of 70
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
1/70
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
2/70
The Mercha nt of Ven ice by William Shakespeare i s a publ ica t ion of t he Pen nsylvania Sta t e Univer-
s it y. Th is Por table Document f ile is furn ished f ree an d with out any ch arge of any k ind . Any
person us ing t h is document f ile , for any pu rpose, an d in an y way does so a t h is or her own r isk .
Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, nor anyone associated
wit h t he Penn sylvania Sta t e Universi ty assumes any responsib il it y for th e mat er ia l cont a inedwit h in t he documen t or for th e f ile as an e lect ronic t ransmission , in any way.
The Mercha nt of Venice by William Shakesp eare by William Shakespeare, the Pennsylvania Sta te
University, Electronic Classics Series , Jim Manis, Faculty Editor, Hazleton, PA 18201-1291 is a
Por table Document Fi le produced as par t of an on going s t uden t publ ica t ion pro ject to br ing
classical works of l it erat ure, in English, t o free and easy access of th ose wishing t o make use oft h e m .
Cover Design: J im Man is; paint ing Hen ry Woods. "Port ia ," exhit ibed in 1888.
Copyright 1999 The Penn sylvania Stat e Universit y
The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity university.
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
3/70
3
THE MERCHANT
OF VENICEWilliam Shakespeare(wr it t en abou t 1596)
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Th e DUKE OF VENICE. (DUKE:)
Th e PRINCE OF MOROCCO an d The PRINCE OF
ARRAGON: sui tors to Port ia.
ANTONIO: a merch an t of Ven ice.
BASSANIO: h is fr iend, sui tor l ikewise to Port ia.
SALANIO, SALARINO, GRATIANO, and SALERIO: fr iends
to Anton io and Bassanio .
LORENZO: in love with Jessica.
SHYLOCK: a r ich Jew.
TUBAL: a Jew, h is fr ien d.
LAUNCELOTGOBBO: t h e clown, ser van t t o SHYLOCK.
(LAUNCELOT:)
OLD GOBBO: father to Launcelot. (GOBBO:)
LEONARDO: se rva n t to BASSANIO.
BALTHASAR an d STEPHANO: se rvan ts to PORTIA.
PORTIA: a r ich he iress.
NERISSA: her wait ing-ma id.
JESSICA: da u gh t er to SHYLOCK.
Magn ificoes of Ven ice, Officers of th e Cou rt of Ju st ice,
Gaoler, Servants to Por t ia , and oth er At t end ant s .
(Servant : )
(Clerk:)
SCENE: Partly at Ven ice, an d partly at Belm on t, th e
seat of PORTIA, on the Continent.
The Merchant of Venice
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
4/70
4
ACT I
SCENE I: Ve n ice . A st ree t.
[Enter ANTONIO, SALARINO, and SALANIO. ]
ANTONIO: In sooth , I kn ow not why I am so sad:
I t wear ies me; you say i t wear ies you;
But how I caugh t i t , foun d i t , or came by it ,
What s tuff t is made of , whereof i t is born,
I am to learn;
And such a wan t -wi t sadne ss makes of me,
Tha t I h ave much ado t o kn ow mysel f.
SALARINO: Your mind i s toss ing on th e ocean;
There, where your argosies with port ly sai l ,
Like s igniors and r ich burghers on th e f lood,
Or, as i t were , th e pagean ts of th e sea ,
Do overpeer th e pe t t y t raf fickers ,
That cur t sy to them, do them reverence ,As th ey f ly by th em wi th th e i r woven wings.
SALANIO: Bel ieve me, s i r, had I such vent ure forth ,
The bet t er par t of my af fec t ions would
Be wi th my hop es abroad. I should be s t i l l
Plucking th e grass, to kn ow where s it s th e wind,
Peer ing in map s for por t s and p iers and roads ;
And every objec t tha t might make me fear
Misfor tun e to my vent ures , out of doubt
Would make me sad.
SALARINO: My wind cool ing my brot hWould blow me to an ague , when I thou ght
Wha t ha rm a w ind t oo g r ea t a t s ea mi gh t do .
I shou ld no t s ee t he s and y hour -g la s s run ,
But I should th ink of sha l lows and of f la t s ,
And see my weal thy Andrew dockd in sand,
Vai ling h er h igh- top lower tha n her r ibs
To kiss her burial . Should I go to churchAnd see th e ho ly edi fice of s tone ,
And not be think me s t ra ight of dangerous rocks ,
Which touching but my gent le vessels s ide,
Would sca t t er a l l her spices on th e s t ream ,
En robe t he roar ing waters with my s i lks ,
And, in a word, but even now wor th th i s ,
And n ow wor t h no t h i ng? Sha l l I have t h e t hou gh t
To t h i nk on t h i s, and sh a l l I lack t he t hough t
Tha t such a t h i ng bechan ced woul d make me sad?
But t e l l not me; I know, Ant on io
I s s ad t o t h i nk upon h i s merchand i se.
ANTONIO: Bel ieve me, no: I th an k my for tu ne for it ,
My ven t u res a r e no t i n on e bo t t om t rus t ed ,
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene i
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
5/70
5
Nor to on e place; nor i s my whole es ta t e
Upon t h e fo rt un e o f t h i s p r e sen t yea r :
Therefore my mercha ndise makes me not sad.
SALARINO: Why, th en you are in love.
ANTONIO: Fie, fie!
SALARINO: Not in love nei th er? Then le t u s say you
are sad,
Because you are not merry: and twere as easy
For you to laugh and leap and say you a re merry,
Because you are not sad. Now, by t wo-headed Jan us ,Natu re ha t h f ramed s t range fe l lows in her t ime:
Some tha t wi l l evermore peep through the i r eyes
And laugh l ike par rot s a t a bag-piper,
And oth er of such vinegar aspect
Tha t th eyl l not show th ei r t ee t h in way of smi le ,
Thou gh Nes tor swear the jest be laugh able.
[Enter BASSANIO, LORENZO, and GRATIANO. ]
SALANIO: Here comes Bassan io, your most n oble
k i nsman ,
Grat iano an d Lorenzo. Fare ye well:
We leave you n ow with be t t er company.
SALARINO: I would ha ve stayd t i l l I had made you
merry,
I f wor thier f r i ends had not prevented me.
ANTONIO: Your wort h is very dear in my regard.
I t ake i t , your own bu s iness ca l ls on youAnd you embrace the occas ion to depar t .
SALARINO: Good mo rrow, my good lords.
BASSANIO: Good s igniors both , when sha l l we laugh?
say, when ?
You grow exceedin g stran ge: must i t be so?
SALARINO: Well mak e our leisures to at t en d on you rs.
[ Exeunt Salarino and Salan io. ]
LORENZO: My Lord Bassan io, since you h ave found
Ant on i o ,
We two wil l leave you: but at dinner- t ime,
I p r ay you , h ave in mi nd where we mus t mee t .
BASSANIO: I will n ot fai l you .
GRATIANO: You look not wel l, Signior An ton io;
You h ave too much respect u pon th e wor ld:
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene i
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
6/70
6
They lose it t h a t do bu y i t with much care :
Bel ieve me, you are marvel lously changed.
ANTONIO: I hold th e world but as th e world, Grat iano;
A s tage where every man must p lay a par t ,
And m ine a sad one .
GRATIANO: Let me play th e fool:
Wi th mir th and laught er le t o ld wr inkles come,
And le t my l iver ra t her h eat with wine
Tha n my h ear t cool with mor t i fy ing groans .
Why shou ld a m an , whose blood i s warm with in ,
Si t l ike h i s grands i re cut in a labas ter?Sleep when he wakes and creep in to the jaundice
By being peevish? I t e l l th ee wha t , Anton io
I love thee , an d i t i s my love th a t speaks
There are a sort of men whose visages
Do cream an d man t le like a stan ding pon d,
And do a wi l ful s t i l lness en te r ta in ,
Wi th purpose to be dressd in an opinion
Of wisdom, gravi ty, profound concei t ,
As wh o sh ou ld say I am Sir Oracle,
And wh en I ope my l ips le t n o dog bark!
O my Ant onio , I do kn ow of these
Tha t t herefore only are reput ed wise
For saying n oth ing; when, I am very sure ,
I f they should speak, would a lmost damn those ears ,
Which, h ear ing t hem , would ca l l the i r broth ers fools.
I l l t e l l th ee more of th i s anoth er t ime:
But f i sh not , wi th th i s melancholy bai t ,
For th i s fool gudgeon, th i s opinion .
Come, go od Loren zo. Fare ye well awhile:
I l l end my exhor t a t ion af ter d in ner .
LORENZO: Well, we will leave you th en t ill din ne r-t ime:
I mus t be one o f t h ese s ame dumb wise men ,
For Grat iano never lets me speak.
GRATIANO: Wel l, keep me compan y but t wo years
moe,Thou sh a lt n o t kn ow t h e sound o f t h i ne own t ongu e .
ANTONIO: Farewell: Ill grow a t alker for t h is gea r.
GRATIANO: Th an ks, i fai th , for s ilence is only com-
mendable
In a ne at s tongu e dr ied and a ma id not ven dible .
[ Exeunt GRATIANO and LORENZO. ]
ANTONIO: Is t h a t any t h i ng now?
BASSANIO: Grat iano speaks an inf ini te deal of not h ing,
more th an a ny man in al l Ven ice. His reasons are as two
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene i
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
7/70
7
gra ins of wheat h id in two bushels of chaf f : you shal l
s eek a l l day e r e you f i nd t hem, and when you have
t h em, t hey a r e no t wort h t he s ea r ch .
ANTONIO: Well , te l l me now wha t lady is th e same
To who m you swore a secret pi lgr image,Tha t you to-day promised to t e l l me of?
BASSANIO: Tis not u nk nown t o you, Ant onio ,
How much I h ave di sabled m ine es ta t e ,
By somet h ing showing a more swell ing por t
Than my fa int means would grant cont inuance:
Nor do I now make moan to be a br idgedFrom such a noble ra te ; bu t my chief care
Is to come fa ir ly off f rom t he grea t debts
Wherein my t ime someth ing too prodigal
Hath left me gaged. To you, Ant on io ,
I owe th e most , in money an d in love ,
And f rom your love I h ave a warranty
To un burden a l l my plot s and pu rposes
How to get clear of al l the debts I owe.
