 largest role in The Merchant of Venice, speaking 336 lines (12.6% of the play) across 6 scenes from Act 1 through Act 5. Below: scene-by-scene line counts, who Bassanio shares the stage with most, and key speech examples.
Bassanio’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portia | 589 | 22.1% |
| 2 | Shylock | 355 | 13.3% |
| 3 | Bassanio (this role) | 336 | 12.6% |
| 4 | Antonio | 189 | 7.1% |
| 5 | Lorenzo | 179 | 6.7% |
| 6 | Gratiano | 175 | 6.6% |
| 7 | Launcelot | 168 | 6.3% |
| 8 | Salarino | 104 | 3.9% |
| 9 | Morocco | 103 | 3.9% |
| 10 | Jessica | 86 | 3.2% |
How Bassanio’s dialogue distributes across the play
Bassanio’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 143 lines — the act where the role carries the most weight on stage.
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? say, when?”
Representative speech (Act 1, Scene 3): “For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.”
Who Bassanio shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Gratiano | 5 |
| Nerissa | 4 |
| Portia | 4 |
| Antonio | 4 |
| Lorenzo | 3 |
| Salerio | 2 |
| Launcelot | 2 |
| Shylock | 2 |
| Jessica | 2 |
| Duke | 1 |
Questions about Bassanio
Is Bassanio the lead role in The Merchant of Venice?
Bassanio is ranked #3 by line count among 23 speaking characters in The Merchant of Venice — a major role carrying 12.6% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Bassanio’s longest scene?
Act 3 Scene 2, where Bassanio speaks 143 lines.
Who does Bassanio speak to the most?
Bassanio shares the most scenes with Gratiano — 5 scenes together across The Merchant of Venice.