The Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar Author:William Shakespeare General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1894 Original Publisher: Houghton, Mifflin and co. Subjects: Drama / Shakespeare Literary Criticism / Shakespeare Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edit... more »ion of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: DRAMATIS PERSONS. The Duke Op Venice. The Peince Op Morocco, ) Suitors to The Prince Op Arragon, ) Portia. Antonio, a merchant of Venice. Bassanio, his friend, suitor to Portia. Salanio, 1 Salaeino, [ friends to Antonio and Geatiano, [ Bassanio. Sale Rio, J Lorenzo, in love with Jessica. Shylock, a rich Jew. Tobal, a Jew, his friend. Launcelot Gobbo, a clown, servant to Shylock. Scene : Partly at Venice aud partly at Belmont, Portia's Beat, on the Continent. Old Gobbo, father to Launctlot. Leonardo, servant to Bassanio. STWHAfta' I 9ervant o Portia. Portia, a rich heiress. Nerissa, her waiting-maid. Jessica, daughter to Shylock. Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler, Servants to Portia, and other attendants. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. ACT I. Scene I. Venice. A street. Enter Antonio, Salarino, and Salanio. Ant. In sooth, I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me ; you say it wearies you ; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff't is made of, whereof it is born, 1 -- 7. With this speech of Antonio compare that with which Portia opens the next scene. These two speeches " strike the key-note " of the play, which, although it is called a comedy and comes to a pleasing issue, is in the main sad, and verges closely upon the tragic. The cause of Portia's weariness she soon reveals. Why Antonio is sad is not so clear. You can see what weighs on his mind by noting what he first speaks of when he is alone with B...« less