How has Shakespeare used the opening two scenes to sustain the

audience interest so far?

Shakespeare effectively uses narrative hooks, characters, themes and humor to
engage and sustain the audiences interest in the first two scenes. Shakespeare
successfully conveys the characters feelings, perceptions and dilemmas, which
are made personal to the audience, thus sustaining their attention. Using
techniques such as poetic irony, metatheater and metaphors, add a certain
degree of sublimity in the two scenes. He gives insights to the problems faced by
the characters, their powerful bonds and introduces the plot of the play, combined
with the witty humor that keeps the audience curious and interested.
Shakespeare effectively introduces the behavior of each character and
demonstrates their personality, to keep the audience engrossed. Shakespeare
immediately begins the play by introducing Antonios mood, In sooth, I know not
why I am so sad. This suggests how sadness has overtaken him and dulled his
faculties, although he is at a loss to explain why. It further implies Antonios
character as remaining miserable throughout the play, which promptly gains
audiences interest, as they left to conceive the progress and outcome of the play.
Shakespeare uses a short sentence for effect and a ten syllables line, which
breaks down the words, that emphasizes and strongly enforces to the audience
the unusual dullness of Antonio, who is perplexed by his own condition. The
audience is made to keep interested, as they ponder for an understanding and
background for Antonios sadness. Shakespeare establishes Bassanios
character as he confronts his problems to Antonio, disabled mine estate
and a lady richly left Here we are shown how Bassanio is money oriented
and lives beyond his dreams. After losing everything, he devises a plan to entice
a lady richly left; this portrays his extravagant nature and thirst for money. On
the other hand, it implies Bassanios honesty, the fact that he audaciously
declares his circumstances, illustrates his truthful attitude and honorable nature.
Shakespeare here is easily able to associate the audience to keep their attention,
as he leaves them wondering about the lady richly left. Moreover, the audience
is left to envision, how Bassanio shall advance to recover his debts, thus taking
them a step closer to the plot and making them ideate how his character will
respond to the upcoming circumstances, hence maintaining the audiences
interest. Shakespeare then presents Portias character to illuminate the seen,
with her comical and stereotypical remarks, Ay, thats a colt indeed.
Shakespeare reveals a rather witty and lively character; it further portrays how
Portia has a strong personality, with a strong independent win. Shakespeare
leaves the audience immensely interested with this humorous criticism and
ridicule of the suitors, the audience is able to link Bassanios lady to Portia and is
left to picture the contrast of such a humorous lady to Bassanios lady richly left.
The audiences interest is further maintained with the curiousness of Bassanio
acquainting with Portia, continued with the progression of their play. Shakespeare
is distinctly able to maintain the audiences in these two scenes, by exploiting
these characters to form the basis of the plot and the variation of personalities,
leaves the audience considering the outcome of the play, therefore maintaining
their interest.
Shakespeare introduces two key narrative hooks in the first two scenes, which
will contribute immensely to the story, to maintain the audiences interest. The
first of these narrative Hooks is the story of the bond between Antonio and
Bassanio, which will ultimately lead to Antonio being bound to Shylock. It is seen

