Friendship in The Merchant Of Venice

The first 200 words of this essay...

In Act 1 Scene 1 we are introduced to Antonio, Salerio, Solanio, Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano.

Antonio is a wealthy businessman. He is a trader. He also gives people loans but he does not charge them any interest. Salerio, Solanio, Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano are all good friends of Antonio and of each other. Lorenzo is in love with Jessica the daughter of Shylock. Bassanio is also in love with Portia and wants to marry her.

In Act 1 Scene 1 Antonio is feeling unhappy, so his friends try to cheer him up. He is feeling sad because he is worried about his ships which have taken goods abroad. Salerio compares Antonio with his ships. He tells Antonio "Your mind is tossing on the ocean, there where your argosies with portly sail, like signors and rich burghers on the flood, or as it were the pageants on the sea, do overpeer the petty traffickers that curtsy to them, do them reverence, as they fly by them with their woven wings." He means to tell Antonio that just like your ships are on the sea, it seems Antonio is like that. He says that because Antonio