Proving Shakespeare Antonios

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Finally, the chronology of when Shakespeare wrote the plays also supports the idea that the plays could be a continuation of Antonio’s story. Though the chronology of when something was written is not necessarily the order of how the story goes (Shakespeare wrote parts II and III of Henry VI before part I), it very well makes sense. During the resolution of The Merchant of Venice, Antonio serves no real purpose despite being the title character-- the last the audience hears of him is Portia’s gift of a ship for the one he lost at sea. Perhaps from there, Antonio cannot bear to live with Bassanio while being unable to call him his own, and this causes him to leave Belmont. Maybe it’s on this new ship that he finds Sebastian in the jaws of a storm, thus his involvement in twelfth Night. As mentioned before, Antonio’s hurt by Sebastian’s denial could be because of the heartbreak already left by Bassanio. The events could extend even further, continuing to The Tempest. After all, Sebastian’s marriage to Olivia was mostly impulse-- Olivia fell in love with Cesario’s personality, not his looks, and Sebastian didn’t even know her. Because Antonio is the antagonist of The Tempest, his past heartbreak could serve as valid arguments for his bitter actions. These three Antonios have no resolution of their own, but perhaps by allowing Antonio to include Sebastian in the never-ending storm of his life, Shakespeare gives the audience enough of a resolution to know that now Antonio is not alone. Characters named Antonio and Sebastian are often paired together throughout English Renaissance literature, inspired by St. Anthony and St. Sebastian (Cynthia Lewis, Particular Saints). St. Sebastian is credited as the first homosexual icon, as well as the patron saint of venereal diseases. Additionally, his martyrdom with the archer’s arrows mirrors the imagery used by Bassanio in Act I scene 1. St. Anthony is the patron saint of many things, from disease, to pregnant mothers, and harvest. But he is also the patron saint of lost things, mariners, sailors, boatmen, fishermen, shipwrecks, lost things, as well as an icon of generosity to the poor. These are qualities present in Shakespeare’s Antonios: first, both are merchants on the sea (and described by Duke Orsino and Shylock as pirates). Second, both Antonios exhibit immense generosity to Bassanio and Sebastian by risking both life and coin. “Lost things” could be most closely associated with his lost loves, so next is the topic of shipwreck and storms. Antonio’s life is a never-ending storm, and follows him throughout the plays. The wreck of his ships caused him to lose all of his cargo, the shipwreck of which he rescued Sebastian, and lastly the storm conjured by Prospero, thus naming The Tempest. Having the name of Antonio’s concluding play named simply “storm” shows some deeper meaning to the readers that have connected the Antonios, therefore reiterating the question-- are the Antonios the same?

Shakespeare’s brilliance seems to have no limits; every time you read a play over again, the reader sees something that went unnoticed before. It’s not surprising to think that the stories could be connected with the depth of meaning and dimension of the characters. People may interpret the stories however they’d like, and we never will truly know for sure if they are connected. Shakespeare puts in so much detail, it’s hard to write it off as mere coincidence. Of course, part of his legacy is what the readers’ imagination creates with his works, which allows anything to be possible-- including the Antonios to be on the same timeline.

Bibliography:

MacDonald, Ronald R. "Twelfth Night: The Trick of Singularity." William Shakespeare: The Comedies.

New York: Twayne Publishers, 1992. 105-119. Twayne's English Authors Series 489. Twayne's Authors on GVRL. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

Thomas, Chad Allen. "Antonio's (happy) ending: queer closure in all-male Twelfth Night." Comparative Drama 48.3 (2014): 221+. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Jan. 2016.

Weeks, Eliot. "Relationships Between Men in Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice." Academia.edu. Eliot Weeks, n.d. Web. 30 May 2016.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Julie Crawford. New York, NY: Barnes and Noble Shakespeare, 2008. Print.

Mabillard, Amanda. The Chronology of Shakespeare's Plays. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. .

Lewis, Cynthia. Particular Saints: Shakespeare's Four Antonios, Their Contexts, and Their Plays. Newark, DE: U of Delaware, 1997. Print.

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