Merchant of Venice

Act 1 Scene 1 Notes

In the sooth……..to know myself

i) Where are Antonio and his friends? What does Antonio says about his sadness?
Ans. Antonio and his friends are in a street in Venice. Antonio says that his
sadness makes him depressed and dull. He further says that he is yet to learn
about the origin and nature of his sadness.
ii) Give the meaning of:
(a) whereof it is born: how it originated
(b) a want-wit sadness: a dull and absent-minded sadness whose reason is
unknown.
(c) That I have much ado to know myself: That I have much difficulty in
recognising myself.
iii) What reason does Salarino give as the probable cause of Anonio’s melancholy?
Ans. Salarino tells Antonio that he is sad because his mind is preoccupied with
his ships filled with cargo, which are out at sea.
iv) State in your own words the scene on the ocean as described by Salarino,
when Antonio’s ship were sailing.
Ans. Salarino compares Antonio's ships sailing on the waves with the great lords
and wealthy citizens, who look down on lesser men as they walk along the street.
According to him Antonio's ships move swiftly on the sea with their canvas
sails and look like grand spectacles or pageants of the sea.
V) Why do you think that Antonio is presented as a melancholic character?
What could be the cause for his melancholy?
Ans. Antonio is presented as a melancholic mainly for three reasons:
a. By portraying Antonio as a whimsical person, who is least bothered about
the consequences of his actions, justifies his signing the bond-agreement.
b. Antonio's melancholy creates a tragic atmosphere suitable for
a comedy which floats on brink of tragedy.
c. Antonio's melancholy creates a sense of mystery for the audience.
 There may be various cause for his melancholy:
1. He may be melancholic by nature.
2. He may be suffering from loneliness
3. He has a foreboding of some approaching disaster.
Extract 2
Believe me, sir,………………….Would make me sad
i) Where would Salanio’s attention be if he had business ventures abroad? Why
would he be plucking the grass? What else he would be doing in that context?
Ans. If Salanio had business ventures abroad, his thoughts would be fixed on
the dangers to his ventures and methods of securing them. He would be plucking
the blades of grass and casting them in the air to know the direction of wind, to
see if it was blowing in a direction favourable to the course of his ships or not.
Further, he would look into maps for harbours, channels and open road-
steads near to the shore where his ships could anchor in case of need.
ii) What would make Salanio fear some dangers in his ventures? Give two
examples.
Ans. Every thought of Salanio would make him fearful of danger to his business
ventures. Two examples which reminded Salarino of the danger to his ships were:
1. While cooling his soup by blowing on it, reminded him of the stormy winds
at sea causing terrible damages to his ships.
2. The sandy hour-glass reminded him of the richly laden vessels wrecked on
the sandy shore.
iii) Give meaning of:
(a) Plucking the grass to know where sets the wind : Plucking of grass and casting
them in the air to see which way the wind blew.
iv) In spite of the danger to his ships, why Antonio is not worried about his
financial security?
Ans. Despite danger to his ships, Antonio is not worried about his financial
security because his business is neither dependent on any one ship nor on any
single location or commercial transactions of the current year.
v) What light does the opening scene throw on the danger that sea could pose
to ships? How does the scene show that Antonio is very confident about his
business ventures?
Ans. The opening scene describes the possible dangers that the sea could pose to
ships such as strong winds, dangerous shallow waters, sand banks and dangerous
rocks.
Antonio is confident about his buisness ventures as he says his financial ventures
are not dependent on the current enterprises of one year and nor on any ship
which is abroad.

Extract 3
My wind,…………………..To kiss her burial.
i) Where does the scene take place? Name the people who are present there. In
what mood Salarino is in this scene?
Ans. This scene takes place in a street in Venice. Antonio, Salarino and Salanio are
present in the scene. Salarino is in a talkative mood and wants to know the
reason for Antonio's melancholy. He says that he too would be feeling
melancholic if his ships were sailing on the sea.
ii) What would the wind cooling the broth reminds Salarino of?
Ans. It would remind Salarino of the stormy winds at sea and of the terrible
damages they might cause to the ships.
iii) Give meaning of :

