was in order to assist Bassanio

Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What, man? courage

*

yet!

*

The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all,
Lose for me, it Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.
Ant. I am a tainted wether * of the flock,
Meetest for death,; the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground, and so let me :
You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.*

that Antonio borrowed the money. A tainted wether,

a sheep that carries infection or

disease to the
flock.

Meetest, fittest,
most proper or
suitable.
Epitaph, that
which is written
on a tombstone
to the memory of
the dead.

Nerissa, wife of
Gratiano.
Greets, salutes,
sends his compli-

Enter NERISSA,* dressed like a lawyer's clerk.
Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Ner. From both, my lord: Bellario greets your
[Presents a letter.
Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
Shy. To cut the forfeiture * from that bankrupt *

grace.

there.

Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'st thy knife keen: but no metal can,
No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?

Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.
Gra. O, for thy life let justice be accused.*
Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,"

*

That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men: for thy desires

Are wolfish, bloody, starved, and ravenous.

*

75

80

85

90

Shy. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond, 95
Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud:
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall

*

To cureless ruin.-I stand here for law.

Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend
A
and learned doctor to our court:-
young
Where is he?

To know your answer whether you'll admit him.
Duke. With all my heart :-some three or four of

you,

Go give him cordial conduct to this place.

Enter PORTIA,* dressed like a doctor of laws.

Duke. Give me your hand. Came you from old

Bellario?

Por. I did, my lord.

100

105

ΠΙΟ

115

Duke.

You are welcome: take your place.

Are you acquainted with the cause in question?
Por. I am informed thoroughly of the cause.
Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?

Are you acquainted, &c., do you know the particulars and

Duke. Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth, the nature of the
Por. Is your name Shylock?

Shy.

Shylock is my name.
Por. (to Ant.) You stand within his danger, do

you not?

Do you confess the bond?

Ant. Ay, so he says.

Por.

Ant. I do.

Por.

120

Then must the Jew be merciful.

Shy. On what compulsion must I? Tell me

that.

*

Por. The quality of mercy is not strain'd;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heav'n
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesses him that gives, and him that takes.
125 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly pow'r doth then show* likest God's
130 When mercy seasons* justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
135 The deeds of mercy.

*

*

case before the

Court.

Twice blest, it has

a double blessing.

Show, appear. Seasons, tempers, modifies.

Render, to give or bestow.

My deeds, &c.,

Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law, he determines to

The penalty and forfeit of my bond.

Bass. For once I beg the court to bend the law

To equity.* 'Tis worth a little wrong

140 To curb this cruel savage of his will.

Por. It must not be. There is no power in

Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel! A Daniel, the
O wise young judge, how do I honour thee!

Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond.
Shy. Here 'tis, most reverend doctor; here it is.
Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd

thee.

prophet.

Perjury, to swear falsely, the viola

tion of an oath.

Tenor, the agreement.

Balance, a pair of scales used for weighing.

Have by, have

near.

At your charge, at your expense. Nominated, mentioned, named, agreed to.

Tarry, wait, no haste.

Confiscate, seized

Shy. An oath, an oath! I have an oath in

heaven!

Shall I lay perjury* upon my soul ?
No, not for Venice.

Por.
Why, this bond is forfeit,
And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off
Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful;
Take thrice thy money. Bid me tear the bond.
Shy. When it is paid according to the tenor.*
There is no power in the tongue of man

To alter me: I stay upon my bond.

Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court
To give the judgment.

Por.

Why, then, thus it is:
You must prepare your bosom for his knife.
Shy. Ay, his breast;

So saith the bond; doth it not, noble judge?
Nearest his heart; those are the very words.
Por. It is so. Are there balance

flesh?

Shy. I have them ready.

155

160

165

to weigh the

170

Por. Have by a surgeon, Shylock, at your charge,*
To stop his wounds, lest he should bleed to death.
Shy. Is it so nominated* in the bond?
Por. It is not so express'd; but what of that?

'Twere good you do so much for charity.

Shy. I cannot find it. "Tis not in the bond.
Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is

thine;

The court awards it, and the law doth give it.

Shy. Most rightful judge!

175

Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his 180

breast:

The law allows it, and the court awards it.

Shy. Most learned judge! A sentence! come, pre

pare.

Por. Tarry a little there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words expressly are, a pound of flesh.
Then take thy bond: take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed

One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods

for the public use, Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate.*

forfeited.

185

Gra. O upright judge! Mark, Jew! O learned 190

195

Por.

Thyself shalt see the act :

For, as thou urgest justice, be assured

Thou shalt have justice more than thou desir'st.
Gra. O learned judge!-Mark, Jew!—a learned
judge!

Shy. I take his offer, then,-pay the sum thrice;
And let the Christian go.

Bass.

Por.

Here is the money.

Soft!

200 The Jew shall have all justice; soft!—no haste: He shall have nothing but the penalty.

205

Gra. A second Daniel, Jew!

Now, infidel, I have full hold of thee.

Por. Why doth the Jew pause? Take the for

feiture.

Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go.
Bass. I have it ready for thee. Here it is.
Por. He hath refused it in the open court.
He shall have merely justice and his bond.

Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel !
210 I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.
Shy. Shall I not barely have my principal?
Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture,
To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.

The law hath yet another hold on you.

215 It is enacted by the laws of Venice,
If it be proved against an alien *
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
220 Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Goes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament,* I say, thou stand'st;
225 For it appears by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly, and directly too,

Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd

The danger formerly* by me rehears'd.

230 Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke.
Duke. That thou may'st see the difference of our

235

spirit,

I pardon thee thy life, before thou ask it.

Shy. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
You take my life, taking whereon I live.

Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio ?

*

Alien, foreigner. Persons admitted by law to the privileges of a foreign country are said to be naturalised subjects of that country.

Predicament, position.

Formerly, above.

Pardon, &c., do not remit the sentence of death if you take my wealth.

Quit the fine, &c. Antonio said that he would give up his share of Shylock's wealth if a deed was signed by the Jew, making it over to his daughter and her husband, Lorenzo, a friend of Antonio's. Recant, recall, revoke.

Ant. So please my lord the Duke and all the

court,

To quit the fine * for one half of his goods;

I shall be well contented if I have

The other half in use until his death.

Duke. He shall do this, or else do I recant
The pardon that I late pronounced here.

*

240

Por. Art thou contented, Jew, What dost thou say?
Shy. I pray you give me leave to go from hence;
I am not well. Send the deed after me,