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Merchant of Venice
Workbook Answers
Act I Scene 1
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Extract – 1
 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 ’s 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.

i) Where are Antonio and his friends?

What does Antonio says about his
sadness?
(i) 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 /
what is its source.
(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?
(iii) 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.
(iv) Salarino compares Antonio's ships
sailing on the waves with the great lords
and wealthy ci zens, who look down on
lesser men as they walk along the street.
According to him Antonio's ships move
swi ly on the sea with their canvas sails
and look like grand spectacles or
pageants of the sea .

v) The play begins with the atmosphere

of melancholy. Why do you think that
Antonio is presented as a melancholic
and passive character?
(v) Antonio is presented as a melancholic
and passive character mainly for three
reasons.
1. By portraying Antonio as a
whimsical person, who is least
bothered about the consequences
of his ac ons, jus fies his signing
the bond-agreement.
2. Antonio's melancholy creates a
tragic atmosphere suitable for a
comedy which floats on brink of
tragedy.
3. Antonio's melancholy creates a
sense of mystery for the audience.
 Extract - 2.
SALANIO: SALANIO:
Believe me, sir, had I Believe me, sir, if I
such venture forth, had such risky
The be er part of my business ventures like
affecons would yours, I would always
think about my ships
Be with my hopes at the sea. I'd be
abroad. I should be pulling up the grass in
sll order to check in
Plucking the grass to which direcon the
know where sits the wind flows, and
wind, looking at maps of
ports and piers and
Peering in maps for roads. And any lile
ports and piers and thing that might
roads. make me worry that
And every object that something bad would
might make me fear happen to my ships
would make me sad,
Misfortune to my without a doubt.
ventures out of doubt
Would make me sad.

i) Where would Salanio’s a en on be if

he had business ventures abroad ? Why
would he be plucking the grass ? What
else he would be doing in that context ?
(i) 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 cas ng them in
the air to know the direc on of wind, to
see if it was blowing in a direc on
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.
(ii) 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 cas ng
them in the air to see which way the wind
blew.
(b) Peering in maps for ports, and piers,
and roads : Looking into maps for
harbours, channels and even open road-
steads near the shore.
iv) In spite of the danger to his ships , why
Antonio is not worried about his financial
security ?
(iv) 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 loca on or commercial
transac ons of the current year.
v) What light does the opening scene
throw on the danger that sea could pose
to ships ?
(v) 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.

Extract - 3.
SALERIO SALERIO
My wind cooling my I would get sad while
broth blowing on my hot
soup, because it
Would blow me to an
would make me think
ague when I thought
of what a strong wind
What harm a wind at sea could do to my
too great at sea ships. If I would see
might do. the sands running in
I should not see the an hourglass, I would
sandy hourglass run, think of flat shallows
where my ship, "The
But I should think of Andrew," run aground
shallows and of flats with all its riches
And see my wealthy flipped over.
Andrew docked in
sand,
Vailing her high top
lower than her ribs
To kiss her burial.

i) Where does the scene takes place ?

Name the people who are present there.
In what mood Salarino is in this scene ?
(i) This scene takes place in a street in
Venice. Antonio, Salarino and Salanio are
present in the scene. Salarino is in a
talka ve 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?
(ii) It would remind Salarino of the stormy
winds at sea and of the terrible damages
they might cause to the ships.
iii) Give meaninf of :
“And see my wealthy Andrew docked in
sand, Vailing her high top lower than her
ribs To kiss her burial. “
(iii) Wealthy Andrew refers to a Spanish
ship called Andrea captured by the Bri sh
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 ?
(iv) Sandy hour-glass is an apparatus used
to indicate me. It would remind Salarino
of the dangers from hidden banks of sand
at sea, on wihch a ship may run aground.
v) What is referred as wealth Andrew ?
Why it is referred so ?
(v) Salarino refers to his richly laden ship
as wealthy Andrew. It is so referred
because Salarino feels that like the
Spanish ship Andrea captured by the
Bri sh in 1596, his ship too is majes c
and rich with cargo.
vi) When Salarino would goto church
what would he see? What would scene
make him imagine ?
(vi) 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 sca er all her
spices and silks on the sea.
Extract - 4.
SALANIO And laugh like parrots
at a bagpiper,
Not in love neither?
Then let us say you And other of such
are sad vinegar aspect
Because you are not That they’ll not show
merry— and ’twere their teeth in way of
as easy smile
For you to laugh and Though Nestor swear
leap and say you are the jest be laughable.
merry
Because you are not
sad. Now, by two-
headed Janus,
Nature hath framed
strange fellows in her
me.
Some that will
evermore peep
through their eyes
SALANIO roman god) , nature
has made all kinds of
You're not in love
different people.
either? Then let's just
Some people are
say you are sad
always happy and
because you are not
could even laugh at a
happy. It would be
funeral, while others
just as easy for you to
are so sour they
laugh and jump
don't even crack a
around and just say
smile at anything, not
you are happy
even at a joke that
because you are not
Nestor called the
sad. I swear, by two-
funniest.
headed Janus (a

i) Who has just said that Antonio was in

love ? What was reac on of Antonio ?
(i) 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 explana on does Salarino give in
extract for Antonio’s Sadness ?
(ii) 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 con nuously
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 any thing though the
gravest old warrior Nestor himself
confirms the joke as most amusing.
iii) What is meant by two headed Janus ?
Why is he referred to in the extract ?
(iii) Janus is a Roman god usually depicted
with two heads looking in opposite
direc ons — one frowning and the other
smiling. He had received from god Saturn,
the gi to see both the past and the
future. He is referred to in the extract to
show that there are two types of people
— one happy and the other sad.
iv) Describe the stange fellows framed by
nature ?
(iv) Nature has two types of people. The
first type of people have happy natures
and o en 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 was Nestor ? Why is he referred ?
(v) Nestor was the King of Pylos. He was
one of the greatest generals in the Trojan
War. He was famous for his wisdom,
jus ce, knowledge of war and profound
gravity. If he laughed, it meant the joke
was really funny. He is re©fe2r0r1e9d to
in the
extract to describe the
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vi) Give meaning of