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Comedies of William Shakespeare: The Merchant Of Venice: Act 1

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From: Monarch Notes
Date: 19630101
Author:Shakespeare, William

Shakespeare, William
Monarch Notes
01-01-1963
Critic: Lippman, Laura
Affiliation: Department Of English, Harvard University

The Merchant Of Venice: Act 1

Act One, Scene One

The scene is a street in Venice. Antonio, a prominent merchant, is
talking with his friends Salarino and Salanio. He tells them that he does not
know why he is so sad nowadays, and that his sadness wearies him as tuch as it
wearies them.

Comment:

Antonio is the merchant of the title of the play. The state of depression
or "want-wit sadness" which Antonio describes marks him as once as a typical
pensive Renaissance ...

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