Debt

Money owed to another person; the play also uses the language of debt for emotional obligations.

Money or another obligation owed to someone. Shakespeare connects financial debt with emotional obligations between friends.

In Act 1 Scene 1, Bassanio admits that maintaining a grander lifestyle than he could afford has left him heavily in debt. He tells Antonio, ‘I owe the most, in money and in love’. The shared verb ‘owe’ makes financial borrowing and emotional gratitude part of the same relationship.

An obligation to someone who has provided help; in literature, debt can be financial, emotional or both.

Connect a precise word or dramatic method to your interpretation: for example, the language of debt, Portia's presence in disguise, or the return of the ring.

The shared verb ‘owe’ makes financial debt and emotional obligation sound inseparable. Antonio’s support is both material and personal.

Money owed to another person or organisation.

Placing “money” and “love” together makes financial debt and emotional obligation inseparable. Antonio’s generosity enables Bassanio’s social life, but it also binds Bassanio to him.

Money owed to another person. Shakespeare also uses the language of debt to describe obligations of love and friendship.

Bassanio hears this as a comment on Antonio's character, but Shylock explains that he means Antonio is financially ‘sufficient’: capable of meeting the debt.

Definition

How each exam board covers it

AQA GCSE English Literature · 8702

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Edexcel GCSE English Literature · 1ET0

OCR GCSE English Literature · J352

Eduqas GCSE English Literature · C720