“And see my wealthy Andrew docked in sand

Ans. Wealthy Andrew refers to a Spanish ship called Andrea captured by the
British sailors in 1596. It ran aground when it was being brought to England. Since
then Andrew refers to a big cargo ship. In the above lines Salarino imagines that
his rich cargo ship is grounded in sand and her mast dipped down lower than her
sides as if trying to kiss the sands that surround her.
iv) What is sandy hour glass? What would it remind Salarino of?
Ans. Sandy hour-glass is an apparatus used to indicate time. It would remind
Salarino of the dangers from hidden banks of sand at sea, on which a ship may
run aground.
v) When Salarino would goto church what would he see? What would scene make
him imagine ?
Ans. When Salarino would go to the church he would see the holy building made
of stone. This scene would make him think of the dangerous rocks of the sea and
imagine that a collision of his ship with these rocks would be sufficient to break
his vessel into pieces and scatter all her spices and silks on the sea.
Extract 4
Not in love…………………..the jest be laughable.
i) Who has just said that Antonio was in love? What was reaction of Antonio to
that remark?
Ans. Salarino has just said that Antonio was in love. Antonio calls the remark as
nonsense and completely denies that he is in love.
ii) What explanation does Salarino give in extract for Antonio’s Sadness ?
Ans. Salarino concludes that Antonio is sad because he is not happy. He remarks
that there are some curious creatures in the world. He swears by Janus, the two-
headed Roman God that some people have merry natures and are continuously
laughing whether the things they see are subject for mirth or not. Again there are
others with the sourest countenance who will not laugh at anything though the
gravest old warrior Nestor himself confirms the joke as most amusing.
iii) What is meant by two headed Janus? Who is Nestor? Why is he referred to in
the extract?
Ans. Janus is a Roman god usually depicted with two heads looking in opposite
directions — one frowning and the other smiling. He had received from god
Saturn, the gift to see both the past and the future.
Nestor was the King of Pylos. He was one of the greatest generals in the Trojan
War. He was famous for his wisdom, justice, knowledge of war and profound
gravity. If he laughed, it meant the joke was really funny. He is referred to in the
extract to describe the sad and grave people.
iv) Describe in your own words the two types of strange fellows framed by
nature?
Ans. Nature has two types of people. The first type of people have happy natures
and often laugh even if the subject of laughter is too trivial. The second type of
people are those with serious and grave faces, who do not laugh even at the most
amusing jokes.
 v) Who comes at the end of Salarino’s speech? Why does Salarino leave then?
Ans. At the end of Salarino's speech, Bassanio, Gratiano and Lorenzo come.
Salarino leaves Antonio then because Antonio's friends, Bassanio, Gratiano and
Lorenzo have come to give him company.

Extract 5
Why should a man…………………..let no dog bark!”
i) Why is a young man compared to 'his grandsire cut in alabaster'? Under what
condition is likely to be infected with jaundice?
Ans. Gratiano gives the example of a warm-blooded young man who represses his
spirits and forces himself to stillness till he looks like the marble image of his
grandfather. He does so to advise Antonio not to remain in melancholy. He is
likely to be infected with jaundice due to his bad temper.

(ii)
(a) Do cream and mantle like a standing pond:
Ans. Some men overcast their faces with a pale expression as still as the cream
that forms on the surface of milk and as the scum that forms on the surface of
a stagnant pool.
(b) do a wilful stillness entertain:
Ans. maintain an obstinate silence not to disturb the solemnity of their faces.
(iii) What is sad in the extract about the people who try to earn a reputation for
wisdom?
Ans. In the extract, Gratiano speaks about people who try to obtain a reputation
for wisdom, seriousness and deep thought by remaining silent. Such people mean
to say that they speak with the authority of the Greek Oracle and they alone are
infallible in their utterances. When they speak, other should keep quiet.
(iv) Give the significance of 'I am Sir Oracle' and 'Let no dog bark'.
Ans. 'I am Sir Oracle' means 'I speak with the authority of the Greek Oracle'. The
Greek Oracles made known the will of Gods and were received by all without
questions. 'Let no dog bark' means 'let no one speak'. It refers to the attitude of
those wise men who consider themselves as the fountain of wisdom and want
that when they speak, others should remain silent.
(v) What advice does Gratiano give to Antonio at the end of his speech? What
does Bassanio say about Gratiano’s speech a little later in the scene?
Ans. At the end of his speech, Gratiano advises Antonio not to be one of those
who try to gain a reputation for wisdom by being silent. He further tells Antonio
not to use melancholy as a bait to win the reputation of wisdom and cheap
popularity which is like a worthless cheap fish, a gudgeon. Bassanio says
that Gratiano speaks more nonsense than any other man in Venice.
Extract 6
I urge this…………………..debtor for the first.
(i) Where are Bassanio and Antonio? What has Antonio said earlier in reply to
which Bassanio speaks these words?
Ans. Bassanio and Antonio are in a street in Venice. Prior to this extract Antonio
asks Bassanio to tell him about his plans. He adds, that if Bassanio's plan is as
honourable as he is, he then promises him everything that he has— money,
influence, personal help and utmost resources.
(ii) Explain the following: Or bring you latter hazard back again
And thankfully rest debtor for the first
Ans. The above lines mean that at any rate Bassanio could pay the latter loan and
remain his grateful debtor for the first.
(iii) Which experience of his school days does Bassanio relate to justify his plan
for repaying the loan?
Ans. Bassanio says that when he was a boy at school and he lost one of his arrows
while shooting, he would shoot another arrow in the same direction. Thus, by
risking the second, he often regained both the arrows.
(iv) How does Bassanio propose to pay back his previous loan as well as the
present loan?
Ans. Bassanio proposes to pay back his previous loan as well as the present loan
by carefully managing the expenditure of his second loan amount.
v) What confession has Bassanio made to Antonio earlier about his financial
position? How can you conclude that Bassanio is a spendthrift?
Ans. Earlier, Bassanio confesses to Antonio that he has spent his wealth by having
a more lordly way of living than his moderate income allowed him. Therefore, he
has incurred heavy debts because of his youth and extravagance. This proves that
Bassanio is a spendthrift.

