The Merchant of Venice (5)

The Merchant of Venice (5)

  " Well. " said Solanio, " if you are not worried about your ships and cargoes, and you arenot in love, we don't know what is making you sad. All we can say is that you are sad because you are not happy. You might as well be happy because you are not sad. Then you could sing and laugh again. "

  " I think, " said Antonio, " that the world is a stage. Everybody has a part of to play, and my part is a sad part. "

  Another friend, Graziano, tried to make Antonio happier by telling him jokes and silly stories. He talked all the time, and people thought he was a fool.
  " If you say nothing and look sad, " he advised, " People will think you are wise ! "

  Antonio's best friend was Bassanio.

  Bassanio though that Graziano talked a lot but said nothing.
  " Yrying to find ameaning in his words is like trying to find a needle in a haystack, " he said, " if you do find it, you soon discover that it is not sharp. "

  Antonio's friends were very kind, and he liked them a lot, but they did not succeed in making him happier.

  Of course, the real problem was that Antonio was bored.
  However, all that would soon change.

 (5)