Paraphrase of The Merchant Of Venice ACT 1 SCENE 1 Class 9,10

In truth I know not why I am so sad.It makes me tired.But I still don’t know how I have it,found it or came by it.What it is made up of and what of its origin.This sadness makes me so absent-minded that I do not know who I am.

2.Line 8 to 14 speech of Salarino

You are stressed because you are worried about your rich ships (argosies ) which are sailing stately like gentlemen and important citizens on sea surface.Or as it is procession of the sea to surpass the small commercial boats by these argosies.The small ships move up and down as if they were showing respect ,As if they speed fast by them with their canvas sailing.

3.Line 15 to 22 speech of Salanio

Sir believe me If I had such a business operation the better part of my affection would be sailing at the sea.I should be holding up the grass blade to see in which direction the wind is blowing.I would be looking for ports , harbors and channels and every which would harm my venture.I would be full of doubts that these things would make me sad.

3.Line 23 to 41:Speech of Salarino

When my breath would be cooling my soup then it would shiver me giving the ugly thought of what harm might the wind do to my ships.I should not be watching the hour glass because it would give me the thought of shallow waters and sandbanks in which my wealthy ships would be docked in sand.She would be lowering her top of the mast than her sides to kiss the sand in which she is buried.I should not go to the church and see the holy edifice of stone which would give me the thought of dangerous rocks harming my gentle vessel’s side and scattering all the spices on the stream and covering the roaring waters with silk.Just before this moment the cargo was so much valuable and now its worth is nothing.If I can imagine all this could happen shall I not have the imagination of such a disaster would cause me on my merchandise.

4.Line 42to 46 speech of Antonio:

Believe me no that I thank my luck for it .My business is not trusted upon one ship,nor is my whole estate is concentrated on the luck of this year.Therefore my merchandise makes me not so sad.

5.Line 47 Speech of Salarino:

Why then you are in love?

5.Line 48 Speech of Antonio:

Fie!Fie!

Line 49 to 58 Speech of Salarino:

Not in lov e either Then let us say that you are sad because you are not merry and it was as easy for you to laugh and leap and say that you are merry because you are not sad.Now by two-sided Janus Nature has framed strange fellow in her time Some will have wrinkles on their faces because when they laugh their eyes appear to be peering through folds.They laugh at bag piper as foolishly as a parrot laughs at anything.Others such have an expression that they will show not their teeth to smile though Nestor would swear that the joke was laughable.

6.Line 59 to 61 Speech of Salanio:

Here comes Bassanio the noblest friend.Good bye Gratiano and Lorenzo,We will leave you with better company.

7. Line 62 to 63 Speech of Salarino:

I would have stayed till I had made you happy if worthier friends had not arrived and prevented us.

8. Line 64 to 66 Speech of Antonio:

I think you are not taking their coming as excuse as you have some important business calls to that you have taken as an opportunity depart from here.

9. Line 67 Speech of Salarino:

Good morning my friends.

10. Line 68 to 69 Speech of Bassanio:

Good gentleman when we shall have a party?You are becoming strange to me.

11.Line 70 Speech of Salarino:

When we are free and when it is mutually convenient we shall meet. [Exit Salarino and Salanio]

12.Line 71 to73 Speech of Lorenzo:

My lord Bassanio since you have found your friend Antonio We will leave you but at dinner time remember that where we must meet.

13.Line 74 Sppech of Bassanio:

I will not make you sad.

14.Line 75 to 78 Speechof Gratiano:

You look not well Signior Antonio .You are too muc anxious about worldly matters.Those who spend too much time worrying about worldly matters are never really happy. Believe me your appearance has changed so much.

15.Line 79 to 81 Speech of Antonio:

I interpret the world as a stage where every man has a role to play and mine one is a sad one.

