lighten the tense and sad dialogue between Antonio and Bassanio. But the lines also serve the function of foreshadowing a less than sad outcome for the trial. Portia would not be so lighthearted unless she knew that the trial would end happily forAntonio.
Thehumoris doubled when Graziano makes a similar comment about his wife and his wish for Antonio’s salvation. Nerissa, who is also disguised as a male, also makes an aside about her new husband’s comment.
And the humor is tripled when Shylock makes an aside about Christian husbands. He asserts that he would rather have his daughter married to a descendant of Barabbas, a Jewish thief, than to a Christian (lines 290-92). Shylock is suggesting that a Christian husband cannot be any good if he is so quickly willing to give his wife up, as Bassanio and Graziano seem tobe.
The humor is short-lived, however, for Shylock asserts that they are wasting time. He wants his pound of flesh immediately.