Arnett - 10 -
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the original piece by Shakespeare.
Author's note: I wrote this for a class paper and received quite rave reviews for something scribbled down as I waited for the rest of the class to finish with the test. It occurred to me today that I should post this piece for others who found some lines in this piece to be as thought provoking as I did. smile
Warning: This story tells of homosexual relationships between men. If you are offended by this please leave.
I present for your reading pleasure an alternative ending to The Merchant of Venice otherwise known as the way it should have been.
This piece picks up from the end of Act IV…
Bassanio quietly clicked shut the door and turned to face Antonio. "I almost lost thee this day. It brings a tear to my eye and a shudder to my breast to remember you standing there, so calmly awaiting your death."
"Aye even welcoming it for it would finally kill the melancholy of my soul." Antonio sighed and moved to the bath the servants had drawn for him, removing his shirt as he walked.
"Are thy still so melancholy? Or has mine eyes having recently been cleaned of their blindness cured thy sad soul." Bassanio also removed his shirt intending to help Antonio wash off the filth of Shylock's trial.
Antonio paused. He turned and looked with a hope that bought tears to Bassanio's eyes. "Then thy did understand why I did it? Thy did understand my words as I stood there ready to die?"
"Forgive me. That I was blind for so long that it nearly cost me what was most important in my life…you." Bassanio smiled at his love; tears shined in his eyes washing away the last of his blindness as they fell.
"I could have died happy right there when you said you valued me even more than thy lady wife." Antonio's eyes also brimmed with tears and he lifted his hands to sob in happiness and relief as the shock that he had almost died that day caught up to him, though he thought it was worth it for it had made his love finally realize that he loved him back.
"My love." Bassanio quickly crossed the floor to wrap his arms around the weeping merchant.
Antonio held Bassanio close to him like he never thought he'd be able to do and wet his shoulder with his tears.
Bassanio moved them to sit on the bed and held the normally calm, controlled merchant till his sobs quieted. He smiled at the tear stained face knowing his own must look similar and not caring as he stared at his long time friend's face as if seeing it for the first time. His eyes tripped over the smooth planes of cheeks, long, dark lashes, soft black hair tumbling over a broad forehead. He looked into dark eyes red from tears and slowly trailed his gaze down to soft looking lips and leaned closer intending to satisfy his curiosity, but a finger on his lips stopped him.
Antonio's tapered fingers slowly traced Bassanio's lips. "Long I have waited to feel thy touch but first I must know. What of thy lady wife, Portia?" Antonio's form visibly tensed as he awaited his true love's answer. His heart was prepared for breaking but beat on stronger than before at Bassanio's next words.
"Did I not before God and company declared you first in all my affections? Do you see her ring upon my finger or did I not at thy word give it to the man that saved thine, my true love's life? Bassanio gripped Antonio's shoulders. "Blind I was before that I did not see the love thy held for me. But now as I see clear…I love thee. I love thee, my Antonio." Bassanio stared hard into Antonio's eyes willing him to believe his words true as he knew they came from a heart that had not bled in horror as it had today watching Shylock sharpen his knife for his beautiful Antonio's flesh.
A smile nearly split Antonio's face and tears ran anew as he leaned forward to kiss the fair lips of his love, his Bassanio. His soul knew joy at last and his heart never tried so hard to escape his chest as it did when Bassanio's lips met his.
In their confessions and tears they noticed not the cracked door which the three friends, Solanio, Salerio and Gratiano peered through. Nor did they notice it close again as lips met long awaited lips, hands met in palmer's kiss and later found warm smooth skin over hard muscle as they explored masculine bodies that had not truly known touch till this moment. Bassanio cleansed Antonio's body of the trial's foul touch far better than the forgotten bath could have.
Outside Solanio and Salerio hid their chuckles behind their hands as Gratiano smirked at the closed door and remarked softly, "It's about time." This sent the other two off again and they all quickly moved down the stairs less their giggles distract the long time coming lovers.
Downstairs the three friends said not a word to their companions but jovially paid in their bets to Solanio who happily accepted as he had won their pool of when the two friends would finally get together. Many times had they restrained themselves from just giving Bassanio a good shake for his blindness to Antonio's affection but it appeared that everything had turned out alright now. They laughed loudly to cover the noises coming from upstairs and conspired to help their friends, with plenty of opportunities for jokes on them as well of course.
A couple of hours later, upstairs, the two newly aware lovers lay in bed together and content. Awake they held each other as close as their tangled bodies would allow. Antonio kissed the neck of his lover tasting the salty sweat dried skin he found there. Bassanio smiled and squirmed slightly. "Thy lips tickle me Antonio with their lightness and love."
"I find I have little strength for much else love. Are thy not tired yet?" Antonio smiled and chuckled at his long-time friend turned lover.
"I must confess neither do I love. No strength left for ought but thinking of thee and my past fool blindness." Bassanio tightened his arms about Antonio's body and breathed in the scent of his lover.
"Do not think on it Love, for it is, as you say, in the past." Antonio replied and closed his eyes and laid his head back down on Bassanio's chest. Together they lay basking in the moonlight that streamed in from the open casement. The peaceful night outside matched their peace within. Far off they heard a night bird call to its mate. They jerked when they heard a knock on the door and barely had time to grab the blanket to cover themselves when a voice came through the door.
