The Merchant of Venice
Act IScene I
SALARINO
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 over peer the petty traffickers
That curtsy to them, do them reverence
As they fly by them with their woven wings.
SALARINO
You’re worried about your ships. Your mind is out there getting tossed around on the ocean with them. But they’re fine. They’re like huge parade floats on the sea. They’re so big they look down on the smaller ships, which all have to bow and then get out of the way. Your ships fly like birds past those little boats
. Q. 1. What does Antonio say in earlier passage?
Ans. In earlier passage, Antonio says that he is very sad , and he can not find the reason for his sadness. He also tells him that the feelings of sadness oppresses his spirits and that he is not aware of how he become worried and how he got its melancholy mood.
Q. 2 What difficulty does Antonio experience due to his sadness? In what way does Salarino compare the state of Antonio's mind?
Ans. Antonio's sadness makes him such a stupid person that he experiences great difficulty in understanding whether he is his own self. Salarino says that his mind is tossing like a ship on the high seas where his ships,laden with merchandise are sailing.
Q. 3 What kind of images does Salerino seek to divert Antonio's mind?
Ans. Salarino seeks to divert Antonio's mind by a series of humorous and fantastic images. He compares his argosies to rich citizens look down upon common people as they walk along the Venetian streets. He also compares the pageantry of festive occasions on land with that on sea. The common point of the comparison is that, just as ordinary people bow to rich and pot-belied citizens, the big vessels of Antonio look down upon small trading vessels at sea.
Q. 4. What does Antonio's melancholy foreshadow?
Ans. Antonio's melancholy foreshadows the impending calamity that is to overtake him in the trial-scene. It is the shadow of the future moving towards him. It is also to be noted that part of this melancholy also touches Portia and other minor characters with the single exceptions of Gratiano. All the unaccountable sadness strikes a tragic note and suggest the unhappiness which is to affect the characters temporarily.
Q. 5. a. Explain the following lines:
"That curtsy to them ,do them reverence.
As they fly by them with their woven wings."
b. For what does the word "argosy"stand ? Explain it.
Ans. a. The small ships, as they roll and rock against the naughty waves, seem to salute his ships as they sail past, stable and solid because of their superior bulk.
b. The word "argosy" means a large merchant-vessel. It is named after the Italian town of Ragusa, once a famous centre of maritime trade.
Q. 3 What kind of images does Salerino seek to divert Antonio's mind?
Ans. Salarino seeks to divert Antonio's mind by a series of humorous and fantastic images. He compares his argosies to rich citizens look down upon common people as they walk along the Venetian streets. He also compares the pageantry of festive occasions on land with that on sea. The common point of the comparison is that, just as ordinary people bow to rich and pot-belied citizens, the big vessels of Antonio look down upon small trading vessels at sea.
Q. 4. What does Antonio's melancholy foreshadow?
Ans. Antonio's melancholy foreshadows the impending calamity that is to overtake him in the trial-scene. It is the shadow of the future moving towards him. It is also to be noted that part of this melancholy also touches Portia and other minor characters with the single exceptions of Gratiano. All the unaccountable sadness strikes a tragic note and suggest the unhappiness which is to affect the characters temporarily.
Q. 5. a. Explain the following lines:
"That curtsy to them ,do them reverence.
As they fly by them with their woven wings."
b. For what does the word "argosy"stand ? Explain it.
Ans. a. The small ships, as they roll and rock against the naughty waves, seem to salute his ships as they sail past, stable and solid because of their superior bulk.
b. The word "argosy" means a large merchant-vessel. It is named after the Italian town of Ragusa, once a famous centre of maritime trade.
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