The Merchant of Venice

the merchant of venice 51

No power can What a wise Let me Here it is,
change the law. young lawyer! look at the Here it is!
It cannot be. bond.

This bond is overdue, and law- Antonio, Open your I have them
fully this Jew may claim a pound shirt. Shylock, do ready.
of flesh. . . to be cut off nearest you have scales
the merchant’s heart. here to weigh the
flesh?
Then let me
do it! I am
ready!

And so
am I.

52

Goodbye, Bassanio. Tell My wife is as dear to Your wife would
your good wife how I me as life itself. But I not thank you
loved you. I am not sor- would give all I have for that offer.
ry to pay this for you. to save you.

So shylock, prepare to You are not al- If one drop of his
cut off the flesh. But lowed to shed any blood is shed, all
you must understand blood. There is your wealth will
one thing. nothing in the bond be taken away and
about blood. you will die!

But. . . that’s
impossible!

the merchant of venice 53

Why do you Give me my He has already Then the
stop? Take what money and refused it! devil take
is owed to you! let me go. He shall have you all!
justice—taken I’ll stay no
at his own risk! longer.

It’s ready. . . Half his property
here it is! goes to the one
whose life he plotted
Wait, shylock! The against. The other
laws of venice say half goes to the
that if an alien* state. And his life it-
seeks the life of a self lies at the mercy
citizen,** as you have of the duke.
done, he has broken
the law.

* someone who is not a citizen; Jews could not become citizens of Venice
** someone who lives and is allowed to vote in a certain place

54

All this is true of I give you your life. Half your No. You take
you. Beg for mercy wealth is Antonio’s. the state’s my life anyway
from the duke. half may be reduced to a fine if if you take the
you humble* yourself here. means by which

I live!

What mercy will I will be content to use my He shall do
you show him, half only during his lifetime, if this, or I will
Antonio? he wills it and all he owns to take back my
Lorenzo and his daughter when pardon.
he dies. And he must become a
Christian as well.

What do you I agree. I beg you to let me So shylock
say, shylock? leave. send the deed to my left the court
house, and I will sign it. having lost
his pound of
flesh, most
of his for-
tune, and his
daughter.

* in this case, ask for mercy

the merchant of venice 55

Sir, do come Thank you, but I Antonio, you owe this gentleman
home with me must start this much! Reward him.
to dinner. very evening for
Padua. Yes, you have
saved us! We
offer you the
three thousand
ducats due to
shylock.

I don’t want But Please. . . take All right. And we owe you
anything. I am something. . . if Give me your much in love and
happy knowing only to remember gloves. And service forever.
I have saved us by. also this
you. ring you This ring? It’s
wear. nothing! I’ll
get you some-
thing better. . .
the best ring in
Venice!

56 Good sir, my wife Your wife would forgive you,
gave me this ring, knowing how much I deserved the
You offer and I swore I’d ring, But never mind. goodbye!
much. . . but never part with
when I ask, it.
you refuse
me.

Please, Bassa- Yes! Take the ring
nio, he deserves and run after him,
so much from Gratiano. Hurry!
us. . . let him
have the ring.

Outside, We’ll have Shylock sign this Here comes Grati-
Portia and deed. Then we’ll hurry home ano with your ring.
Nerissa before our husbands arrive. I’ll see if i can get
searched my husband’s ring
for which he swore to
shylock’s keep forever!
house.

Meanwhile, in On such a night did the merchant of venice 57
Belmont, the Jessica run from
happy newlyweds venice to Belmont On such a night did
were enjoying a with her love. Lorenzo swear he loved
moonlit night. her well and stole her
heart.

Then a I bring word that lady He has not. Let’s
messenger Portia will be here be- go in and prepare
arrived. fore daybreak. Has my a welcome.
master returned?

Hello, Hello! Here’s Then why go inside? Bring
a message from my the musicians* out here to
master. He’ll be here welcome our friends when
before morning. they return.

* those who sing and play instruments

58 How beautiful Even the music Welcome
everything looks sounds sweeter home, dear
Soon Portia by moonlight! than by day. lady.
and Nerissa
arrived.

We’ve been away Not yet, Go in, Nerissa. Don’t
praying for our but a Tell the servants worry;
husbands’ safety. messen- not to say we’ve we’ll keep
Have they returned? ger says been away. you your se-
they are too, Lorenzo and cret.
almost Jessica.
here.

Just then Welcome I thank you. Please wel-
Bassanio home! come my friend Antonio!
arrived with
Antonio and
Gratiano.

the merchant of venice 59

But in the I swear by the moon I don’t believe it. A quarrel
midst of the there. . . I gave it to you gave it to a already?
greetings, the lawyer’s clerk! pretty girl! what’s the
a quarrel matter?
broke out.

A ring she gave You swore you’d wear it
me. . . only a plain till your death! “Gave it to
gold circle. . . a lawyer’s clerk!” I don’t
believe it.

It’s true. . . a You were wrong, Gratiano! I’d best cut off
boy. . . no taller Bassanio swore he’d never my hand, and
than yourself! He part with the ring I Gave swear I lost the
begged it as a fee him. I’d be angry if he did. ring defending it!
and I couldn’t
refuse.

60 Is this true, Yes, it is.
sir?
Bassanio gave his
ring to the law-
yer who asked for
it—and deserved it
too! And his clerk,
the boy, Begged for
mine. they’d take
nothing else.

Just as truth is Nor I, till I If you had explained the special
gone from your see mine. meaning of the ring, no man would
heart! I’ll never have taken it. I think like Nerissa. . .
forgive you till I some woman has it!
see the ring again.

No, I swear to
you—no woman,
but a lawyer.

Sweet Portia, if you
knew to whom I gave
the ring, and why,
you’d not be so angry.

the merchant of venice 61

He saved the life of my dear friend If you’ll forgive me this fault, I
and refused all other fees. If swear by my soul I’ll never again
you’d been there, You’d have given break a vow* to you.
him the ring yourself.

I once risked my body for Bas- And now Then you shall
sanio—and would have lost it I’ll risk my be his guaran-
except for him who has your ring. soul that tee.** Give him
Bassanio this, and tell
will never him to keep it
again break better than the
faith with other.
you!

* promise
** something or someone who will see to it that a promise is kept

62 By heaven, it’s And this is the I got it from
the same one I same one I the lawyer,
Here, Bassanio. gave the lawyer! gave his clerk! and Nerissa
Swear to keep from his
this ring. clerk. We
spent last
night with
them!

But. . .? What. . .? This letter from Padua explains
it all. I was the lawyer, and
Nerissa was the clerk.

Lorenzo can tell And you were truly And you the Then it’s you
you we left here the lawyer and I clerk, who I have to
soon after you, didn’t know you? was only thank for
and only just re- so tall? saving me!
turned before you.

And take this letter, the merchant of venice 63
Antonio. It says that
three of your richest Sweet lady, you’ve given
ships have returned me life again!
safely.

And for you and Jessica, Fair lady, this is like
here is a special deed that food to starving people!
gives you all of shylock’s
money after his death.

So all was While I live, I’ll fear no liv-
explained and ing thing. so much as keep-
happily ended. ing safe Nerissa’s ring!
Gratiano had
the last word.

The Merchant
of Venice

Although Bassanio owes his friend Antonio a
great deal of money, he must borrow more to
make a good impression when he courts his true
love, Portia. However, Antonio is short of cash
and must borrow from the lender, Shylock.
More problems arise when Antonio’s ships are
wrecked, leaving him penniless when Shylock’s
loan is due. Bassanio must now find a way to
save his friend’s life, but help is on the
way—from an unexpected source!

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