Please explain Merchant of venice act 1 scene 1 line by line
Answers
Answer:
In sooth, I know not why I am so sad.
It wearies me; you say it wearies you.
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff ’tis made of, whereof it is born,
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I am to learn.
And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.
To tell the truth, I don't know why I am so sad. I'm tired of being sad, and you say you're tired of it, too. But I don't know how I caught, found, or came by this sadness; what it's about; or where it came from. And since I don't know anything about this sadness, I clearly have a ways to go in understanding myself.
SALERIO
Your mind is tossing on the ocean,
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
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Like signors and rich burghers on the flood—
Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea—
Do overpeer the petty traffickers
That curtsy to them, do them reverence
As they fly by them with their woven wings.
Your mind is focused on the ocean where your merchant ships are sailing like rich, important men parading on the sea. They tower over the little trade boats that they pass by, sailing along, and it's as if the little boats bow before the greatness of your ships.
SOLANIO
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Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth,
The better part of my affections would
Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still
Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind,
Peering in maps for ports and piers and roads.
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And every object that might make me fear
Misfortune to my ventures out of doubt
Would make me sad.
Believe me, sir, if I were involved in a trade venture like yours, most of my mental energy would be with my ships, as well. I'd be pulling up shoots of grass to use them to check the wind, and looking at maps of ports and piers and roads. And any little thing that might make me worry that something bad would happen to my ships would make me sad, without a doubt.
SALERIO
My wind cooling my broth
Would blow me to an ague when I thought
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What harm a wind too great at sea might do.
I should not see the sandy hourglass run,
But I should think of shallows and of flats
And see my wealthy Andrew docked in sand,
Vailing her high top lower than her ribs
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To kiss her burial. Should I go to church
And see the holy edifice of stone
And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks,
Which, touching but my gentle vessel’s side,
Would scatter all her spices on the stream,
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Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks,
And, in a word, but even now worth this,
And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought
To think on this, and shall I lack the thought
That such a thing bechanced would make me sad?
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But tell not me. I know Antonio
Is sad to think upon his merchandise.
I'd get upset blowing on my hot soup, because it would make me think of what a strong wind at sea could do to my ships. If I saw the sands run in an hourglass, I would think of flat shallows where my ship, "The Andrew," run aground with all its riches and flipped over, completely done for. If I went to church and saw its stone construction, I couldn't help but think of dangerous rocks that could break the sides of my ships and scatter valuable spices all over the water, causing my silks to fall out and drape on the waves. They are worth so much, and would all of a sudden be lost and worth nothing to me. How could I think of such things and not get sad? But you don't need to tell me. I know that Antonio is sad because he's worrying about his merchandise.
ANTONIO
Believe me, no. I thank my fortune for it—
My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place, nor is my whole estate
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Upon the fortune of this present year.
Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad.
Believe me, you're wrong. Thank goodness, not all my merchandise is in one ship or any one place, and I haven't risked all my riches on this year's venture. Therefore, it's not my merchandise that is making me sad.
SOLANIO
Why then, you are in love.
Well, then, you must be in love.
ANTONIO
Fie, fie!
Oh please!
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Good signors both, when shall we laugh? Say, when?
You grow exceeding strange. Must it be so?
[To SALERIO and SOLANIO] Both of you are good men; when are we going to have fun times together? Tell me, when? You're practically strangers now. Does it have to be that way?
SALERIO
We’ll make our leisures to attend on yours.
The next time we get a chance, we'll spend some time together.
Exeunt SALERIO and SOLANIO
LORENZO
My Lord Bassanio, since you have found Antonio,
We two will leave you. But at dinnertime
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I pray you have in mind where we must meet.
My Lord Bassanio, since you've found Antonio, the two of us will leave you two alone. But please remember where we're meeting for dinner.
BASSANIO
I will not fail you.
Don't worry.
GRATIANO
You look not well, Signor Antonio.
You have too much respect upon the world.
They lose it that do buy it with much care.
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Explanation:
Antonio, the rich,kind hearted merchant of Venice talks to his 2 friends Salarino and Salanio. But he is sad and does not know why he is in grip of melancholy. His friends suggest various possible reasons for his sorrowful mood. After they leave Bassanio,the dearest friend of Antonio enters with Lorenzo and Gratiano. They all comment to Antonio moroseness and offer various suggestions. All these suggestions are rejected. When Gratiano and Lorenzo leaves the stage, Bassanio disclose his difficulty to his dear friend .He is in dire financial straits. he has already borrowed lot of money from the rich merchant.but he needs his help again because he wishes to seek the hand of Portia,a wealthy heiress living in Belmont. Antonio explain that all his money is tied up in many trading ventures and that all his ships are at sea. He will, nevertheless,help Bassanio by standing surety for him if the latter can borrow the money from someone else.
I just give you a short summary of act1 scene1 .
I HOPE IT Will BE HELPFUL TO YOU..