Shakespeare's reoccurring "Debbie Downer"

After reading Act I scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice my first thought was “Oh wow, another one of Shakespeare’s male character sulking…what a surprise.”  Antonio’s sour mood immediately reminded me of Romeo’s lovesick depression in Act I, scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet, as well as Orsino’s glum demeanor in the opening scene of Twelfth Night.  Though the reason for Antonio’s depression differs from Romeo and Orsino’s, the readers are still introduced to an unsatisfied male character at the start of the play.  In fact, the first line of the play immediately informs us of this dissatisfaction: “In sooth, I know not why I an so sad.” (1).  

I find this reoccurrence of depressed, unsatisfied, or sulking men at the beginning of Shakespeare’s plays a very interesting topic of discussion.  And what’s unique about Antonio is that he doesn’t even know why he’s feeling the way he is.  It immediately introduces his character as whiny, indecisive, and a bit of a crybaby.  However, it seems that Shakespeare creates these characters just so he can later make fun of them through the mouths of his other characters.  And I think that this is brilliant and hysterical.  Shakespeare writes these heart wrenching and soul quivering poetic passages that describe his characters’ depressed and dejected dispositions and then immediately mocks it.  For example, in lines 77-79, Antonio says to Graziano: “I hold the world but as the world, Graziano—A stage where everyman must play a part, And mine a sad one.”  Graziano, in lines 79-104 , then proceeds to mock Antonio’s serious and over-analytical attitude.  My favorite part of this passage is when Graziano proclaims, “With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.  And let my liver rather heat with wine than my heart cool with mortifying groans” (lines 80-82).  Shakespeare is poking fun at Antonio and, more over, is poking fun at his own writing.  

Graziano’s aforementioned passage is definitely my favorite part of Act I.  He basically took the words right out of my mouth and said exactly what I wanted to say to Antonio (yet in a much more eloquent way, obviously).  I think that Graziano’s advice for Antonio is still so prevalent in today’s world.  A lot of people, like Antonio, need a friend to sit them down and give them the “take a chill pill” speech every now and then.  Nobody wants to be around the “Debbie downer.”  It was very refreshing to have the Shakespearean version of the “Debbie downer” put in his place.  Examples such as this really solidify my enjoyment of Shakespeare’s sense of humor in his writing.  He can create a beautiful character with depth and poetic solemnity…followed by another character that makes fun of him and his somber poetry.