ANTONIO: I pray you, good Bassanio , le t me kn ow it ;
And i f it s t an d, as you you rse lf s t i ll do ,
Wi th in t he eye of hon or, be assured,
My pu rse, my person, my ext remest mean s ,
Lie al l un lockd t o you r occasions.
BASSANIO: In my school-days, when I had lost one shaft,
I shot his fel low of the self-same f l ight
The se l f- same way wi th more advised watch,
To f ind t he o t he r f o r t h , an d by adven t u r ing bo t h
I of t found both: I urge th i s chi ldhood proof ,
Because what fol lows is pure innocence.I owe you mu ch, an d, l ike a wi lful youth ,
That which I owe is lost ; but i f you please
To shoot anot her ar row th at se lf way
Whi ch you d i d shoo t t h e f ir st , I do no t doub t ,
As I wil l watch t he a im, or to f ind bot h
Or br ing your la t t e r h azard back again
And thankful ly res t debtor for the f i r s t .
ANTONIO: You kn ow me well, and h erein spend bu t t ime
To wind about my love wi th c ircumstan ce;
And out of doubt you do me now more wrong
In mak i ng ques t i on o f my u t t e rmos t
Th an i f you h ad made was t e of a l l I have:
Then do bu t s ay t o me wha t I shou l d do
That in your kn owledge may by me be don e,
And I am p res t un to i t : th erefore, speak.
BASSANIO: In Belmon t is a lady r ich ly lef t ;
And she i s fa i r, and , fa irer th an th a t word,
Of wondrous vir tues: sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speech less messages:
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene i
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
8/70
8
Her n ame i s Por t ia , not hing u ndervalued
To Cat os d au gh t er, Brut us Portia:
Nor i s the wide wor ld ignorant of her wor th ,
For the four winds blow in from every coast
Renowned sui tors, and her sun ny locks
Hang on her t emples l ike a golden f leece;Which makes her seat of Belmont Colchos s t rand,
And m any Jason s come in qu es t of her.
O my Ant on i o, had I bu t t he mean s
To hold a r iva l p lace wi th one of th em,
I have a mind presages me such thr i f t ,
That I should ques t ionless be for tunate!
ANTONIO: Thou k nowst th at all my fortu nes are at sea;
Nei the r have I money nor commod i ty
To ra i se a p resent sum: t herefore go for th ;
Try wh at my credi t can in Ven ice do:
Tha t sh al l be rackd, even to t he u t t ermost ,
To furn i sh th ee t o Belmont , to fa ir Por t ia .
Go, present ly inquire, and so wil l I ,
Where mon ey i s, and I no qu es t ion ma ke
To have i t of my trust or for my sake.
[Exeunt. ]
SCENE II: Be lm on t. A roo m in PORTIAS h ou se .
[ Enter PORTIA and NERISSA . ]
PORTIA: By my troth , Nerissa, my l it t le body is aweary
of th i s grea t wor ld .
NERISSA: You wou ld be, sweet m adam , if your miseries
were i n t h e s ame abundance a s your good fo r t unes a r e :
and yet , for aught I see , they are as s ick tha t sur fe i t
w it h t oo much a s t hey t h a t s t a rve wi t h no t h i ng . It i s
no mean h app i ness t he r e fo re , t o be s ea t ed in t he mean :
super f lu i ty comes sooner by whi te ha i r s , but compe-te ncy l ives longe r.
PORTIA: Good sent ences and wel l pronou nced.
NERISSA: They wou ld be bet t er , i f wel l fol lowed.
PORTIA: I f to do were as easy as to know what were
good to do, chape ls had been churches and poor mens
cot tages princes palaces. I t is a good divine that fol-
lows hi s own ins t ruc t ions : I can eas ier t each t went y
wha t were good t o be done , t han be one o f t he t wen t y
to fol low mine own teach ing. The bra in may devise laws
for th e blood, but a hot t empe r leaps oer a cold de-
cree : such a hare i s madn ess the yout h , to skip oer the
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene ii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
9/70
9
meshes of good counsel th e cr ipple . But th i s reasoning
i s no t i n t h e f a sh i on t o choose me a husband . O me , t he
word choo se! I ma y nei t he r ch oose whom I would nor
refuse who m I disl ike; so is t he wil l of a living d au ght er
curbed by th e will of a dead fath er. Is it not h ard, Nerissa,
t h a t I canno t choose one nor r e fuse none?
NERISSA: Your fathe r was ever vir tu ous; and h oly men
at th e ir death have good inspira t ions : th erefore the lo t -
te ry, tha t he ha t h devised in t hese three ches t s of gold ,
silver and lead, whereof who chooses h is mean ing chooses
you, wil l , no doubt , never be chosen by any r ight ly but
one who sh al l r ight ly love. But what warmth is th ere inyour affect ion towards any of these p rincely sui tors th at
are already come?
PORTIA: I p r ay t h ee , ove r -name t hem; and a s t h ou
namest them, I wi l l descr ibe them; and, according to
my descr ip t ion, l evel a t my af fec t ion.
NERISSA: First , th ere is th e Neap oli tan prin ce.
PORTIA: Ay, th a t s a colt indeed, for he dot h n oth ing
but t a lk of h i s horse ; and he m akes it a grea t a ppropr ia-
t i on t o h i s own good pa r t s , t ha t he can shoe h i m h i m-
se lf . I am mu ch afeard my lady h i s moth er p layed fa lse
wit h a smit h .
NERISSA: Then th ere is the Coun ty Pala t ine .
PORTIA: He do t h no t h i ng bu t f rown , a s who shou l d s ay
If you wil l no t h ave me, choose : he h ears merry ta les
and smi les not : I fear he wi l l prove the weeping phi -
losopher when he grows old , be ing so ful l of unman-ner ly sadness in h i s yout h . I had ra th er be marr ied to a
dea t h s -head w i t h a bone i n h i s mout h t h an t o e i t he r o f
th ese . God defend m e f rom t hese t wo!
NERISSA: How say you by t he French lord, Monsieu r Le
Bon?
PORTIA: God made h im, and th erefore le t h im pass for
a man . I n t r u t h , I know it i s a s in t o be a mocker : bu t ,
he! why, he h a th a horse be t t er th an t he Neapol i tans , a
be t t e r bad hab i t o f f rowning t han t h e Coun t Pa l at i ne ;
he i s every man in no man; i f a thros t le s ing, he fa l l s
s t ra ight a caper ing: he wi ll fence wi th hi s own sh adow:
i f I should marry him, I shou ld marry twenty h usband s .
If he wou ld despise me I wou ld forgive him, for i f he
love me to m adn ess , I sha l l never requi te h im.
NERISSA: Wh at say you, the n , to Falcon br idge, th e
youn g baron of England ?
PORTIA: You kn ow I say noth ing to h im, for he und er -
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene ii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
10/70
10
s tand s not me, nor I h im: he ha t h ne i th er Lat in , French,
nor I ta l ian , and you wi ll come in to t he cour t and swear
tha t I have a poor pennywor th in the Engl i sh . He i s a
proper man s p ic ture , but , a las , who can converse with
a du mb-show? How oddly he i s sui ted! I th ink h e bough t
his double t in I t a ly, h i s round hose in France , h i s bon-net in Germany an d h i s beh avior every where .
NERISSA: Wha t th ink you of th e Scot t ish lord, his neigh -
bor?
PORTIA: Tha t he h a t h a ne i ghbor ly cha r i t y in h i m , for
he bor rowed a box of the ear of the Engl i shman andswore he would pay h im again when he was able : I th ink
t h e Frenchman became h i s su re t y and sea led u nde r f o r
ano t he r .
NERISSA: How like you t he you ng German , th e Duke of
Saxonys n eph ew?
PORTIA: Very vi lely in t he morn ing, when he is sober ,
and mos t v i l e l y i n t he a f t e rnoon , when he i s d runk :
when he i s bes t , he i s a l i t t l e wor se t han a man , and
when h e i s wor st , h e i s l it t l e be t t e r t h an a beas t : and
th e wors t fa ll tha t ever fe l l, I hope I sha l l make sh i ft t o
go wi t hou t h i m .
NERISSA: I f he shou ld offer to choose , and choose th e
r ight casket , you sh ould refuse to per form your fa ther s
wil l, i f you shou ld refuse t o accept h im.
PORTIA: The refore, for fear of th e worst , I pray th ee,
se t a deep glass of rhenish wine on t he cont rary casket ,f or if t he dev il be wi t h i n and t h a t t empt a t i on w it h ou t ,
I know he wil l choose i t . I wil l do any thing, Nerissa,
ere I l l be married to a sponge.
NERISSA: You need n ot fear, lady, th e having any of
t h ese lo rds: t hey have acqua in t ed me w it h t h e i r de t e r -
mi na t i ons ; wh i ch i s , i ndeed , t o r e t u rn t o t he i r homeand t o t r oub le you w i t h no more su i t , un le s s you m ay
be won by some othe r sor t th an your fa ther s imposi -
t i on depend i ng on t he casket s .
PORTIA: If I l ive to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as
chas t e a s Di ana , un le s s I be ob t a i ned by t he m ann er o f
my fath ers will . I am glad th is parcel of wooers are so
r easonab l e, f or t h e r e is no t one among t hem bu t I do t e
on hi s very absence , and I pray God grant them a fa i r
depa r t u r e .
NERISSA: Do you not rem emb er, lady, in you r fat he rs
t ime, a Vene t ian , a scholar and a soldier, th a t came
hi t her in company of th e Marquis of Mont fer ra t?
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene ii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
11/70
11
PORTIA: Yes, yes, it was Bassan io; as I t h ink, h e was so
called.
NERISSA: True, madam: he, of all th e men th at ever my
foolish eyes looked upon , was the best d eserving a fair lady.
