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ACT 1 SCENE 1 A funeral barge, decked in black and gold was passing slowly along the canal and the waves it caused made the gondolas prance and rear like wild black stallions as they strained against the ropes that tied them to their striped poles. Antonio stared out towards the open sea, then sighed and stepped back to join his friends beneath the balcony under which they stood waiting. In all honesty, I really don t know why I m so depressed, he said. He attempted a smile and failed. It s exhausting. You say it exhausts you! I don t know how I caught it, or found it, or came by it: I don t know what it s made of or what caused it. I m so confused that I don t even know where I am most of the time. Salerio put his hand on his friend s shoulder and nodded reassuringly. Your mind is tossing on the ocean, he said. It s out there with your cargo ships, with their billowing sails, like noblemen and rich merchants of the waves or, if you like, colourful carnivals of the sea, towering above the ordinary ships that bow respectfully to them as the wind hurries them on. Solanio nodded. Believe me, sir, he assured Antonio, if I had such a valuable cargo on the ocean most of my thoughts would be out there with it. I d be forever picking blades of grass to gauge which way the wind was blowing: poring over maps, looking for ports and piers and safe havens. Every little thing that might threaten my venture would depress me. Salerio agreed entirely. Blowing on my soup to cool it would remind me of what harm a stormy wind might do at sea and blow a chill through me. I wouldn t be able to look at the sand running through an hourglass without thinking of shallow waters and sandbanks. I d have an image of my best ship Andrew stuck in mud, her topsail lowered as though for a funeral. I wouldn t be able to go to church without immediately thinking of the stones it s built of as dangerous rocks that, just touching my fragile vessel s side, would scatter all the spices across the sea and clothe it with my silk fabrics. Within an instant I d be rich and then a pauper again. I couldn t help being miserable if that happened. So don t deny it: it must be because you re worried about your merchandise. Antonio looked up sadly. Believe me, no, he said. I m grateful for my good luck. My investments aren t all in one ship or in one place. My wealth doesn t depend on this year s trading. So it s not my merchandise that s making me depressed. Solanio prodded him playfully in the ribs. Well then, you are in love! he teased. Come on, come on! said Antonio, and he managed the ghost of a smile. Not in love either? Solanio looked thoughtfully at him. Then let us say that you re sad because you aren t merry. That if you wanted to you could be laughing and jumping about, saying you re merry because you aren t sad. By two-headed Janus, Nature has made some strange people in her time. Some are eternally smiling and would laugh like idiots at the dismal wailing of a bagpipe, while others are so sour that they wouldn t show their teeth in a smile even if the most solemn man told them the joke was funny.
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