No Fear Shakespeare-Merchant Of Venice

Act 1-Scene 1

ANTONIO, SALARINO, and SOLANIO enter.

ANTONIO

To be honest, I don’t know why I’m so sad. I’m tired of it, and you say you’re tired of it too. But I have no idea how I got so depressed. And if I can’t figure out what’s making me depressed, I must not understand myself very well.

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.

SOLANIO

Yes, believe me, if I had such risky business ventures in other countries, I’d be sad too. I’d worry about it every second. I’d constantly be tossing blades of grass into the air to find out which way the wind was blowing. I’d be peering over maps to figure out the best ports, piers, and waterways. Everything that made me worry about my ships would make me sad.

SALARINO

I’d get scared every time I blew on my soup to cool it, thinking of how a strong wind could wipe out my ships. Every time I glanced at the sand in an hourglass I’d imagine my ships wrecked on sandbars. I’d think of dangerous rocks every time I went to church and saw the stones it was made of. If my ship brushed up against rocks like that, its whole cargo of spices would be dumped into the sea. All of its silk shipments would be sent flying into the roaring waters. In one moment I’d go bankrupt. Who wouldn’t get sad thinking about things like that? It’s obvious. Antonio is sad because he’s so worried about his cargo.

ANTONIO

No, that’s not it, trust me. Thankfully my financial situation is healthy. I don’t have all of my money invested in one ship, or one part of the world. If I don’t do well this year, I’ll still be okay. So it’s not my business that’s making me sad.

SOLANIO

Well then, you must be in love.

ANTONIO

Oh, give me a break.

SOLANIO

You’re not in love either? Fine, let’s just say you’re sad because you’re not in a good mood. You know, it’d be just as easy for you to laugh and dance around and say you’re in a good mood. You could just say you’re not sad. Humans are so different. Some people will laugh at anything, and others are so grouchy they won’t even crack a smile when they hear something hysterically funny.

BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANOenter.

Here comes your cousin Bassanio. And Gratiano and Lorenzo too. Goodbye, then. We’ll leave you to talk to them. They’re better company.

SALARINO

I would’ve stayed to cheer you up, if your nobler friends hadn’t shown up.

ANTONIO

You’re both very precious to me. But I understand. You need to leave to take care of your own business.

SALARINO

(to BASSANIO, LORENZO, andGRATIANO) Good morning, gentlemen.

BASSANIO

(to SALARINO and SOLANIO) Hello, friends. When are we going to have fun together again? Just name the time. We never see you anymore. Does it have to be that way?