PORTIA: I remember h im well , and I remembe r h im
wor thy of th y pra i se.
[Enter a Serving-man . ]
How now! what news?
Servant : The four st rangers seek for you, madam, to
tak e the i r l eave: and th ere is a forerun ner come from a
fifth , th e Prince of Morocco, who brings word th e prince
his mas ter wi ll be here to-night .
PORTIA: I f I could bid th e f if th welcome with so good a
hear t as I can bid the other four farewel l , I should be
glad of h i s approach: i f he h ave th e condi t ion of a sa int
and the complexion of a devi l , I had ra ther he should
shrive me than wive me. Come, Nerissa. Sirrah, go be-
fore . Whi les we shu t t he ga tes u pon one wooer, anot her
knocks a t the door .
[Exeunt. ]
SCENE III: Ve n ice . A pu bli c pla ce.
[ Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK. ]
SHYLOCK: Three th ousand ducats ; well .
BASSANIO: Ay, s ir, for th ree mont hs.
SHYLOCK: For three mont hs ; wel l.
BASSANIO: For the which, as I to ld you, Ant on io shal l
be bound .
SHYLOCK: Ant onio shal l become bound ; well .
BASSANIO: May you stead me ? will you pleasu re me?
shal l I know your an swer?
SHYLOCK: Three t housand duca t s fo r t h r ee mont h s and
Ant on i o bound .
BASSANIO: Your answer to th a t .
SHYLOCK: Ant onio is a good man .
BASSANIO: Have you heard any imput ation to th e cont rary?
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene iii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
12/70
12
SHYLOCK: Oh, no, no, no, no: my mean ing in saying
he i s a good man i s t o have you unde r s t and me t h a t he
i s suf f ic ient . Yet h i s mean s are in supp os it ion : he h a t h
an argosy bound to Tr ipol i s , another to the Indies ; I
unde r s t and moreove r, upon t h e Ri al t o , he ha t h a t h i rd
a t Mexico, a four th for England , and oth er vent ures heha th , squandered abroad. But ships are but boards , sa il -
ors but men: there be land- ra t s and water - ra t s , water -
th ieves and land- t hieves, I mean p i ra tes , and t hen th ere
i s the per i l of waters, winds an d rocks. The man i s, not -
with s tanding, suf ficient . Three th ousand ducats ; I th ink
I may t ake h i s bond .
BASSANIO: Be assured you may.
SHYLOCK: I wi ll be assured I may; and, t ha t I may be
assured, I wil l be t hin k me. May I speak wi th Ant onio?
BASSANIO: I f i t p lease you to d ine wi th us .
SHYLOCK: Yes , to smell pork; to ea t of th e habi t a t ion
which your prophet th e Nazar ite conjured th e devil in to .
I wil l buy wi th you, se l l wi th you, t a lk with you, walk
with you, an d so following, bu t I wi ll not ea t with you,
d r ink w it h you , no r p r ay w it h you . Wha t news on t h e
Rial to? Who is he come s here ?
[ Enter ANTONIO. ]
BASSANIO: Th is is Sign ior Ant on io.
SHYLOCK: [Asid e ] How l ike a fawning publ ican h e
looks!I ha t e h im for he i s a Chr i s t i an ,
But more for th a t in low s impl ici ty
He lend s out money gra t i s and br ings down
The rate of usan ce here with us in Ven ice.
I f I can ca t ch h i m once upon t he h i p ,
I wil l feed fa t t he a ncient grudge I bear h im.
He hates our sacred nat ion, and he ra i l s ,Even there where merchants most do congregate ,
On me, my bargains and my wel l-won t hr i f t ,
Which he cal ls interest . Cursed be my tr ibe,
If I forgive him!
BASSANIO: Shylock, do you hear?
SHYLOCK: I am debat in g of my present s t ore ,
And, by th e nea r guess of my memory,
I canno t i nst an t l y r a is e up t he g ros s
Of ful l three thousand ducats . What of tha t?
Tuba l , a weal thy Hebrew of my t r ibe,
Wi ll furni sh me. But soft ! h ow many mont hs
Do you desire?
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene iii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
13/70
13
[To ANTONIO. ]
Rest you fair, good signior;
Your worship was th e las t man in our mou th s .
ANTONIO: Shylock, al thou gh I nei ther lend n or borrowBy taking nor by giving of excess,
Yet , to su pply t he r ipe wants of my f r iend ,
Il l break a cu stom . Is he yet possessd
How much ye would?
SHYLOCK: Ay, ay, th ree th ousand ducat s .
ANTONIO: And for th ree mont hs .
SHYLOCK: I had forgot ; th ree mont hs; you told me so.
Wel l th en , your bond; an d le t me see ; but h ear you;
Methought you sa id you nei ther l end nor bor row
Upon advantage .
ANTONIO: I do never use i t .
SHYLOCK: Whe n J acob grazed h is un cle Laban s sheep
Th is Jacob from ou r ho ly Abram was,
As hi s wise moth er wrought in h i s behal f ,
The th i rd possessor ; ay, he was the th i rd
ANTONIO: And wha t o f h i m? d i d he t ake in t e r e st ?
SHYLOCK: No, not t ake int erest , not , as you would say,
Di rec t ly in teres t : ma rk what Jacob did .
When Laban and himsel f were compromised
That a l l th e ean l ings wh ich were s t reakd an d piedShou ld fal l as Jacob s hire, th e ewes, being ran k,
I n t h e e n d o f a u t u m n t u r n e d t o t h e r a ms,
And, when the work of genera t ion was
Between th ese woolly breeders in t he ac t ,
The ski l ful shepherd peeld me certain wands,
And , i n t he do i ng o f t he deed o f k i nd ,
He s tuck them up before the fu l some ewes ,Who t hen conceiving did in ea ning t ime
Fall part i -colord lambs, a nd th ose were Jacobs.
Th is was a way to th r ive , and h e was blest :
And th r if t i s b less ing, i f men s t ea l it n ot .
ANTONIO: This was a vent ure, sir, th at J acob served for;
A th ing not in h i s power to br ing t o pass ,
But swayd an d fashiond by t he ha nd of heaven.Was th i s inser ted to make in teres t good?
Or is your gold an d si lver ewes an d rams?
SHYLOCK: I cann ot t e l l; I make i t breed as fast :
But not e me, s ignior.
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene iii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
14/70
14
ANTONIO: Mark you th is , Bassan io,
The devi l can ci te Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing h oly witn ess
Is l ike a vi l lain with a smil ing cheek,
A good ly app l e ro t t en a t t h e hea r t :
O,what a goodly out s ide fa lsehood hat h!
SHYLOCK: Three th ousan d ducats; tis a good round sum .
Three months from twelve; then, let me see; the rate
ANTONIO: Well, Shylock, sh all we be beho lding to you?
SHYLOCK: Signior Ant onio , many a t ime and oft
In the Ria l to you have ra ted me
About my moneys and my usances :
St i ll have I bo rne i t w it h a pa t i en t sh ru g ,
For sufferance is the badge of al l our t r ibe.
You ca l l me m isbel iever, cut - th roat dog,
And spi t upon my Jewish gaberdine ,
And a l l for use of th a t wh ich i s mine own.
Wel l th en , i t now appe ars you n eed my he lp:Go to , th en ; you come to me, and you say
Shylock, we would h ave m one ys: you say so;
You, t ha t d id void your rheu m up on my beard
And foot me as you spurn a s t ranger cur
Over your threshold: moneys is your sui t
Wha t sh ould I say to you ? Shou ld I not say
Hath a dog money? is i t possible
A cur can lend t h ree thou sand du cats? Or
Shal l I ben d low and in a bon dm an s key,
Wi t h ba t ed b r ea t h and whi spe r ing hum blenes s,
Say t h i s ;
Fair s i r, you spi t on me on Wedn esday last ;You spu rnd me such a d ay; anot her t ime
You cal l d me dog; an d for t he se court esies
Il l len d you t hu s much mon eys?
ANTONIO: I am as l ike to ca ll th ee so again ,
To sp it on t h ee aga in , t o spurn t hee t oo .
I f th ou wi lt l end t h i s money, lend i t not
As to t hy f r iend s ; for when did f r iend ship t ake
A breed for bar ren met a l of h i s f r iend ?
But lend i t r a t he r t o t h i ne en emy,
Who, i f he break, thou mays t wi th be t ter face
Exact the penal ty .
SHYLOCK: Why, look you, how you storm !
I would be f r iends wi th you an d h ave your love ,Forget the shames tha t you have s ta ind me wi th ,
Supp l y your p r e sen t wan t s and t ake no do i t
Of usance for my moneys, and youl l not hear me:
This is kind I offer.
BASSANIO: Th is were kind ne ss.
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene iii
parslibrary.com
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
15/70
15
SHYLOCK: Th is kin dn ess will I show.
Go with me to a n otary , sea l me th ere
Your s ingle bond; an d, in a merry spor t ,
I f you r epay me no t on such a day ,
In such a p lace, such sum or sums as are
Expressd in th e cond i t ion, l e t th e for fe itBe nomi na t ed fo r an equa l pound
Of your fa ir f lesh , t o be cut of f and tak en
In wha t pa r t o f your body p lease t h me .
ANTONIO: Con te nt , i fai th : I l l seal to such a bond
And say there i s much kindness in the Jew.
BASSANIO: You sha l l not sea l to such a bond for me:
Il l rath er d well in my n ecessi ty.
ANTONIO: Why, fear not , man ; I will not forfeit i t :
Wi th in th ese two month s , th a t s a mont h before
This bond expi res, I do exp ect re t urn
Of th r ice th ree t imes the va lue of th i s bond.
SHYLOCK: O fath er Abram, wh at t he se Ch rist ians are,
Whose own h ard deal ings teache s the m suspect
The t hou ght s of o th ers ! Pray you, t e l l me t h i s ;
I f he sh ould break h i s day, wh at sh ould I ga in
By th e exact ion of th e for fe i ture?
