Question

(iv) Describe in your own words Salarino's narration of Antonio's ships
sailing on the ocean.
(v) What are Antonio's ships compared to? How do his ships move? How
are the petty traffickers compared to Antonio's argosies?
(vi) How would the speaker have behaved if he had ships at sea like those
of Antonio? What would have made him sad?​

Answer 1

(iv) Salarino says that his sadness is because his ships are on the ocean. He described ships of Antonio as grand, magnificent and wealthy/rich. He said that his ships which are filled with cargo are decorated and are richly woven and embroidered.

(v) Antonio's ships are like great lords in front of whom the smaller ships who are like servants will bow down out of respect and courtesy.His ships move in a magnificent way as they are loaded with so much riches. The petty trafickers will bow in front of Antonio's grand ships.

(vi)Salarino said that when he would blow his soup with his mouth in order to cool it then the cooling process will remind him of the damage that the wind might cause to his ships which were sailing on the ocean. This thought would make him tremble and shiver with fear. When he will look at the sandy hourglass it would remind him of shallow,flat on the sea where the water is less and sand is more. In such a situation there is a chance of the ship to get tumbled. It damages the ship. Looking at that he would think of the destruction it would make to his ships. It will remind him of his ship dock'd in the sand and the high top will become lower than the rib,meaning it will touch the ground. That ground will become the burial ground for the ship bcz the ship is destroyed. It will fall in such a way as if it will appear that it is kissing its own burial ground. Whenever he would go to the church yhe stones of the building will remind him of the dangerous rocks which might hit the ships. All the spices will scatter on the water and the water will get covered with silk/cloth. In short just a moment ago something which was so valuable in the next moment it will become valueless.

Hope it helps u