that Antonios sacrifice of wealth for his friend foreshadows an even greater, more
terrible sacrifice he will have to make. Bassanio feels ashamed of asking such a
big favor of Antonio, but Antonio reassures him by saying My purse...lie all
unlocked to your occasions highlighting the bond of friendship between them is
ancient and strong, juxtaposed with the bond of hatred the audience will see later
in the story between Antonio and Shylock. Bassanio expresses his gratitude by
saying I should question less be fortunate if Antonio loans him money, which
also affirms Bassanios great desire to woo fair Portia. Antonio tells Bassanio he
cannot lend him a present sum as his merchandise is at sea. As a result, they
must borrow from Shylock. Thus, it can be clearly seen that the bond between
Antonio and Bassanio inevitably leads to Antonio being bound to Shylock, hence
this lays the foundation for much of the story. The second key narrative hook is
the story of the caskets, where the audience learns that Portia is bound in her
own way by the will of her dead father. Portias frustration despite her beauty and
wealth is asserted with O me, the word choose! illustrating that Portia is in
distress as she cannot decide who will be her husband. The audience first learns
about the caskets here, when Nerissa persuades that her fathers will is wise, and
that the lottery of the gold, silver and lead caskets will leave her with a
dedicated and good husband. This engages the audience, as it delivers a sense
of competition and suspense, and they now better understand Portias despair, as
her husband will be chosen by a game involving three caskets, which to Portia
has made her aweary of this great world. This arouses curiousness in the
audience, as they are unsure whether Antonios sacrifice and Bassanios efforts
will amount to anything. The audience is drawn even deeper into the plot when
Portia reveals she has a vivid memory of Bassanio, exclaiming, Yes, yes. It was
Bassanio! suggesting that she may be in love with him. This conjures up a sense
of hope and doubt in the audience. They now hope that Bassanio and Portia can
be together, but are unsure whether Bassanio will be able to prove his worth in
the lottery. This adds yet another exciting layer to a story already steeped with
hope and uncertainty, firmly fixing the audiences attention, thoughts and interest
in the plot.
HUMOUR:
Shakespeare uses humor adequately in both scenes to engage the audience.
Humor is evident when Gratiano attempts to cheer Antonio up by making fun of
the situation, comparing Antonio to a grandsire establishing that Antonio is
behaving like a grumpy old mans statue at a cemetery, dead and lifeless. In truth,
Antonio is a young and wealthy merchant. Hence, this introduces humor to play
that has so far had a melancholy atmosphere, brightening the spirit of the
audience and masking the play more enjoyable. Humor is even more prominent
in the second scene, when Portia makes witty and rude comments about her
suitors, mocking them. Portia claims she would rather be married to a deaths
head rather than some of her suitors, indicating her intense dislike and
disapproval of them in a humorous way. She repeatedly makes comments like
this, like every man in no man, married to a sponge, and nothing but talk of
his horse. As a result, the second scene is a truly enjoyable one, thanks to the
wit and mockery of Portia, which incites laughter in the audience. Thus, humor is
adequately evident and used well by Shakespeare to maintain the audiences
interest, to ensure they enjoy the play and are not bored by what has otherwise
been a melancholy plot with little action.
Shakespeare establishes various themes throughout the two scenes to maintain
the audiences interest. Bassanio believes that his and Antonios love would

help Antonio unburden all Bassanios plots and purposes. This portrays the
theme of friendship as we are shown how the two friends are increasingly close
and share their personal life intimately with each other. The word unburden
strongly depicts their closeness and how they share their distress, keeps the
audience interested, as they are able to relate to this strong friendship bond.
Mentioning plots and purposes implies their conviction of each other and
portrays their faithful and valued understanding to sharing their personal life.
Shakespeare is able to sustain the audiences interest by making them engulfed
with their devoted friendship, which begins to unveil some important information
to support the development of the plot. The audience is left intrigued to
investigate what this friendship offers and its overwhelming limits. The audiences
interest is further sustained by the questioning of Bassanios plots and how they
shall be unburdened. The theme of love reappears in the second scene, when
the audience meets fair Portia. After rudely mocking her suitors, Portia reveals
she has a vivid memory of Bassanio, as she exclaims, Yes, yes. It was
Bassanio! indicating she may be in love with him. This is further reinforced when
she agrees with Nerissas claim that he was best deserving a fair lady saying I
remember him worthy of thy praise conveying her liking for him and promises to
the audience they will witness a terrific play abound with suspense, hope and
romance. Thus, Shakespeare introduces the themes of love and friendship in the
first two scenes, which will remain prominent throughout the rest of the play and
will lead to many key events in the story, maintaining the audience's interest
throughout.
Throughout the two scenes the audiences is presented with personal insights of
the lives of the various characters, through Shakespeares magnificent use of
narrative hooks, characters, themes and humor. Shakespeare continually
sustains the audiences interest by cleverly introducing the plot, by making
connections with various characters and incidents. His clever balance of humor
and themes such as, stereotyping, friendship and love, sets the right tone for the
play for the audience to connect with, hence maintaining their interest throughout.