A poun d of man s f lesh t aken f rom a man
Is not so es t imable , profi table ne i th er,
As f lesh of muttons, beefs , or goats . I say,
To buy his favor, I extend this fr iendship:
I f he wi ll t ake i t , so ; if not , adieu;
And , for my love , I pray you wrong me not .
ANTONIO: Yes Shylock, I will seal un to t h is bon d.
SHYLOCK: Then mee t me for th with a t t he not arys ;
Give h im di rect ion for th i s merry bond,
And I wil l go and purse t he d ucats s t ra ight ,
See t o my hou se , le f t in t he fear ful guard
Of an un t h r i ft y k nave , and p r esen t l y
I wil l be with you.
ANTONIO: Hie thee , gent le Jew.
[ Exit Shylock. ]
The Hebrew wil l turn Christ ian: he grows kind.
BASSANIO: I like not fair term s and a vi llains mind.
ANTONIO: Come on: in t h i s there can be no dismay;
My ships come home a m ont h be fore t he d ay.
[ Exeunt. ]
The Merchant of Venice, Act I, scene iii
parslibrary.com
h h f A II i
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
16/70
16
ACT II
SCENE I: Be lm on t. A room in PORTIAS ho us e.
[Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF MOROCCO and
his train ; PORTIA, NERISSA, and ot hers att end ing . ]
MOROCCO: Mislike me not for my complexion,
The shad owd l ivery of th e bu rnish d su n ,
To whom I am a ne igh bor and n ear bred.
Br ing me the fa i res t c rea ture nor thward born,
Whe re Pho ebus f i re scarce t h aws t he icicles,
And let us make incision for your love,To prove whose blood is reddest , his or mine.
I t e l l the e , l ady, th i s aspect of mine
Hath feard the val iant : by my love I swear
The best-regarded virgins of our cl ime
Have loved i t too: I would not chan ge th i s hue ,
Excep t t o s t ea l your t h ough t s , my gen t le queen .
PORTIA: In te rms of choice I am not sole ly led
By n ice direct ion of a ma iden s eyes;
Bes ides, t he lo t t e ry of my des t iny
Bars me th e r ight of volunt ary choos ing:
But i f my fa t h e r had n o t s can t ed me
And hed ged me by h i s wi t , to y ie ld myself
His wife who wins me by th a t means I t o ld you,
Yourself , renowne d prince, th en stood a s fair
As any comer I have lookd on yet
For my affect ion.
MOROCCO: Even fo r t h a t I t h ank you :Therefore, I pray you, l ead me t o t he casket s
To try my fortune. By this scimitar
That s lew th e Sophy an d a Pers ian pr ince
That won t hree f ie lds of Sul tan Solyman,
I wou l d ou t s t a r e t he s t e rnes t eyes t ha t look ,
Out b rave t h e hea r t mos t d a r ing on t h e ea r t h ,
Pluck th e youn g sucking cubs from th e she-bear,
Yea, mo ck th e l ion when h e roars for prey,To win thee, lady. But , alas the while!
If Hercules and Lichas play at dice
Whi ch i s t h e be t t e r man , t h e g r eat e r t h row
May t u rn by fo rt u ne f rom t he weake r han d :
So is Alcides beaten by his page;
And so may I , b l ind fortu ne leading me,
Mi ss t h a t wh i ch one u nwort h i er may a t t a i n ,And die wi th gr ieving.
PORTIA: You must t ake your chan ce ,
And e i t he r no t a t t empt t o choose a t a ll
Or swear before you choose, i f you choose wrong
Never to speak to lady af terward
In way of marr iage: th erefore be advised.
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene i
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice Act II scene ii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
17/70
17
MOROCCO: Nor wil l not . Come, br ing me un to my
chance .
PORTIA: Fi rs t , forward to th e tem ple : a f ter d inn er
You r ha zard sh al l be made.
MOROCCO: Good fo r t un e t h en!
To ma ke me blest or curseds t a mong men .
[Cornets, and exeunt. ]
SCENE II: Ve n ice . A st ree t.
[Ent er LAUNCELOT. ]
LAUNCELOT: Cert ainly my con science wil l serve me to
run f rom thi s Jew my master . The f iend i s a t mine e l -
bow and tempts me saying to me Gobbo, Launcelot
Gobbo, good Launcelot , or good Gobbo, or good
Laun celot Gobbo, use your legs , t ake t he s tar t , run
away . My consc i ence s ays No; t ake heed , hones t
Launcelot ; t ake heed, hones t Gobbo, or , as aforesa id ,
hones t Launcelot Gobbo; do not run; scorn running
with t hy h eels . Well , th e most courageou s f ien d bids me
pack : Via! says t h e fien d; away! says t h e fien d; for
th e h eavens , rouse up a brave mind, says th e f iend,
an d run . Well , my con scien ce, h an ging abou t th e neck
of my he art , says very wisely to me My hon est f r iend
Laun celot , be ing an hon es t m an s son, or ra th er an hon -
es t womans son; for, indeed , my fa th er d id somet hing
smack, someth ing grow to , h e had a k ind of t as te ; wel l,
my con scien ce sa ys Lau nce lot, bu dge no t . Budg e, says
t h e fien d. Bud ge n ot , says m y con scien ce. Con scien ce,say I, you co u n sel well; Fien d, say I, you cou n sel
well : to be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with
th e Jew my master , who, God bless the m ark, i s a k ind
of devi l ; and, to run away f rom the Jew, I should be
ruled by the f iend, who, saving your reverence , i s the
devil h imself. Cert ainly t he J ew is t he very d evil incarn al;
and, in my conscience , my conscience i s but a k ind of
ha rd conscience , to of fer to coun sel me to s t ay with th eJew. The f iend gives the more fr iendly counsel : I wil l
run , f iend ; my heels are a t your comman d; I wil l run .
[ Enter Old GOBBO, with a basket. ]
GOBBO: Master youn g man, you, I pray you, which i s
th e way t o ma s ter J ews?
LAUNCELOT: [Aside ] O heaven s , th i s is my t ru e-begot -
ten father! who, being more tha n sand-bl ind, high-gravel
bl ind , kn ows me not : I wil l t ry con fus ions wi th h im.
GOBBO: Master young gent leman, I pray you, which i s
th e way t o ma s ter J ews?
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ii
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice Act II scene ii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
18/70
18
LAUNCELOT: Turn up on your r igh t h and a t t he nex t
t u rn i ng , bu t , a t t he nex t t u rn i ng of a l l, on your le f t ;
mar ry , a t t he ve ry nex t t u rn i ng , t u rn o f no hand , bu t
tu rn down indi rect ly to t he J ews house .
GOBBO: By Gods sont ies, twil l be a h ard way to h i t .Can you te l l me whether one Launcelot , tha t dwel l s
with him, dwel l with h im or n o?
LAUNCELOT: Talk you of youn g Mast er Lau ncelot ?
[Asid e . ]
Mark me now; now wil l I raise the waters . Talk you of
youn g Master Laun celot?
GOBBO: No mast er , si r, but a poor m an s son: h is fat he r,
t h ough I s ay it , i s an hones t exceed ing poor man and ,
God be thanked, wel l to l ive.
LAUNCELOT: Well , let h is fath er be wh at a will , we t alkof young Master Laun celot .
GOBBO: You r worsh ips frien d an d Lau nce lot, sir.
LAUNCELOT: But I pray you, e rgo, o ld man , ergo, I
beseech you, t a lk you of youn g Master Laun celot?
GOBBO: Of Lau ncelot , an t please your mast ership.
LAUNCELOT: Ergo, Mast er Lau ncelot . Talk no t of Mast er
Laun celot , fa t her ; for th e youn g gent leman , according
to Fates an d Des t in ies and such odd sayings, th e Sis ters
Three an d such bran ches of learn ing, is indeed de ceased,or, as you would say in p la in t e rms, gone to he aven.
GOBBO: Marry, God forbid! the boy was th e very staff
of my age, my very prop.
LAUNCELOT: Do I look l ike a cudgel or a hovel-post , a
s taf f or a prop? Do you know me, fa th er?
GOBBO: Alack th e day, I know you not , youn g gent le-
man : but , I pray you, t e l l me, i s my boy, God res t h i s
soul , al ive or dead?
LAUNCELOT: Do you not k now me, fa th er?
GOBBO: Alack, s i r, I am sand-bl ind; I kn ow you not .
LAUNCELOT: Nay, indee d, i f you h ad your eyes, you
might fa i l of the knowing me: i t i s a wise fa ther tha t
kn ows his own ch i ld. Well , old m an , I wil l t el l you news
of your son: g ive me your b less ing: t ru t h wi ll come to
l ight ; murder cann ot be h id long; a man s son may, but
a t t he l eng t h t r u t h w i l l ou t .
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ii
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
19/70
19
GOBBO: Pray you, s ir, s tand u p: I am sure you are not
Launcelot , my boy.
LAUNCELOT: Pray you, let s have no more fool ing abou t
i t , but g ive me your b less ing: I am Laun celot , you r boy
t h a t was, your son t ha t i s, your ch i ld t ha t sha l l be .
GOBBO: I canno t t h i nk you a re my son .
LAUNCELOT: I know no t wha t I sha l l t h i nk of t h a t : bu t
I am Laun celot , t he J ews man , and I am su re Margery
your wife is my mother .
GOBBO: Her na me is Marge ry, ind eed : Ill be sworn , if
t h ou be Launce lo t , t h ou a r t m i ne own f le sh and b l ood .
Lord wor sh i pped mi gh t he be ! wha t a bea rd has t t h ou
go t ! t hou h as t go t more ha i r on t hy ch i n t h an Dobb in
my f il l-horse h as on hi s t a i l.
LAUNCELOT: I t shou ld seem, then , tha t Dobbins t a i l
grows backward: I am sure he had m ore hai r of h i s t a i lth an I have of my face when I l as t saw him.
GOBBO: Lord, how ar t thou chan ged! How dos t th ou
and t hy mas t e r ag ree? I have b rough t h i m a p r e sen t .
How gree you now?
