The Merchant of Venice Page #8

more kind than is her custom.

Commend me to thy honourable wife.

Tell her the process of Antonio's end.

Say how I loved you,

speak me fair in death.

And when the tale is told,

bid her be judge

whether Bassanio had not once a love.

Repent but you

that you shall lose your friend

and you repent not that he pays your debt.

For if the Jew do cut but deep enough

I'll pay it instantly with all my heart.

Antonio, I am married to a wife

which is as dear to me as life itself.

But life itself, my wife and all the world

are not with me esteemed above your life.

I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all,

here to this devil

to deliver you.

I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love -

I would she were in heaven,

so she could entreat some power

to change this cursed Jew!

I have a daughter!

Would that any of the stock of Barrabas

been her husband

rather than a Christian.

We trifle time. I pray you, pursue sentence.

You may proceed.

A pound of that same

merchant's flesh is yours.

The court awards it

and the law does give it.

Most rightful judge.

And you must cut this flesh

from off his breast.

The court awards it and the law allows it.

Most learned judge.

A sentence.

Come.

(Shylock) Prepare.

(Prays)

- Tarry a little!

- Aah!

There is something else.

This bond does give you here

no drop of blood.

The words expressly are a pound of flesh.

Take then your bond,

take then your pound of flesh,

but in the cutting of it,

if you do shed one drop of Christian blood,

your lands and goods

are by the laws of Venice confiscate

unto the state of Venice.

O upright judge!

Mark, Jew. Learned judge!

Is that the law?

Yourself shall see the act.

For as you urge on justice,

be assured you shall have justice

more than you desire.

Well.

I take the offer, then.

Pay the bond twice

and let the Christian go.

- Here is the money.

- Soft. The Jew shall have all justice.

No haste. He shall have nothing

but the penalty.

(Crowd murmurs)

Therefore, prepare you to cut off the flesh.

Shed then no blood

nor cut you less nor more

but just a pound of flesh.

If you take more or less than a just pound

be it but so much

as makes it light or heavy

in the substance or division

of the twentieth part of one poor scruple,

nay, if the scale do turn

but in the estimation of a hair,

you die

and all your goods are confiscate.

- (Gratiano) A second Daniel!

- (Laughter)

Now, infidel, I have you on the hip!

Why does the Jew pause?

Shall I not have even my principal?

You shall have nothing but your forfeiture,

to be so taken at your peril, Jew.

Why, then the devil give him good of it.

- I'll stay no longer question.

- Tarry, Jew.

The law has yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in 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 which he does contrive

shall seize one half of his goods.

The other half comes

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 you stand.

Down, therefore,

and beg mercy of the Duke.

Beg that you may have leave

to hang yourself.

(Duke) That you shall see the difference

in our spirit, I pardon you your life

before you ask it.

For half your wealth, it is Antonio's, the

other half shall come to the general state.

Nay, take my life and all -

pardon not that.

You take my house when you take the prop

that doth sustain my house.

You take my life

when you take the means whereby I live.

What mercy can you render him, Antonio?

A halter gratis,

nothing else, for God's sake.

So please my lord the Duke

and all the court

forego the fine of one half of his goods.

I am content so he will let me use

the other half, in trust,

relinquish it upon his death

unto the gentleman

that lately stole his daughter.

One thing provided more,

that, for this favour,

he shall presently become a Christian.

(Contained sobbing)

(Duke) He shall do this

or else I do recant the pardon

I late pronounced here.

(Portia) Are you contented, Jew?

What do you say?

Oh...

I am contented.

Clerk, prepare a deed of gift.

I pray you, give me leave to go from hence.

I... I am not well.

I will... Send a deed after me

and I will sign it.

Get you gone, then, but do it.

Court dismissed.

(Sighs)

- (Giggles)

- Most worthy gentleman,

I and my friend have by your wisdom

been this day acquitted

of most grievous penalties,

in lieu whereof, three thousand ducats,

due unto the Jew

we freely pay your courteous pains withal.

- Mm.

- And stand indebted, over and above,

in love and service to you ever more.

He is well paid that is well satisfied

and I, delivering you, am satisfied

and therein do account myself well paid -

fare you well.

Dear sir, of force

I must attempt you further.

Take some remembrance of us,

as a tribute, not as a fee.

Run me two things, I pray you.

Not to deny me and to pardon me.

You press me far, therefore I will yield.

Give me your gloves.

I'll wear them for your sake.

And for your love,

I'll take this ring from you.

Do not draw back your hand,

I'll take no more,

and you, in love, shall not deny me this.

This ring... Good sir, alas, it is a trifle,

I would not shame myself to give you this.

I will have nothing else but only this.

There's more depends on this

than on the value.

The dearest ring in all of Venice will I give

to you, and find it out by proclamation,

only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

Oh, I see, sir.

You are liberal in offers,

you taught me first to beg,

and now methinks you teach me

how a beggar should be answered.

This ring was given me by my wife.

Oh!

And when she put it on she made me vow

that I should neither sell nor give

nor lose it.

That 'scuse serves many men

to save their gifts

and if your wife be not a madwoman,

then know her well

I have deserved this ring.

She would not hold out enemy forever

for giving it to me.

My lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.

Let not his deserving and my love as well

be valued 'gainst

your wife's commandment.

Enquire the Jew's house out.

Give him this deed and let him sign it.

Ho! My lord Bassanio upon more advice

has sent you here this ring.

He does entreat your company at dinner.

That cannot be.

His ring I do accept most thankfully.

I pray you tell him.

Furthermore, I pray you show my youth

to old Shylock's house.

(Chuckles) That will I do.

I'll see if I can get my husband's ring which

I did make him swear to keep forever.

(# Countertenor singing)

(Lorenzo) Dear ladies, welcome home.

(Portia) We have been praying

for our husbands' welfare,

whose speed

we hope the better for our words.

This night, methinks,

is but the daylight sick.

It looks a little paler.

'Tis a day such as the day is

when the sun is hid.

- (Man) Ho!

- Peace.

You're welcome home, my lord.

I thank you, madam.

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