Act 2, Scene 8
The scene begins on a Venice street. Salarino and Salanio enter, talking about recent scandals. They mention that the Duke of Venice and Shylock have been scouring the city, searching for Lorenzo and Jessica.
Although they suspect that Shylock is more concerned with the money stolen from him than the loss of his daughter. They worry that Shylock's foul mood could lead to trouble for Antonio, if he can't pay the money back in time. Salarino says a Frenchman told him that a wealthy Italian merchant ship sank in the English channel - perhaps it was Antonio's? They mention that Antonio has just sent Bassanio away, tears of joy in his eyes. He'd made sure Bassanio didn't worry about the looming debt so that he could focus on wooing the woman he loves. The two men leave to find Antonio, so that they might cheer him up in the face of uncertainty.
Topic Tracking: Love 5
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