LAUNCELOT: Well , wel l: bu t , for mine own part , as I
ha ve se t u p my rest t o run away, so I wil l not res t t i l l I
h ave run some grou nd . My mast ers a very Jew: give
him a present ! g ive him a ha l ter : I am famished in h i s
service; you may tel l every f inger I have with my r ibs.
Fath er, I am glad you are come: g ive me your p resent toon e Mast er Bassan io, who, ind eed , gives rare new l iver-
ies: i f I serve not him, I wil l run as far as God has any
ground. O rare for tune! here comes the man: to h im,
father; for I am a Jew, i f I serve the Jew any longer .
[ Enter BASSANIO, with LEONARDO and other followers . ]
BASSANIO: You may do so; but l e t i t be so ha s ted t ha t
suppe r be ready a t t he far thes t by f ive of th e c lock. See
th ese le t t e rs de l ivered; put t he l iver ies to ma king, and
des i re Grat iano t o come an on to my lodging.
[ Exit a Servant. ]
LAUNCELOT: To h im, fath er.
GOBBO: God bless you r worship!
BASSANIO: Gramercy! wouldst th ou augh t with me ?
GOBBO: Heres my son, sir, a poor boy,
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ii
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
20/70
20
LAUNCELOT: Not a poor boy, s i r, but t he r ich Je ws
man ; th a t would , s ir, as my fa ther sha l l specify
GOBBO: He ha th a grea t infec t ion, s ir, as one would
say, to serve
LAUNCELOT: Indeed, t he shor t an d th e long i s, I serve
th e Jew, and h ave a des ire, as my fa th er shal l specify
GOBBO: His maste r and h e, saving you r worships rever-
ence, are scarce cater-cousins
LAUNCELOT: To be br ief , the very t ru t h i s th a t t he Jew,
ha ving done me wrong, doth cause me, as my fa ther ,
be ing, I hope , an old man, shal l f ru t i fy unto you
GOBBO: I have here a d i sh of doves th a t I would bes tow
upon your worship , and my sui t i s
LAUNCELOT: In very brief, th e sui t i s imper t inen t to
myself , as your worship shal l kn ow by th i s hon es t o ldman; and , t hough I s ay i t , t hough o l d man , ye t poor
man, my fa ther .
BASSANIO: One speak for both . Wha t would you?
LAUNCELOT: Serve you , sir.
GOBBO: Tha t i s th e very defec t of th e mat ter , s ir.
BASSANIO: I know th ee wel l; th ou ha s t obta ind thy
su i t :
Shylock thy mas ter spoke wi th me th i s day,
And ha th prefer r d t hee , i f it be prefermentTo leave a rich Jews service, to become
The fol lower of so poor a gent leman.
LAUNCELOT: The old proverb is very well part ed be-
tween my master Shylock and you, s i r : you have the
grace of God, s i r, and he h ath enou gh.
BASSANIO: Tho u spea kst i t wel l. Go, fath er, wit h t hy
son .
Take leave of thy old mas te r an d inqu i re
My lodging out . Give h im a l ivery
More guarded than his fel lows: see i t done.
LAUNCELOT: Fat her , in . I cann ot ge t a service , no; I
have neer a tongue in my head. Wel l , i f any man inI ta ly have a fa irer t able which doth of fer to swear upon
a book, I sh al l h ave good fortu ne. Go to, h eres a simple
line of life: heres a small trifle of wives: alas, fifteen
wives is nothing! Eleven widows and nine maids is a
simple coming-in for one m an : and t hen to scape drown-
ing th r ice , and to be in per i l of my li fe wi th t he e dge of
f , ,
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
21/70
21
a feather-bed; here are s imple scapes. Well , i f Fortune
be a wom an , she s a good wen ch for t h is gear. Fat he r,
come; Il l t ake my leave of the J ew in th e twink l ing of
an eye .
[Exeunt Launcelot and Old Gobbo . ]
BASSANIO: I pray thee , good Leonardo, th ink on th i s:
These t h ings be ing bou ght and order ly bes towd,
Return in has te , for I do feas t to-night
My bes t -es t eemd acquaint ance: h ie th ee , go.
LEONARDO: My bes t endeavors sha l l be done he re in .
[Enter GRATIANO. ]
GRATIANO: Whe re is your maste r?
LEONARDO: Yon de r, sir, h e walk s.
[Exit . ]
GRATIANO: Sign ior Bassan io!
BASSANIO: Grat iano!
GRATIANO: I ha ve a sui t to you.
BASSANIO: You h ave obt aind i t .
GRATIANO: You must n ot deny me: I must go with you
to Belmont .
BASSANIO: Why th en you must. But h ear thee, Gratiano;Thou ar t t oo wi ld , t oo rude an d bold of voice ;
Pa r t s t h a t become t h ee hap p i ly enough
And in such eyes as ours appear not faul t s ;
Bu t where t hou a r t n o t kn own, why, t h e r e t hey show
Someth ing too l ibera l. Pray t hee , t ake pain
To al lay with some cold drops of modesty
Thy skipping spi r it , l es t t hrough th y wi ld beh avior
I be miscons t ru ed in t he place I go to ,
And lose my h opes .
GRATIANO: Sign ior Bassan io, he ar me:
I f I do no t pu t on a sobe r hab i t ,
Talk wi th respect and swear but now and then,
Wear prayer-books in my pocket , look demurely,
Nay more, while grace is saying, hood mine eyesThu s with my ha t , an d s igh an d say amen ,
Use al l t he observan ce of civil it y,
Like one wel l s tud ied in a sad os ten t
To please h i s grand am, n ever t rus t me more .
BASSANIO: Well , we sh al l see your bearing .
f
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene iii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
22/70
22
RATIANO: Nay, but I bar to-n ight : you sha l l not
gauge me
By wha t we do t o -n i gh t .
BASSANIO: No , th a t were pi ty :
I wou l d en t r ea t you r a t he r t o pu t onYou r boldest su i t of mir th , for we h ave fr iends
Tha t p urpose merr iment . But fare you wel l :
I have some bus iness .
GRATIANO: And I must to Lorenzo and th e rest :
But we wi ll v is it you a t suppe r - t ime.
[Exeunt. ]
SCENE III: Th e s am e. A ro om in SHYLOCKS
h o u s e .
[Enter JESSICA and LAUNCELOT. ]
JESSICA: I am sor ry thou wi lt l eave my fa th er so:
Our h ouse i s he l l, and th ou, a merry devil ,
Dids t rob i t of some t as te of t ediousne ss.
But fare th ee wel l, th ere i s a ducat for thee:
And , Laun ce lo t , soon a t supp e r sha l t t h ou see
Lorenzo, wh o i s thy new m aster s gues t :
Give h im t hi s l e t t e r ; do i t secre t ly ;
And so farewell : I would not h ave my fa th er
See me i n t a l k w it h t h ee .
LAUNCELOT: Adieu! tears exhibi t my tongu e. Most beau -
t i fu l pagan, most sweet J ew! i f a Chr i s t i an did not p layth e knave and get th ee , I am much deceived. But , adieu:
th ese foolish d rops do somet hin g drown my ma nly spir it :
ad i eu .
JESSICA: Farewell, good Lau ncelot .
[ Exit Launcelot. ]
Alack, wh at he inous s in i s i t in me
To be ash ame d to b e my fath ers chi ld!
But t h ough I am a dau gh t e r t o h i s b lood ,
I am not to h i s mann ers . O Lorenzo,
I f thou keep promise , I sha l l end t h i s s t r i fe ,
Become a Christ ian and thy loving wife.
[ Exit. ]
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene iv
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
23/70
23
SCENE IV: Th e sa m e. A st ree t.
[Enter GRATIANO, LORENZO, SALARINO, and SALANIO. ]
LORENZO: Nay, we wil l s l in k away in supp er- t ime,
Disguise us a t my lodging a nd re tu rn ,All in an hour.
GRATIANO: We have not made good prepara t ion.
SALARINO: We have not spoke us ye t of torch bearers.
SALANIO: Tis vile, unless i t ma y be qu aint ly orderd,
And be t t e r in my mi nd no t unde r t ook .
LORENZO: Tis now but four oclock: we ha ve two h ou rs
To furn ish us.
[Ente r LAUNCELOT, wit h a let te r. ]
Friend Laun celot , wha ts th e ne ws?
LAUNCELOT: An i t sh a l l p lease you t o break up th i s, it
shal l seem to signify.
LORENZO: I know th e han d: in fa ith , t i s a fa i r ha nd ;
And whi t e r t h an t he pape r i t w r it on
I s t h e f ai r han d t h a t wr it .
GRATIANO: Love-news, in fai th .
LAUNCELOT: By your leave, sir.
LORENZO: Whi t h e r goest t hou?
LAUNCELOT: Marry, s i r, to bid my old mast er th e Jew to
sup t o -n i gh t w i t h my new mas t e r t he Chr i st i an .
LORENZO: Hold here , t ake th i s: t e l l gent le Jess ica
I wil l not fai l her; speak i t pr ivately.
Go, gent lemen,
[ Exit Launcelot. ]
Wi ll you prepare you for th i s masque ton ight?
I am provided of a torch-bearer .
SALANIO: Ay, marry, Il l be gone ab ou t i t s t raight .
SALANIO: And so will I .
LORENZO: Meet me and Grat iano
At Grat ianos lodging some hour hence.
SALARINO: Tis good we do so.
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene v
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
24/70
24
[Exeunt SALARINO and SALANIO. ]
GRATIANO: Was not t h a t l e t t e r f rom fa ir Jess ica?
LORENZO: I must n eeds te l l th ee a l l. She h ath di rec ted
How I shal l take h er from he r fat he rs hou se,What gold and jewels she is furnishd with,
Wha t p ages sui t she h a th in readiness .
I f e er th e Jew h er fa ther come to heaven ,
I t wil l be for his gen t le da ug ht ers sake:
And never dare misfortu ne cross her foot ,
Unless she do i t u nder t h i s excuse,
That she is issue to a fai thless Jew.
Come, go with me; peruse t h i s as th ou goes t :
Fair Jessica sha l l be my torch -bearer .
