William Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice, Act 1 Scene 1. Need help

Hi all, I am a Secondary 2 student in Singapore and I am not really good at Literature. I am trying to improve my skills in Literature and I am asking here for some help about Antonio in The Merchant Of Venice, Act 1, Scene 1.

Here is my question: Antonio seems to have it all. Why then, is Antonio, so sad? Why doesn’t he know the cause of his sadness? What guesses do Solanio and Salerio have about the causes of his depression? What lifts his depression?


Someone please come and help me out.

Thank you so much

Folks here will help you develop your answers, but nobody will do your homework for you. Post your own thoughts after reading (and watching if you can) the play.

Most of the answers you need are within the first few lines of the play - focus on the very beginning. If it is the language that you are struggling with, there are modern versions (like No Fear Shakespeare) that could help you out.

The question of why is Antonio sad at the beginning is one you will not actually find in the play: you have to extrapolate (make up your own decision based on what you know about Antonio's character). In truth, the fact that he enters the play saying he is sad and we do not know why, is the point. We are not meant to know why he is initially sad - just that he is.