Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow: Antonio 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, I am to learn And such a want-wit sadness makes of me, That I have much ado to know myself.
(1)what reason does salarino give as the probable cause if Antonio melancholy. (2)what else could be the reason of Antonio mind to toss like waves on the ocean.
(3)Does the extracts show Antonio to be strong or a weak person.
give correct answer
Answers
Answer:
(1)
Salarino suggests that the main reason for Antonio's sadness is his vast merchandise. Antonio is a renowned merchant with his ships sailing to Tripoli's, Mexico, England, Lisbon, Barbary and India (as given in Act III Scene II : 270) so he must surely be worried 'bout his 'argosies'(rich commercial ships) trespassing the 'petty traffickers'(small ships) like 'signiors' and 'burghers'(gentlemen and noble citizens).
Quoting Salarino:-
Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood....
..Do overpeer the petty traffickers ,
That curt'sy to them, do them reverence,
According to Salarino if he had such a venture forth(business abroad) he would always be worried about his ships. The sandy hour glass would remind him of his ships being trapped in shallow waters and sandbanks. If he'd ever go to church and see the holy edifice of stone he'd be reminded of the dangerous rocks scattering his cargo of ships on water and while thinking all this he'd become sad.
(2)
Antonio makes his friends believe that his merchandise do not make him sad resulting in Salarino guessing if he is in love to which he again says no. Salarino concludes that Antonio is not happy because he is sad and if he was happy it'd be because he was not sad.
Salarino :
Not in love neither? Then let us say you are sad,
Because you are not merry; and 'twere as easy
For you to laugh and leap and say you're merry,
Because you are not sad.
(3)
The extracts show Antonio to be a weak person. Even though Antonio's friends think of every reason for Antonio to be sad he still disagrees and thinks that he is by nature sad and has a sad role to play in life.
Later on in the scene :-
Antonio :
I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano;
A stage where every man must play a part,
And mine a sad one.
Antonio's melancholy heightens the interest in the play
The opening scene gives the exposition to the play. Here, we are introduced to Antonio who gives the title to the drama. He is shown in a melancholic mood which will be maintained by him in the rest of the play as all his ships get wrecked and he fails to credit money to Shylock before the deadline.
I am a tainted whether of the flock,
Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground; and so let me;
Hope this helps :)