[Exeunt. ]
SCENE V: Th e s am e. Be f ore SHYLOCKS h ou se .
[Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT. ]
SHYLOCK: Wel l, thou shal t see , thy eyes shal l be th y
ju dge,
The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:
What , J e s s ica ! t h ou sha l t n o t go rmand i se,
As thou has t done wi th me:What , Jess ica!
And s leep and snore , and rend appare l out ;
Why, Jessica, I say!
LAUNCELOT: Why, J essica!
SHYLOCK: Who bids th ee ca l l? I do not b id th ee ca l l.
LAUNCELOT: Your worship was wont t o t e l l me th a t I
cou ld do n o t h i ng w it h ou t b idd i ng .
[ Ent er Jessica . ]
JESSICA: Cal l you? wh at is your wil l?
SHYLOCK: I am bid for th to suppe r, Jess ica :
There are my keys. But wherefore should I go?
I am n ot b id for love; they f la t t e r me:
But ye t I l l go in h a te , t o feed u pon
The prodigal Ch rist ian . Je ssica, my gir l ,
Look to my h ouse . I am r ight loa th t o go:
There is some i l l a-brewing towards my rest ,For I d id dream of money-bags to-night .
LAUNCELOT: I beseech you, s ir, go: my young mast er
do t h expect your r ep roach .
SHYLOCK: So do I h is .
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene v
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
25/70
25
LAUNCELOT: An t hey have conspi red togeth er, I wil l
no t s ay you sha l l s ee a masque ; bu t i f you do , t hen i t
was not for nothing tha t my nose fe l l a -bleeding on
Black-Mond ay last at s ix oclock i th e m orn ing, fal ling
out t ha t year on Ash-Wedne sday was four year, in th e
a f t e rnoon .
SHYLOCK: Wha t , a re there masques? Hear you me,
Jessica:
Lock up my door s; and when you hea r t he d rum
And the vi le squeal ing of the wry-neckd f i fe,
Cl amber no t you up t o t h e casement s t hen ,
Nor thrus t your head in to the publ ic s t ree t
To gaze on Ch rist ian fools with varnish d faces,
But s top my h ouses ears , I mean my casements :
Let not the sound of shal low foppery enter
My sober house. By Jacobs staff, I swear,
I have no mi nd o f feas t i ng fo r t h t o -n i gh t :
But I will go. Go you before me, s i rrah ;
Say I will come.
LAUNCELOT: I will go before, sir. Mistre ss, look o u t at
window, for al l th is , The re will come a Ch rist ian boy,
will be wort h a J ewess eye.
[ Exit. ]
SHYLOCK: Wh at says t h at fool of Hagars offspring, ha ?
JESSICA: His words were Farewe ll mist ress; n ot h ing else.
SHYLOCK: The patch is kind enou gh, but a huge feeder;
Snai l- s low in p rofi t , an d h e s leeps by dayMore th an t he wild-ca t : drones hive not wi th me;
Therefore I par t wi th h im, and par t wi th h im
To one tha t would have him help to was te
His borrowd purse. Well, Jessica, go in;
Perhap s I wil l re tu rn immedia te ly:
Do as I b id you; shu t doors af ter you:
Fas t b ind, fas t f ind ;
A proverb never s ta le in t hr i f ty mind .
[ Exit. ]
JESSICA: Farewell; an d if my fort un e be no t crost ,
I have a fa ther , you a daugh ter , los t .
[ Exit. ]
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene vi
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
26/70
26
SCENE VI: Th e sa m e .
[Enter GRATIANO and SALARINO, masqued. ]
GRATIANO: Th is is th e pent -house un der which Lorenzo
Desi red us t o make s t and .
SALARINO: His hou r i s a lmost pas t .
GRATIANO: And i t is marvel he out -dwells h is hou r,
For lovers ever run before t h e clock.
SALARINO: O, te n t imes faste r Ven us pigeo ns fly
To seal loves bond s new-mad e, th an th ey are wontTo keep obl iged fa i th un for fe i ted!
GRATIANO: Tha t ever holds : who r i se th f rom a feas t
Wi t h t h a t keen appe t i t e t ha t h e s it s down?
Where i s t h e hor se t ha t do t h un t r ead aga i n
His tedious measures wi th the unbated f i re
Tha t h e did pace th em f i rs t? Al l th ings th a t a re ,
Are with more spi r it ch ased t ha n en joyd.
How l ike a youn ker or a prodigal
The scar fed bark put s f rom h er n a t ive bay,
Huggd and embraced by the s t rumpet wind!
How l ike the prodigal doth she re turn ,
With over-weath erd r ibs an d ragged sai ls ,
Lean , rent and begga r d by the s t ru mpet wind !
SALARINO: Here comes Loren zo: more of th is he reafte r.
[ Enter LORENZO. ]
LORENZO: Sweet f r iend s , your pa t ience for my long
abode;Not I , but my af fa i rs , have made you wai t :
When you sh al l p lease to p lay th e t h ieves for wives ,
I l l watch as long for you then. Approach;
Here dwells my fat he r J ew. Ho! whos with in?
[ Enter JESSICA, above, in boys clothes . ]
JESSICA: Who a re you? Tel l me, for more certa int y,
Albei t I l l swear that I do know your tongue.
LORENZO: Lorenzo, and th y love.
JESSICA: Lorenzo, cer ta in , and my love indeed ,
For who love I so much? And now who knows
But you, Lorenzo, whet her I am yours?
LORENZO: Heaven and t hy t hough t s a r e w it n es s t h a t
t h o u a r t .
JESSICA: Here, catch t his casket ; i t is worth t he pa ins.
I am glad t i s n ight , you do n ot look on me,
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene vi
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
27/70
27
For I am much asham ed of my exchange:
But love is bl ind and lovers cannot see
The p re t t y fo ll ies th a t t hem selves commit ;
For i f th ey cou ld, Cup id h imself wou ld blush
To see me th us t ransformed t o a boy.
LORENZO: Descend, for you must be my torchbea rer.
JESSICA: What , must I hold a cand le to my sha mes?
They in t hem selves , good-sooth , a re too too l ight .
Why, t is an office of d iscovery, love;
And I should be obscured.
LORENZO: So are you, sweet ,Even in the lovely garnish of a boy.
But come a t once;
For the c lose night doth play the runaway,
And we are st ayd for at Bassan ios feast .
JESSICA: I will mak e fast t he doo rs, an d gi ld myself
Wi th some more ducats , and be wi th you s t ra ight .
[Exit a bove . ]
GRATIANO: Now, by my hood , a Gen t i le and n o Jew.
LORENZO: Beshrew me but I love her hear t i ly ;
For sh e is wise, i f I can judge of h er ,
And fa ir she i s , if th a t mine eyes be t rue ,
And t rue she i s , as she h ath proved herse lf ,
And therefore, l ike herself , wise, fair and t rue,
Sh al l she be placed in my cons tan t sou l .
[ Ente r JESSICA, below . ]
What , a r t thou come? On, gent lemen; away!
Our m asquing m ate s by th i s t ime for us s tay .
[ Exit with Jessica and Salarino . ]
[ Enter ANTONIO. ]
ANTONIO: Wh os t h ere?
GRATIANO: Sign ior Ant on io!
ANTONIO: Fie, f ie, Grat ian o! where are al l t he rest ?
Tis n ine oclock: ou r frien ds all st ay for you.
No masque to-night : the wind i s come about ;
Bassanio present ly wil l go aboard:
I have s en t t wen t y ou t t o s eek for you .
GRATIANO: I am glad on t : I desire no more del ight
Than t o be un de r s a il and gone t o -n i gh t .
[ Exeunt. ]
parslibrary.com
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene vii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
28/70
28
SCENE VII: Belm on t. A roo m in PORTIAS ho use .
[Flourish of cornets. Enter PORTIA, with the PRINCE OF
MOROCCO, an d t heir t ra in s . ]
PORTIA: Go draw aside the cur t a ins and di scoverThe severa l caskets to th i s noble pr ince .
Now make your choice.
MOROCCO: The first , of gold, who th is inscription bears,
Who chooset h me sha l l ga in wha t m any men des i re ;
The second, s i lver , which this promise carr ies ,
Who ch ooseth me sh al l ge t as mu ch as h e deserves ;
This th i rd , du l l l ead, with warning a l l as b lun t ,
Who chooset h me mu st g ive and ha zard a l l he h a t h .
How shal l I kn ow if I do choose th e r ight?
PORTIA: The one of them cont ains my picture, pr ince:
I f you choose t ha t , t h en I am your s wi t ha l .
MOROCCO: Some god di rect my judgment ! Let me see ;I wil l survey t he inscrip t ions back again .
Wha t says th i s l eaden casket?
Who chooset h me mu st g ive and ha zard a l l he h a t h .
Must give: for wha t? for lead? h azard for lead?
This casket threa tens . Men tha t hazard a l l
Do i t in hop e of fa ir advant ages :
A golden mind s t oops not to sh ows of dross ;
I l l th en nor g ive nor h azard augh t for lead.
What says the s ilver with her v i rgin hu e?
Who chooseth me shal l get as much as he deserves.
As much as he deserves! Pause there, Morocco,
And we i gh t hy va lue w i t h an even h and :I f th ou bes t ra ted by t hy es t imat ion,
Thou dos t dese rve enough ; an d ye t enough
May not extend so far as to the lady:
And yet t o be afeard of my deserving
Were bu t a weak disabl ing of myself .
As much as I deserve! Why, th at s th e lady:
I do in b i r th deserve her, and in for tu nes ,
In graces and in qu al it i es of breeding;
But more th an th ese , in love I do deserve .
What i f I s t rayd n o fur th er, but chose h ere?
Let s see on ce more t h is saying graved in gold
Who chooseth me sh al l ga in what many men des ire .
