Images: Sea and Famous People themed
- "Your mind is tossing on the ocean/there where your argosies with portly sail€¦" (I, i, 8-9)
argosy -large merchant ship
- "I should not see the sandy hourglass run/ But I should think of shallows and of flats /and see wealthy Andrew docked in sand/vailing her high top lower than her ribs€¦" (I, i, 25-29)
- "There are a sort of men whose visages do cream and mantle like a standing pond," (I, i, 88-89)
- "But fish not with this melancholy bait/ For this fool gudgeon, this opinion," (I, i, 101-102)
gudgeon – part of a rudder, small freshwater fish
- "€¦Hang on her temples like a golden fleece/ Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos' strond/ And many Jasons come in quest of her," (I, i, 169-172).
- "Why, hath a horse better than the Neopolitan's/ a better bad habit of frowning than the Count Palatine€¦" (I, ii, 58-59)
- "If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as Diana unless I be obtained by the manner of my father's will," (I, ii, 105-107)"
- When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep-/This Jacob from our holy Abram was/ As his wise mother wrought in his behalf/ The third possessor," (I, iii, 69-71)
I added some definitions here for words I didn’t know the meanings of.
I think the sea references speak to how great an industry merchant sailing was. They also apply directly to Antonio have several merchant ships out – they just reminds us again that everything is riding on his ships coming back safely.
I think the Jacob/Laban reference would also be seen as religious.
Theme: This is another Christian image. The ships return at the conclusion of the play. Antonio risks his flesh for the love of his friend Bass and things work out in his favor.