Antonio, Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond. notary's; Give him direction for this merry bond; And I will go and purse the ducats straight; I will be with you. Hie thee, gentle Jew. [Exit. 140 Antonio. This Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind. Bassanio. I like not fair terms and a villain's mind. 145 Antonio. Come on in this there can be no dismay; My ships come home a month before the day. SCENE III. LOSS UPON Loss. [Exeunt. Shylock has had a terrible shock in his home life. His only child Jessica, falling in love with Lorenzo, a young Venetian, has run away with him and robbed her father of his gold and jewels. He feels with intense bitterness that this is a new and worse wrong which Christians have done to him. He can get no satisfaction, for the lovers have escaped beyond his reach; and people only laugh at him, and the boys run after him in the streets, shouting after him the cry which broke from his lips in the first moments of his loss, O my ducats! O my daughter ! Justice! my ducats, and my daughter l' Enter Salanio and Salarino, two friends of Antonio Salanio. Now, what news on the Rialto ! Salarino. Why, yet it lives there unchecked, that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcasses of many a 5 tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word. Salanio. I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped ginger. But it is true that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,-O, that I had a title 10 good enough to keep his name company !— Salarino. Come, the full stop. Salanio. Ha! what say'st thou ? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship. Salarino. I would it might prove the end of his losses. 15 Salanio. Let me say amen' betimes, lest the devil cross my prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. Enter Shylock. He looks much older, and has a worn and hunted look. How now Shylock? what news among the merchants ? Shylock. You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter's flight. Salarino. That's certain. I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal. But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no? 20 Shylock. There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, 25 a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar, that used to come so smug upon the mart. Let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy ; let him look to his bond. Salarino. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh what 's that good for? 30 Shylock. To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, 35 mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason ? [A pause.] I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the 40 same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we 45 not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be, by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will exe- 50 cute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction. Enter a Servant. Servant. Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both. Salarino. We have been up and down to seek him. Enter Tubal. Salanio. Here comes another of the tribe: a third 55 cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. [Exeunt Salanio, Salarino, and servant. Shylock. How now, Tubal! what news from Genoa ? Hast thou found my daughter? Tubal [shaking his head]. I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her. бо Shylock [frantically]. Why there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now; two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels. I would my 65 daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them? why so? [he breaks down, and speaks with a mournful wail]—and I know not what 's spent in the search: why then, loss upon loss! 70 the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring but what lights o' my shoulders; no sighs but o' my breathing; no tears but o' my shedding. Tubal. Yes, other men have ill luck too, Antonio, as 75 I heard in Genoa, Shylock [shrieking]. What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck? Tubal. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis. Shylock. I thank God! I thank God! [Eagerly.] Is it 80 true? is it true? Tubal [quickly]. I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck. Shylock. I thank thee, good Tubal : good news, good news! [Laughing.] Ha, ha, where ? in Genoa ? Tubal. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, in one night fourscore ducats. Shylock. Thou stick'st a dagger into me: I shall never see my gold again: fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats! 85 90 Tubal. There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break. Shylock. I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture him: I am glad of it. Tubal. One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your daughter for a monkey. 95 Shylock. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal : it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of 100 monkeys. Tubal [cheerfully]. But Antonio is certainly undone. Shylock. Nay, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit: for, were he 105 out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will. Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal ; at our synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt. SCENE IV. BASSANIO'S TRIUMPH. The scene changes to Belmont on the mainland where Portia, the rich heiress, lives. By her father's will she is not free to choose her husband, but is the prize of a lottery, depending on the right choice of one of three caskets, gold, silver, and lead. On the gold casket is inscribed ' Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire': the Prince of Morocco, opening this, finds a death's head, and is warned that all is not gold that glitters. On the silver casket is inscribed Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves', which proves to be a fool's head when the Prince of Arragon unlocks it. On the leaden casket is 'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath'. Bassanio, not choosing by the outward appearance, takes this and, risking everything, finds within Portia's likeness, which is the winner's prize. Portia, who is in love with him, welcomes this ending to the lottery. Bassanio has been accompanied to Belmont by his friend Gratiano. Portia is attended by her waiting-maid Nerissa. Portia. You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand, Such as I am: though for myself alone I would not be ambitious in my wish, To wish myself much better; yet, for you, I would be trebled twenty times myself; 5 A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich; That only to stand high in your account, 10 15 I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends, And be my vantage to exclaim on you. 20 25 Bassanio. Madam, you have bereft me of all words; Only my blood speaks to you in my veins : And there is such confusion in my powers, As, after some oration fairly spoke By a beloved prince, there doth appear Expressed, and not expressed. But when this ring 30 35 Nerissa. My lord and lady, it is now our time, That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper, To cry, good joy. Good joy, my lord and lady! Gratiano. My Lord Bassanio and my gentle lady, 40 I wish you all the joy that you can wish; For I am sure you can wish none from me : And, when your honours mean to solemnize |