Why, th at s th e lady; al l th e world desires he r;
From the four corners of the ear th they come,
To ki ss th i s shr ine , t h i s mor ta l -brea th ing sa int :The Hyrcanian deser t s and t he vas ty wi lds
Of wide Arabia are as throughfares now
For prin ces to come view fair Port ia:
The wat ery kingdom, whose ambi t ious head
Spit s in t he face of heaven , i s no bar
To s top th e fore ign spi ri t s , but th ey come,
parslibrary.com
A b k f i P i Al l h l i i ld
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene vii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
29/70
29
As oer a brook, to see fair Port ia.
One of these three conta ins her heavenly pic ture .
Is t l ike that lead contains her? Twere damnation
To th in k so base a th ough t : i t were too gross
To r ib her cerecloth in the obscure grave.
Or sha l l I th ink in si lver shes immu red,Being ten t imes undervalued to t r i ed gold?
O sinful thought! Never so r ich a gem
Was se t in worse th an gold . They h ave in England
A coin t ha t bears th e f igure of an an gel
Stam ped in gold , bu t t ha t s insculpd u pon ;
But here an angel in a golden bed
Lies al l within. Del iver me the key:
Here do I choose , and th r ive I as I may!
PORTIA: The re, t ake i t , pr ince; and i f my form lie
t he r e ,
Then I am you rs.
[He u n lo ck s t h e gold en ca sket. ]
MOROCCO: O hel l ! what ha ve we here?
A car r ion Deat h , wi th in whose emp ty eye
The re is a wri t te n scroll ! Il l read t he wri t ing.
[Re ads . ]
Al l th a t g l it t e r s is not gold;
Of t en h ave you h ea rd t h a t t o l d :
Many a m an h i s l ife ha t h sold
But my outs ide to beh old:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold ,Youn g in l imbs , in judgment o ld ,
You r an swer had no t b een inscroll d:
Fare you well; your sui t is cold.
Cold, indeed; and labor lost :
Then, farewell , heat , and welcome, frost!
Por t ia , adieu. I h ave too gr ieved a hea r t
To t ake a t ed ious leave: th us losers par t .
[ Exit with his t rain. Flourish of cornet s . ]
PORTIA: A gent le r iddan ce . Draw the cur t a ins , go.
Let al l of his complexion choose me so.
[ Exeunt. ]
parslibrary.com
SCENE VIII V i A t t St l b d ht ! J t i ! fi d th i l
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene viii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
30/70
30
SCENE VIII: Ve n ice . A st ree t.
[Enter SALARINO and SALANIO. ]
SALARINO: Why, man , I saw Bassan io un der sai l:
Wi th h im i s Grat iano gone a long;And in th e i r ship I am su re Lorenzo i s not .
SALANIO: The villain J ew with ou tcries raised th e duke,
Who wen t with h im to search Bassanios ship.
SALARINO: He came too la t e , the ship was un der sa il :
Bu t t h e r e t he duke was g iven t o un de r st an d
That in a gondola were seen together
Lorenzo a nd hi s amorous J ess ica :
Bes ides, Ant onio cer t i f ied t he duke
They were not with Bassanio in h i s ship .
SALANIO: I never heard a pass ion so confused,
So strange, outrageous, and so variable,
As t he dog J ew d id u t t e r i n t he s t r ee t s :My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!
Fled with a Ch rist ian! O my Ch rist ian du cats!
Jus t i ce ! t he l aw! my duca t s , and my daugh t e r !
A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats ,
Of double ducats , s to len f rom me by my dau ght er !
And jewels , two s ton es , two r ich an d p rec ious s ton es ,
Stolen by my dau ght er ! Jus t ice! find th e gi r l;
She h a t h t h e s t ones upon h e r, and t he duca t s .
SALARINO: Why, all t h e boys in Ven ice follow h im,
Crying, h i s s ton es , h i s daugh ter , and h i s ducats .
SALANIO: Let good Anton io look he keep h i s day,
Or he shal l pay for this .
SALARINO: Marry, well reme mb erd.
I reasond wi th a Frenchm an yes terday,
Who told me, in the nar row seas tha t par t
The French and English, there miscarr ied
A vesse l of our coun t ry r ichly f raught :I t hough t upon Ant on i o when he t o l d me ;
And wishd in s il ence th a t i t were not h i s .
SALANIO: You were best to te ll Ant onio what you h ear;
Yet d o no t su dden ly, for it m ay grieve him.
SALARINO: A k i nde r gen t l eman t r eads no t t he ea r t h .I saw Bassanio and Ant onio par t :
Bassanio to ld h im h e would make some speed
Of h is retu rn : h e a nswerd, Do n ot so;
Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio
But s tay the very r ip ing of the t ime;
And for th e Jews bond wh ich h e h ath of me,
parslibrary.com
Let i t n ot en ter in you r mind of love: [ Fl i h f t E t th PRINCE OF ARRAGON
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ix
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
31/70
31
Let i t n ot en ter in you r mind of love:
Be merry, and e mploy your chiefes t th ough ts
To cour t sh ip and such fa ir os ten ts of love
As shal l conven ient ly become you th ere :
And even th ere , h i s eye being big with tears ,
Turn i ng h i s f ace, he pu t h i s hand beh i nd h i m ,
And with af fect ion wondrous sens ible
He wrun g Bassanios han d; and so th ey par t ed .
SALANIO: I th ink h e only loves th e world for h im.
I pray thee , l e t us go and f ind him out
And qu icken h i s embraced heaviness
With some del ight or o t her .
SALARINO: Do we so.
[Exeunt. ]
SCENE IX: Be lm on t. A roo m i n PORTIAS hou se.
[Enter NERISSA with a Servitor. ]
NERISSA: Quick, quick, I pray the e; draw th e cur ta in
s t r a i gh t :
The Pr ince of Arragon h ath ta en h i s oa t h ,
And comes to h i s e lec t ion p resent ly .
[ Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRAGON,
PORTIA, and their trains . ]
PORTIA: Beho ld, the re stan d the caskets , noble prince:
I f you choose th a t wh ere in I am conta in d ,
St ra ight shal l our nu pt ia l r i t es be solemn ized:
But i f you fa i l, wi thou t more speech, my lord ,
You must be gone f rom hen ce immedia te ly.
ARRAGON: I am en joind by oat h to observe th ree
t h i ngs :
Fi rs t , n ever to un fold to any on e
Wh ich casket twas I ch ose; n ext , i f I fai l
Of th e r ight casket , n ever in my l ifeTo woo a maid in way of marriage:
Lastly,
If I do fai l in fortune of my choice,
Immedia te ly to l eave you and be gone.
PORTIA: To these in junct ions every one dot h swear
Th at comes to h azard for my wor thless se lf .
ARRAGON: And so h ave I addressd me. Fort un e now
To my he art s h ope! Gold; s i lver; an d b ase lead .
Who ch ooseth me mu st g ive and ha zard a l l he h a th .
You sha l l look fairer , ere I give or h azard.
What says the golden ches t? ha! l e t me see :
parslibrary.com
Who chooseth me sh al l ga in what many men des i re I wil l assume desert Give me a key for this
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ix
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
32/70
32
Who chooseth me sh al l ga in what many men des i re .
Wha t m any men des i re! th a t many may be m eant
By th e fool mul t i tu de , th a t choose by show,
Not l ea rn ing more t han t he fond eye do t h t each ;
Which pr ies not to the in ter ior , but , l ike the mar t le t ,
Bui lds in th e weath er on t he ou tward wall ,
Even in th e force an d road of casual ty .
I wil l not choose what man y men des i re ,
Because I wi ll not jump with common spi r it s
And r ank me w it h t h e ba rba rous mul t i t udes .
Why, then to thee , thou s i lver t reasure-house;
Tel l me once more wh at t i t l e th ou dos t bear :
Who ch ooseth me sh al l ge t as mu ch as h e deserves :
And well said too; for who shal l go aboutTo cozen for tun e an d be h onorable
Wi t hou t t h e s t amp o f meri t ? Le t n one p r esume
To wear an un deserved digni ty .
O, th a t es ta t es , degrees and of f ices
Were not der ived cor rupt ly, and th a t c lear hon or
Were purchased by th e mer i t of th e wearer !
How many t hen shou l d cove r t h a t s t an d ba re !How many be commanded t h a t command!
How much low peasant ry would t hen be gleand
From t he t r ue s eed o f honor ! and how much h onor
Pickd f rom th e chaf f and ruin of t he t imes
To be new-varn ishd! Well , but to my ch oice:
Who chooseth me shal l get as much as he deserves.
I wil l assume desert . Give me a key for this ,
And ins tant ly unlock my for tunes here .
[He open s t h e silver ca sket. ]
PORTIA: Too long a pause for th at wh ich you find th ere.
ARRAGON: Wh ats here? the port rait of a blinking idiot,
Present ing me a schedule! I wil l read i t .
How much unl ike ar t thou to Por t ia !
How much u nl ike my hopes an d my deservings!
Who chooseth me shal l have as much as he deserves.
Did I deserve no more t h an a fools head ?
Is th a t my pr ize? are my deser t s no bet t er?
PORTIA: To offend , and judge, are dist in ct off ices
And of opposed natures .
ARRAGON: Wh at i s here?
[Reads . ]
The f ire seven t imes t r i ed t h i s :
Seven t imes t r i ed tha t judgment i s ,
Th at d id never choose am iss .
Some there be tha t shadows ki ss ;
Such h ave bu t a shad ows bl iss:
parslibrary.com
There be fools alive I wis PORTIA: Here: wh at would my lord?
The Merchant of Venice, Act II, scene ix
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
33/70
33
There be fools alive, I wis,
Silverd oer; and so was this.
Take what wife you wil l to bed,
I wil l ever be your head:
So be gone : you are sped.
St i l l more fool I shal l app ear
By t he t ime I linger here
With on e fools head I came t o woo,
But I go away wi th t wo.
Sweet , adieu. I l l keep my oath,
Pat ient ly to bear my wroth .
[Exeunt Arragon and train . ]
PORTIA: Thus ha t h t he cand l e s inged t he mot h .
O, t hese d e l ibera te fools ! when th ey do choose ,
They h ave th e wisdom by t he i r wi t to lose.
