everything that he owes him. Bassanio's plan is to become a suitor to a beautiful and wealthy lady namedPortia. If he succeeds in marrying Portia, then Bassanio will share the wealth of his newly acquired bride. However, to make a proper suit to such a lady, Bassanio needs some money (for traveling, for fine clothing, and other necessary expenses). So, he must ask his friend Antonio for another loan.
Antonio would not refuse any help that he can possibly offer to his friend, but Bassanio still feels a little embarrassed about asking for money. So, he tries to explain his plan though a metaphor.
Bassanio explains that when he was younger, he would often go outside to practice shooting arrows. On occasion he would lose an arrow and could not find it. So, he would shoot another arrow in the same direction and watch it carefully to see where it landed. Bassanio states that in this way he could then find botharrows.
Bassanio wants Antonio, through this metaphor, to think of himself as the shooter of arrows and to think of his money as the arrows. Bassanio is implying that Antonio will get back the money that he has already lent Bassanio (the first arrow) if he lends more money to (shoots another arrow at) Bassanio. Bassanio realizes that his childhood example is, perhaps, weak; but he explains that in the past, when he had borrowed money from Antonio he was immature, a “wilful youth” (146). But now he wants Antonio to realize that he (Bassanio) is earnest and fully intends to