"Are ye decently covered friends?" Gratiano chuckled through the door before opening it and slipping through followed by Solanio and Salerio.
Bassanio's hand gripped the blanket covering him and his lover and pulled it halfway up his torso. He glared ruefully at the three friends already guessing by the smirks on their faces that they did not disapprove of his relationship with Antonio and in fact looked somewhat smug at their position. Antonio shrunk deeper into his love's embrace but finally sensing no malice from his friends he emerged also with the encouragement of Bassanio's arm still about him that had only held him tighter as the three men entered.
"Enjoy your bath Antonio?" Salerio walked over to the tub and smirked at the untouched now cold water. He chuckled and sat down in a chair next to the tub tossing the clothes that had been there on to the bed.
Solanio leaned against the bed post and deposited the clothing he had picked up along the way on to the bed as well. "I thank thee friends. Ye have won me 200 ducats this night. Ye see we three had a bet going on how long it would take Bassanio to see your love for him Antonio. My bet was that you would be near death before coming together so I won." He smiled happily at them and jingled the newly acquired coins in his purse.
Gratiano stood in the center of the room with one hand on his hip and the other holding Bassanio's shirt with a large satisfied smile on his face. "We figured you two would be too busy…" Gratiano smirked at the tangled bed covers "…to think of it yourselves so we took the liberty of making the arrangements."
"Arrangements?" Bassanio asked having put his pants back on under the blanket he waited for Gratiano to toss him his shirt. Beside him Antonio did the same.
"You will need to leave Venice for a time. Let today's happenings fade from the gossips' minds and forget the proclamations of love in court thee made to one another. So we have a coach outside and thy bags already packed to take thee to France where Antonio's ship lays in wait for her master." Gratiano replied and tossed the shirt to Bassanio.
"My ship did not wreck then?" Antonio looked up in wonder.
"Nay, runners came from all your ports just an hour ago. All ships safe in port. The ships that we had heard destroyed were not thine but some wretched Jew's, Tubal, by name I believe they said." Solanio put in and shrugged.
Antonio stood from the bed, "Poor man, I pray all goes well for him farther along. Praise the Lord that has blessed my investments…" He smiled and turned fond eyes to his beloved who watched him amazed at his content face, "…and my heart."
"Antonio did you just wish blessings upon a hated Jew?" Salerio looked startled at his friend's words and his stance, all of them looked at him for he was a new man. Never had they seen him stand so tall, straight, strong, and mostly importantly happy.
"Aye, I find I can hate nothing now for there is room in my heart for naught but love." Antonio replied and reached for the buttons on his love's shirt to finish doing it up where his shocked hands had stopped. He gently laid a gentle kiss over the hollow of Bassanio's throat before buttoning the last. He then stood up straight and walked over to where he had left his boots by the door. There was the slightest limp in his step but it was the huge smile crossing his normally stoic face that held his friend's attention.
Gratiano shook himself awake and smiling at the two lovers especially his finally happy friend and continued to explain the arrangements that he, Solanio and Salerio had made for their flight.
At long last the lovers were about to enter the carriage that would be the first leg of their flight. Naught kept them in the dark street but their good-byes and heart-felt thanks to the trio of friends.
Bassanio was about to enter the carriage when he caught site of Gratiano's ring-less hand. "Did thou too give thy ring from Nerissa up?"
"Aye, to the lawyer's boy for his work and hand in Antonio's deliverance." Gratiano looked sheepish and remembered that the explanations to his and Bassanio's wives had yet to be done. "Worry not Bassanio. I shall explain things to our wives. Portia is as wise and understanding as she is beautiful and I'm sure she will understand once I explain."
"And Solanio and I will keep him from being overly brash with them." Salerio commented over the shoulder of an insulted looking Gratiano. Bassanio nodded and clasped Antonio's hand knowing fair Portia might understand with their encouragement.
"Fare thee well friends wherever thy travels take thee." Solanio closed the carriage door and waved the coachman on.
"May thee live long and happy forever." Gratiano said as the carriage faded from sight.
"Aye." Chorused Solanio and Salerio.
"Well it's late my friends. Sleep we will need if tomorrow we shall explain to the fair Portia why her husband has left her for another man, though one he loves dearly." He turned and reentered the house to sleep.
"He's right love, let's to bed. Does thou think our friend's shall ever know of our relationship?" Salerio slipped an arm around Solanio's waist.
"After you my heart and no, not at the rate they're going, mayhap we shall spring it on them next time we five meet." Solanio replied.
"Aye." The two close friends who were never seen without the other walked back into Antonio's recently vacated house and in their minds they wished their friends their same luck at hiding their taboo relationship.
smile Surprise there at the end with Solanio and Salerio huh? I was studying character profiles for this story and for the class and besides the fact of them being friends of Antonio and Bassanio all the profiles ever said was that one was never seen without the other and that seemed somehow suspect in my mind. grin I couldn't resist putting them together at the end. shrugs
Pray, do review and tell me what you have thought on this crude piece of mine.