NERISSA: The an cient saying is no heresy,
Hanging an d wiving goes by des t iny.
PORTIA: Come, draw th e curta in, Nerissa.
[Enter a Servant. ]
Servant : Whe re is my lady?
PORTIA: Here: wh at would my lord?
Servant : Madam, th ere i s a l ight ed a t your ga te
A young Venet ian , on e th a t comes before
To signify the approaching of his lord;
From whom he br inget h sens ible regree t s ,
To wit , bes ides commends an d cour t eous brea th ,
Gif ts of r ich value. Yet I h ave n ot seen
So likely an amb assador of love:
A day in Apri l never came so sweet ,
To show how cos t ly summer was a t h and ,
As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord.
PORTIA: No more, I pray th ee: I am ha lf afeardThou wi l t say anon he i s some kin to thee ,
Thou spend s t such high -day wi t in p ra is ing him.
Come, come, Nerissa; for I long to see
Quick Cup ids post t h at comes so man ne rly.
NERISSA: Bassan io, lord Love, if thy will it b e!
[ Exeunt. ]
parslibrary.com
ACT III SALARINO: I would i t might prove th e end of his lossesThe Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene i
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
34/70
34
ACT III
SCENE I: Ve n ice . A st ree t.
[Enter SALANIO and SALARINO. ]
SALANIO: Now, wh at n ews on t h e Rial to?
SALARINO: Why, ye t i t l ives th ere unchecked t ha t An-
ton io ha th a ship of r i ch lading wrecked on t he n ar row
seas ; the Goodwins , I th ink t hey ca l l the p lace ; a very
dan gerous fla t an d fa ta l , where th e carcasses of many a
tal l ship l ie buried, as they say, i f my gossip Report bean hones t woman o f he r word .
SALANIO: I would she were as lying a gossip in t ha t as ever
kn app ed ginger or made her neigh bors believe she wept for
the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any
slips of prolixity or crossing t he p lain h ighway of talk, th at
the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,O that I had a
title good enough to keep his name company!
SALARINO: Come, the ful l s top .
SALANIO: Ha! what sayes t t hou ? Why, th e end i s, he
ha t h l ost a sh i p .
SALARINO: I would i t might prove th e end of h i s losses .
SALANIO: Let me say amen bet imes, lest th e devi l cross
my prayer, for here he comes in t he l ikeness of a Jew.
[ Enter SHYLOCK. ]
How now, Shylock! what news among t he merchant s?
SHYLOCK: You k now, none so well , non e so well as you,
of my daug ht ers f light .
SALARINO: Tha t s cer ta in : I, for my par t , knew the
ta i lor th a t made th e wings she f lew with al .
SALANIO: And Shylock, for h i s own p ar t , kn ew the bi rd
was f ledged; and th en i t i s th e complexion of th em al l
t o l eave t h e dam.
SHYLOCK: She i s damn ed for i t .
SALANIO: Th at s cer t ain, i f t he devi l may be her judge.
SHYLOCK: My own f lesh an d blood to rebel !
SALANIO: Out u pon i t , o ld car r ion! rebels i t a t th ese
years?
parslibrary.com
SHYLOCK: I say, my daugh ter i s my f lesh an d blood. mean s , warmed and cooled by the same winter an d sum-
The Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene i
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
35/70
35
SHYLOCK: I say, my daugh ter i s my f lesh an d blood.
SALARINO: Th ere is more differen ce bet ween t hy f lesh
and he r s t han be t ween j e t and i vory ; more be t ween
your b loods than th ere is be tween red wine and rh enish .
Bu t t e l l u s, do you hea r whe t he r Ant on i o have had any
loss a t sea or n o?
SHYLOCK: There I have anoth er bad match: a bankrupt ,
a prodigal , who dare scarce show h is head on th e Rialto;
a beggar, th a t was used to come so smug upon th e mar t ;
let him look to h is bond: h e was wont to cal l me usurer;
let h im look to h is bond: h e was wont to lend mon ey for
a Christ ian courtesy; let h im look t o h is bond.
SALARINO: Why, I am sure, i f he forfei t , t hou wilt n ot
tak e h i s flesh: wh at s th a t good for?
SHYLOCK: To bai t f ish with al : i f i t will feed no t h ing
else, i t will feed my reven ge. He h at h d isgraced me, and
hindered me h alf a mill ion; laugh ed at my losses, mockedat my gains , scorned my n at ion , th war ted my bargains ,
cooled my f r iends , heat ed m ine en emies ; and wh at s h i s
r eason? I am a J ew . Ha t h no t a J ew eyes? ha t h no t a
Jew ha nd s , organs , d imen s ions , senses , a f fect ions , pas-
s ions? fed wi th t he same food, hur t with th e same weap-
ons , subjec t to the same diseases , hea led by the same
mean s , warmed and cooled by the same winter an d sum
mer, as a Ch rist ian is? If you p rick us, do we not bleed?
i f you t i ckle us , do we not l augh? i f you poison u s , do
we not d ie? and i f you wrong u s , sha l l we not revenge?
If we are l ike you in the rest , we wil l resemble you in
th at . I f a Jew wrong a Chr i s t i an , wh at i s h i s humi l ity?
Revenge. If a Christ ian wrong a Jew, what should his
sufferan ce be by Ch rist ian exa mp le? Why, revenge. The
vi l lany you teach me, I wi l l execute , and i t sha l l go
ha rd bu t I w il l be t t e r t he i ns t ruct i on .
[ Enter a Servant. ]
Servant : Gent lemen, my master Ant onio i s a t h i s hou seand des ir e s t o speak w it h you bo t h .
SALARINO: We have been up and down t o s eek h i m .
[ Enter TUBAL. ]
SALANIO: Here comes anot her of th e t r ibe : a th i rd can-not be matched, unless the devi l h imsel f turn Jew.
[ Exeunt SALANIO, SALARINO, and Servant. ]
SHYLOCK: How now, Tub al! wh at n ews from Gen oa?
h a s t t h o u f ou n d m y d a u g h t e r ?
parslibrary.com
TUBAL: I of ten came whe re I d id hear of her , but can - SHYLOCK: I th an k th ee , good Tubal : good news, good
The Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene i
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
36/70
36
,
not f ind her .
SHYLOCK: Why, th ere, th ere, th ere, th ere! a diamond gone,
cost me two th ousand d ucats in Frank fort! The cu rse never
fell upon our nation til l now; I never felt i t t i l l now: two
th ousand du cats in th at ; and oth er precious, precious jew-
els . I would my daughter were dead at my foot , and the
jewe ls in h er ear! wou ld sh e we re h earsed at my foot , and
th e du cats in h er coffin! No news of the m? Why, so: and I
kn ow not wh ats spent in th e search: why, th ou loss upo n
loss! the t hief gone with so much, and so much to f ind th e
th ief; and n o satisfaction, no revenge: nor no in luck stir-
ring but what lights on my shoulders; no sighs but of mybreathing; no t ears but of my shedding.
TUBAL: Yes, oth er men h ave i ll luck too: Ant on io, as I
heard in Genoa,
SHYLOCK: Wha t , wh at , wh at? i ll luck, i ll luck?
TUBAL: Hath an a rgosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.
SHYLOCK: I th an k God, I th an k God. Ist t rue, ist t rue ?
TUBAL: I spoke with some of th e sa ilors th a t escaped
t h e wreck .
, g g , g
news! ha , h a! where? in Genoa?
TUBAL: Your daug ht er spent in Genoa, as I heard , in
one night fourscore ducats .
SHYLOCK: Thou s t ickest a dagger in me: I sha l l never
see my gold again: fourscore ducats a t a s it t ing! four -
score du cats !
TUBAL: Th ere came divers of Ant on ios credito rs in my
company to Venice, th at swear he cann ot choose but break.
SHYLOCK: I am very glad of it : Ill plagu e h im; Ill to r-tu re h im: I am glad of it .
TUBAL: One o f t h em showed me a r ing t h a t he h ad o f
your daughter for a monkey.
SHYLOCK: Out u pon h er! Thou t ortu rest me, Tubal : it
was my turquoise; I had i t of Leah when I was a bachelor:I would n ot ha ve given i t for a wilderness of mon keys.
TUBAL: But Anton io i s cer ta in ly un done.
SHYLOCK: Nay, th at s t ru e, th at s very t rue. Go, Tuba l ,
fee me a n of ficer ; bespeak him a for tn ight before . I wil l
parslibrary.com
ha ve the hear t of h im, i f he for fe it ; for, were he out of One ha l f of me i s yours, t he o th er h a l f yours ,
The Merchant of Venice, Act III, scene ii
8/8/2019 Shakespeare William Shakespeare William the Merchant of Venice
37/70
37
, ; ,
Ven ice, I can m ake wha t m ercha nd ise I wil l. Go, go,
Tubal , and meet me a t ou r synagogue; go, good Tubal ;
a t our syn agogue, Tubal .
[Exeunt. ]
SCENE II: Belm on t. A roo m in PORTIAS ho us e.
[Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, NERISSA, and At-
t e n d a n t s . ]
PORTIA: I pray you, t a r ry: pause a day or two
Before you hazard; for , in choosing wrong,
I lose your company: therefore forbear awhile.
The res somet h ing t el ls me, but i t is not love,
I would not lose you; and you kn ow yourse l f,
Hate coun sels not in such a qu al ity .
But l es t you should not unders tand me wel l ,
An d y e t a m a id e n h a t h n o t o n g u e b u t t h o u g h t ,
I woul d de t a i n you h e re some mont h o r t woBefore you ven tu re for me. I could teach you
How to choose r ight , but I am th en forsworn;
So wil l I never be: so may you miss me;
But i f you do, youl l make me wish a s in,
Tha t I had been forsworn. Beshrew your eyes ,
They h ave oer lookd m e an d d ivided me;
y , y ,
Mine own, I would say; but i f mine , t hen yours ,
And so a l l yours . O, th ese n augh ty t imes
Pu t ba r s be t ween t he owner s and t he i r r igh t s !
And so , th ough yours , not you rs. Prove it so ,
L