By the end of act 1 scene 1 in the merchant of Venice what do we learn about Antonio
Answers
Answer:
Antonio is speaking to his friends, Salerio and Solanio. He explains that a sadness has come over him, and his friends suggest that the sadness could be due to his worrying about his commercial ventures. He has ships at sea with merchandise in them and they could be vulnerable
Explanation:
Act 1, Scene 1
Antonio is speaking to his friends, Salerio and Solanio. He explains that a sadness has come over him, and his friends suggest that the sadness could be due to his worrying about his commercial ventures. He has ships at sea with merchandise in them and they could be vulnerable. Antonio says he is not worried about his ships because his goods are spread between them—if one went down, he would still have the others. His friends suggest that he must then be in love, but Antonio denies this.
Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Graziano arrive as Salerio and Solanio leave. Graziano tries to cheer up Antonio but fails, and then tells Antonio that men who try to be melancholy in order to be perceived as wise are deceived. Graziano and Lorenzo exit.
Bassanio complains that Graziano has nothing to say but will not stop talking: “Graziano speaks an infinite deal of nothing.”
Antonio asks Bassanio to tell him about the woman he has fallen for and intends to pursue. Bassanio first acknowledges that he has borrowed a lot of money from Antonio over the years and promises to clear his debts to him:
"To you Antonio, I owe the most in money and in love, And from your love I have a warranty to unburden all my plots and purposes how to get clear of all the debts I owe."
Then, Bassanio explains that he has fallen in love with Portia, the heiress of Belmont, but that she has other, richer suitors. He wants to try to compete with them in order to win her hand, but he needs money to get there. Antonio tells him that all his money is tied up in his business and cannot lend to him, but that he will act as a guarantor for any loan that he can get.