Extract 7
Sometimes for her eyes…………………..quest of her.
(i) What is meant by, 'fair speechless messages' and 'nothing undervalued'?
Ans. 'Fair speechless messages' mean glances which are silent messages of love.
Bassanio wants to say that sometimes he received from Portia's eyes lovely silent
messages. The words 'nothing undervalued' mean ‘not less precious’ or ‘no way
inferior to’. Bassanio says that his Portia is no less precious than Cato's daughter.
(ii) Who are Cato and Brutus? Why are they referred to here?
Ans. Cato was a Roman statesman. Brutus was a brave Roman general and was
also the chief of the conspirators against Caesar and caused his assassination.
Here Bassanio is comparing Portia to Portia of Julius Caesar, who was the
daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus. Portia of Belmont is thus referred here for
her beauty, loyalty, wit, intelligence and grace, just like Cato’s daughter and
Brutus' wife Portia
(iii) What evidence is there in the passage to show that Portia’s fame had spread
throughout the world?
Ans. The passage says that Portia's fame had spread throughout the world as
suitors from every part of the world came to Belmont to win her hand in
marriage.

(iv) Explain in your own words the meaning and significance of the ‘golden fleece’
which Jason sought in Colchos.
Ans. Jason was a Greek hero, who was sent by Pelias, his uncle who had usurped
the throne, to fetch the golden fleece from Colchos. In Greek mythology, golden
fleece is referred to as the fleece of the winged ram Chrysomallos. It was kept at
an oak tree in a grove, sacred to god Ares and guarded by a dragon in Colchos.
Bassanio compares Portia to the golden fleece and himself to Jason who is on a
quest for Portia. He refers to other suitors as Jasons also.
(v) What does Bassanio say praising Portia? How is Antonio involved in the
romance of Bassanio?
Ans. Bassanio's description of Portia in the opening scene reveals that she is a
paragon among women. She is rich and beautiful with golden hair. She has
wonderful mental qualities and is virtuous as well. Her fame has attracted suitors
from all over the world. She is in no way inferior to her namesake, Cato's
daughter and Brutus' wife.
Bassanio wants to go to Belmont in order to marry Portia for which he needs a
loan. Antonio is providing him financial help and in this way Antonio is involved in
the romance of Bassanio.

Extract 8
Thou know’st…………………..for my sake.
(i) Why is Antonio unable to help Bassanio at once?
Ans. Antonio is unable to help Bassanio at once since he has no money in hand as
all his business ventures are at sea.
(ii) ‘To raise a present sum’. How much was this sum? Why was it required
urgently?
Ans. The sum was three thousand ducats. It was required urgently for Bassanio to
go to Belmont and present himself before Portia as a worthy suitor.
(iii) What does Antonio instruct Bassanio to do to get a loan?
Ans. Antonio instructs Bassanio to find out a merchant who is ready to give him
money against his name.

(iv) Give the meaning of: “That shall be rack’d, even to the uttermost”
Ans. The credit shall be stretched to the utmost limit. Antonio says that he is
ready to stretch the credit as far as to equip Bassanio to go to Belmont to woo
Portia.
v) Give any two character traits of Antonio in the scene. How are they different
from the character traits of Bassanio?
Ans. Antonio is introduced in the scene as a rich merchant having many shipping
ventures at sea. He is in a state of melancholy and not interested in love. Loyalty
and generosity towards Bassanio are the major traits of his character. Compared
to Antonio, Bassanio is shown as a spendthrift young gallant, who lives a life of
luxury beyond his means. He seems to take undue advantage of Antonio's
generosity. Unlike Antonio, he is a romantic man, who wants to marry Portia, a
rich and beautiful heiress from Belmont.