Research Journal Of English (RJOE) Copyright Oray's Publication Page 82 Antonio's Melancholy in The Merchant of Venice-A Critique

The motiveless melancholy of Antonio had baffled and still baffling the critics ever since the play came into being but with different layers of observation from the school of critics, for ages together, unraveling the mystery only to make it appear more mystical as such, more fascinating. This paper intends to glean-off worthy cogitations of some of the most expert modern Shakespeareans. Josuah Sylvester, an English poet in his translation of Du Bartas' (French) work ‘Diuine Weekes and Workes’ brings up a dialogue between Heraclitus the weeping philosopher, and Democritus the laughing philosopher