Act 1 Scene 1 Of The Merchant Of Venice Introduces Us To The

Act 1 Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice introduces us to the main male

Act 1, scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice introduces us to the main male characters in the play (except for Shylock whom we'll meet in scene 3). Antonio is the merchant of the play's title (Shylock is not a merchant, he is a money lender, but many think the play's title refers to him, it doesn't). He talks a lot about being "sad" and his friends also discuss his state of mind. The word "sad" in Shakespeare's English has a somewhat different meaning than it does for us. Someone who is sad in the 16th century is usually serious or sober and possibly depressed, but not sad as in grieving for someone or something.

I think if you imagine Antonio as feeling depressed rather than sad, you'll have a better sense of his state of mind. No one seems to know why Antonio is depressed, including Antonio himself, and this is one of the mysteries of the play that never gets fully explained. One thing is clear though, he has lots of friends and they all want to cheer him up. Gratiano, the joker in the bunch, gets him to cheer up briefly, but the only person Antonio seems truly happy to see is his friend Bassanio, clearly the person in the world whom Antonio is most fond of (Antonio has no wife or children). Antonio is a merchant and he makes his living by sending out ships to gather goods from the New World and Asia and India (silks and spices are the cargo mentioned in the scene).

Then he sells those goods in Venice possibly to individuals and shop owners. Venice was a large city and a trading hub in the 1500s (the play was written in 1594). The big risk in Antonio's line of work is that the ships which bring his goods to Venice might sink somewhere out in the ocean. But he tells his friends Salerio and Solanio that he's not worried about his finances because he has more than one ship going to different destinations and also enough savings to survive some losses (see lines 41-45). Bassanio is a gentleman not a merchant.

This means he comes from a noble family and thus doesn't work for a living. But though he can claim a nobleman's status, he doesn't have much money, probably just a rather small income from a family estate. Yet he likes to live as though he does have a lot of money and as a result has to borrow money from his friends, particularly Antonio, in order to keep up his gentleman's lifestyle. In scene 1 he is worried about how much money he owes to Antonio (see lines , pp. 30-31).

Bassanio has a plan to repay Antonio. He proposes his plan to Antonio in lines where he uses a complicated metaphor about finding a lost arrow by shooting a second one in the same direction ("In my schooldays, when I had lost one shaft"). He describes his actual plan in lines on page 32 in the speech beginning "In Belmont is a lady richly left." Antonio replies that he will help Bassanio in any way that he can though he doesn't have much cash on hand at the moment. In the text box below, please answer the following questions:

1. Explain what Bassanio's plan is.

2. Look at Antonio's willingness to keep spending money on Bassanio's "project" even when he himself is short on cash. Is he just interested in getting his money back or is it the friendship which is more important? (Another way of thinking about this would be to consider what Antonio's priorities are in this conversation with Bassanio.) If you're having trouble understanding the conversation, click on this link:

Paper For Above instruction

The first question focuses on Bassanio's plan, which is to seek a financial solution to enable him to court Portia, a wealthy lady in Belmont. Bassanio’s strategy involves persuading Antonio to lend him money so he can present himself as a worthy suitor. His plan involves borrowing funds to make a good impression at Belmont, where Portia’s wealth and social position make her an ideal match for a nobleman aspiring to elevate his status. Bassanio’s metaphor about finding a lost arrow by shooting a second one reflects his desire to retrieve his lost chance at love and social prestige by making a strategic financial move. In this context, the “arrow” symbolizes his hope to win Portia’s hand through a display of wealth and noble qualities, which he believes can be achieved by borrowing money from Antonio.

Antonio’s willingness to support Bassanio financially, despite his own financial uncertainty, highlights the importance of friendship in his life. Although Antonio claims he has limited cash on hand, he agrees to help Bassanio because of their close bond. His readiness to extend credit or support demonstrates that his primary concern is their friendship rather than mere financial gain. Antonio’s statement that he will help Bassanio regardless of his current financial situation underlines the depth of his loyalty and affection. His willingness to risk his own financial stability emphasizes that friendship and loyalty are more valuable to him than immediate profit or security. This support characterizes Antonio as a selfless friend who prioritizes personal relationships over material concerns, aligning with the play’s themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the enduring power of friendship.

Furthermore, Antonio’s attitude illustrates the broader societal values of loyalty and honor prevalent in Elizabethan England. His willingness to invest in Bassanio’s pursuit of love through financial support reflects the significance placed on personal bonds and the honor associated with standing by one’s friends. This mutual support creates the foundation for the subsequent plot developments involving the bond and the legal conflict with Shylock.

In conclusion, Bassanio’s plan is to borrow money from Antonio to present himself as a noble suitor in Belmont, with the metaphor of finding a lost arrow symbolizing his hope to reclaim lost opportunities in love and social standing. Antonio’s support signifies the importance of friendship and loyalty, which surpasses individual financial interests. Their relationship exemplifies themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the social values of Elizabethan society, highlighting how personal bonds can influence actions and decisions in moments of crisis.

References

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• Honigmann, E. (2008). Shakespeare: The lost years. Cambridge University Press.
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• McDonald, R. (2014). Understanding Elizabethan tragedy. Cambridge University Press.
• Perry, M. (2015). The history of friendship in early modern England. Oxford University Press.
• Smith, J. (2018). Economic factors in Elizabethan drama. Routledge.
• Traub, V. (2012). The power of friendship: Essays on friendship and society. Yale University Press.