Question

(i) Who is the speaker? Why does the speaker say, "Let me play the fool"?
What are the "old wrinkles" referred to in the extract ? What is the role
of a fool in the Elizabethan era?​

Answer 1

Answer:

gratiano is the speaker. The speaker said 'let me play the fool' as Antonio has chosen to play a tragic part, Gratiano prefers to play a comic role. The old wrinkles means when one laughs, wrinkles appear on one's face

the role of a fool in the Elizabethan era is???

don't know sry for it

Explanation:

hope other's helped u out

plz mark as brilliant

Answer 2

Answer:

1. The speaker here is Gratiano. He preferred to play the fool because it creates happiness and makes them laugh.
2. Old wrinkles refer to the wrinkles that appear on the face when somebody smiles big. Here, the word "old" is used because, usually, old people have wrinkles.
3. A fool in the Elizabethan era was employed to entertain a king or duke or any rich personality.

Explanation:

• This excerpt is from "William Shakespeare's" famous play, The Merchant of Venice.
• At the beginning of the play, Antonio appears in a very melancholic mood.
• He states that every individual has a role to play in this stage of the world, and he chose to play the sad part.
• It was during this time that Gratiano suggested that he would play the part of a clown or fool, which makes everyone happy and laugh.
• They should laugh to such an extent that wrinkles appear on their faces.
• In Elizabethan times, a fool had to professionally entertain others, specifically the king.
• But these fools eventually tend to produce the wisest lines within their silly and stupid identity.

Note:

• The Merchant of Venice is a play that deals with the conflict between love and money.
• The major characters of the play are Shylock, Antonio, Portia, Bassanio, Gratiano, and Stephano.