2) Why do you think that Shakespeare ends this comedy with lover's spats between Jessica and Lorenzo, Portia and Bassanio, and Nerissa and Gratiano? Does this fit in with what we expect from a comedic ending?
I think that The Merchant of Venice had a fitting ending. Although there are some loose ends-such as how the relationships play out- it adheres to the rules of a comedy. The one thing I noticed that bugged people about this being a comedy is the lack of celebration at the end. What some didn't understand is that not every comedy has to have this, it's just a common occurrence in works of the genre. That makes it passable as a defining characteristic. The way the play ended definitely fit in comedically (it was pretty funny to see the short transition between an intense argument and the bedroom), and I don't think I could see it ending any better.