16.Line 82 to 106 Speech of Gratiano:

Let me play the role of fool with mirth and laughter when one laugh let wrinkles appear on the face and let my live warmed by the wine than my heart sighing and groaning with sadness.
Why should a man whose blood is warm inside sit as still as a carved staue of his grandfather and be motionless during the working hours,gradually work himself to be in a jaundiced state by being irritable.I am saying this out of love for you.There are sort of men whose faces are overcasted with pale expression as unchanging as the surface of a pool of standing water and as the cream on the top of milk.They deliberately put on an air of solemnity with the intention of creating a reputation of wisdom,gravity and deep thought. When they open open their lips as if they were Sir Oracle and let no sound is heard when they are speaking.O my dear Antonio I know many of these things .These people are only reputed as wise people.I am very sure that when they would speak would damn those ears.Hearing them their brothers would call them fool.I will take out time for all these things.Come Lorenzo Good bye to you I will end my good advice after dinner.

17.Line108 to110 Speech of Lorenzo:

Well we will leave you till dinner time but I must be the one who always remains dumb because Gratiano never give me to chance to speak.

18.Line 111 to 112 Speech of Gratiano:
Well keep me with you for two more years and you will forget to recognise your own voice.

19.Line 113 Antonio:

Goood bye I will become a talkative person because of this advice.

20.Line 114-115 Speech of Gratiano:
Thanks indeed because Silence is commendable only in dried tongue ox. [Exit Gratiano and Lorenzo]

21.Line 116 Antonio:

Does it make any sense?

22.Line 117 to 122 Speech of Bassanio:

Gratiano speaks a great deal of nonsense more than any man in venice.His reasons are like that of two grains of wheat hidden in two bushes of chaff. You will take all day longer to find them but when you have found it there worth is nothing.

23.Line 123 to 125 Speech of Antonio:

Well tell me about the lady whom you promised to visit secretly. You have promised me to tell about her.

24.Line 126 to 138 Speech of Bassanio:

It is not unknown to you that how I have disabled my means of living By living rather in a grand style than my modest means allow me to keep up.I never compel myself to give up this noble living but my chief problem is to come out off these debt from my youth which has been rather too extravagant.To you Antonio I owe the most in both money and love.And your feelings give me the right to tell you my all plannings and intentions to make myself free from these debts.

25.Line 139 to 143 Speech of Antonio:

I request you Antonio Let me know your plannings and if it is perfectly honourable in nature then my purse my people and my all resources are all yours.

26.Line 144to 156 Speech of Bassanio:

In my school days When I had lost one arrow then I used to shot the another arrow in the same direction and used to watch it very carefully. In doing so I used to find the both. I urge this childhood proof because it has pure innocence.I owe to you the much and like a self willed youth , the amount I used to owe to you has been lost.But if you send another loan that self way I am sure I will reach the goal to find the both or at least bring you the first amount.I will remain a debtor for the first amount.

27.Line 156-164 Speech of Antonio:

You know me very well but you are spending time by appealing to my love in this complicated manner.In doing all this things you have done more wrong on doubting on what I can do for you than if you have destroyed my all wealth.You should only say to me what I can do for you. I am prepared to do it , therefore only speak.

28.Line 165-180 Speech of Bassanio:

In Belmont there lives a rich princess and She is fairer than the word’fair’.Sometimes from her eyes I receive speechless messages of love.Her name is Portia.She is not less beautiful than Cato’s daughter and Brutus’s wife Portia.The world is also not ignorant of her beauty and wealth because renowned princesses come from all the four directions. Her bright golden lock of hair hang from her cheeks like a golden fleece and her seat of Belmont is like Colcho’s shore and many adventurous suitors come here.O Antonio if I had the means to become a rival with these suitors.My mind foretells me that I will be a lucky winner.

29.Line 182-189 Speech of Antonio:

You know that all my fortunes are at sea.Neither I have money nor any goods to raise this present amount of money.Therefore go forth and take me as your insurer to go to Belmont to fair Portia.I am sure that I will get rid of this debt soon by my business credit.

Note: THE ORIGINAL LINE IN THE IMAGE MAY BE UP AND DOWN I.E. NOT AT THE RIGHT POSITION OF THE EXPLANATION. KINDLY READ BY MATCHING THEM. Paraphrase of The Merchant Of Venice ACT 1 SCENE 1 Class 9,10 is explained here line by line for the student to understand the content in normal English. It is because the Drama Merchant of Venice is written in Archaic English.