Question

bibliography of merchants of Venice Act 1 Scene 1

Answer 1

Analysis

Act 1, Scene 1 sets up the elements of Antonio's reality—or his perception of reality—that will become the source of all his problems in the play. The first source of Antonio's troubles is his confidence in his investments. Salarino and Solanio, as fellow merchants, have close knowledge of the dangers and risks of trade at sea, and they worry on Antonio's behalf. Shylockwill echo these concerns that Antonio has overextended his resources in Act 1, Scene 3, so the risky nature of Antonio's business choices are common knowledge. Antonio maintains that he has nothing to worry about, that he has not staked all his hopes on a single venture, so even if one of the ventures fails, he will still remain solvent. Despite his diverse investments, it also becomes apparent that Antonio has no contingency plan if all his ships should meet with disaster. In the unlikely event that all his ventures fail, Antonio has no nest egg set aside. If he did have a reserve in place, it stands to reason that he could loan the money to Bassanio himself instead of sending Bassanio out to borrow the money on his credit. It is possible that Antonio does have a reserve of money that he is keeping from Bassanio, but it makes poor business sense for Antonio to allow Bassanio to take out a loan in Antonio's name—for which Antonio will owe interest—while sitting on a reserve of cash.

The permission to borrow reveals the second cause of Antonio's problems: his unflinching devotion to Bassanio. By his own admission, Bassanio owes tremendous debts all over Venice, including to Antonio. In his explanation of his decision to marry, Bassanio mentions his debts and Portia's wealth repeatedly. Bassanio may genuinely love Portia, but it is undeniable that his marriage to "a lady richly left" will improve his financial situation considerably. Antonio knows Bassanio is unreliable with money, that his success with Portia is not assured, yet he offers Bassanio everything he has, "my purse, my person, my extremest means." Whether this devotion stems from a sense of paternal or romantic affection is not clear—and has been subject to different interpretations in performances—but it is clear that Antonio's love for Bassanio has no discernible limits.