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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper looks at thee reasons why Antonio is unhappy in the play “The Merchant of Venice.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KV32_HVtonivn.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
like a racial stereotype. But he is also complex and fascinating, one of many intriguing people who populate the landscape of this work. This paper discusses another character, Antonio, and
speculates on why he seems so sad throughout the play. Discussion Antonio is the first character who appears and he says "In sooth, I know not why I am so
sad" (I.1.i), which isnt a great help in determining whats making him melancholy. It could be that hes simply a depressed personality who cannot really pin down a reason for
his unhappiness. But Shakespeare actually provides a couple of reasons that could account for his attitude. One is that he is a merchant with a small fleet of ships which
are at sea as the play opens; they are also overdue and presumed lost. That means that he has lost all his money, as well as feeling responsible for the
loss of the sailors as well. The other reason for his attitude is much more compelling: his best friend Bassanio has fallen in love with Portia, and he can
see that this relationship will displace the one he has with Bassanio, or at least that he will now be in second place in his friends life. The two men
are very close: when Bassanio borrows money from Shylock, it is with the understanding that Antonio will stand as a sort of "co-signer" for the loan; that is, he will
pay it back if Bassanio cannot. It seems harmless enough, until Bassanio needs Antonio to help him out, and Antonio loses his ships. That means he cannot pay the loan,
and because Shylock hates Antonio, he insists on payment immediately. Antonio is willing to accept the demand (the pound of flesh) because he has agreed, and because Bassanio is his
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