The Merchant Of Venice

1 Enter Bassanio with Shylock the Jew.
2 SHYLOCK.
3 Three thousand ducats, well.
4 BASSANIO.
5 Ay, sir, for three months.
6 SHYLOCK.
7 For three months, well.
8 BASSANIO.
9 For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.
10 SHYLOCK.
11 Antonio shall become bound, well.
12 BASSANIO.
13 May you stead me? Will you pleasure me? Shall I know your answer?
14 SHYLOCK.
15 Three thousand ducats for three months, and Antonio bound.
16 BASSANIO.
17 Your answer to that.
18 SHYLOCK.
19 Antonio is a good man.
20 BASSANIO.
21 Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?
22 SHYLOCK.
23 Ho, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have
24 you understand me that he is sufficient. Yet his means are in
25 supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the
26 Indies. I understand, moreover, upon the Rialto, he hath a third at
27 Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath squandered
28 abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land-rats
29 and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves—I mean pirates—and then
30 there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is,
31 notwithstanding, sufficient. Three thousand ducats. I think I may take
32 his bond.
33 BASSANIO.
34 Be assured you may.
35 SHYLOCK.
36 I will be assured I may. And that I may be assured, I will bethink me.
37 May I speak with Antonio?
38 BASSANIO.
39 If it please you to dine with us.
40 SHYLOCK.
41 Yes, to smell pork, to eat of the habitation which your prophet, the
42 Nazarite, conjured the devil into. I will buy with you, sell with you,
43 talk with you, walk with you, and so following; but I will not eat with
44 you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto? Who is
45 he comes here?
46 Enter Antonio.
47 BASSANIO.
48 This is Signior Antonio.
49 SHYLOCK.
50 [_Aside._] How like a fawning publican he looks!
51 I hate him for he is a Christian,
52 But more for that in low simplicity
53 He lends out money gratis, and brings down
54 The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
55 If I can catch him once upon the hip,
56 I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
57 He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
58 Even there where merchants most do congregate,
59 On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
60 Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe
61 If I forgive him!
62 BASSANIO.
63 Shylock, do you hear?
64 SHYLOCK.
65 I am debating of my present store,
66 And by the near guess of my memory
67 I cannot instantly raise up the gross
68 Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
69 Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
70 Will furnish me. But soft! how many months
71 Do you desire? [_To Antonio._] Rest you fair, good signior,
72 Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
73 ANTONIO.
74 Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow
75 By taking nor by giving of excess,
76 Yet to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
77 I’ll break a custom. [_To Bassanio._] Is he yet possess’d
78 How much ye would?
79 SHYLOCK.
80 Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
81 ANTONIO.
82 And for three months.
83 SHYLOCK.
84 I had forgot, three months, you told me so.
85 Well then, your bond. And let me see, but hear you,
86 Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow
87 Upon advantage.
88 ANTONIO.
89 I do never use it.
90 SHYLOCK.
91 When Jacob graz’d his uncle Laban’s sheep,—
92 This Jacob from our holy Abram was
93 As his wise mother wrought in his behalf,
94 The third possessor; ay, he was the third.
95 ANTONIO.
96 And what of him? Did he take interest?
97 SHYLOCK.
98 No, not take interest, not, as you would say,
99 Directly interest; mark what Jacob did.
100 When Laban and himself were compromis’d
101 That all the eanlings which were streak’d and pied
102 Should fall as Jacob’s hire, the ewes being rank
103 In end of autumn turned to the rams,
104 And when the work of generation was
105 Between these woolly breeders in the act,
106 The skilful shepherd pill’d me certain wands,
107 And in the doing of the deed of kind,
108 He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes,
109 Who then conceiving did in eaning time
110 Fall parti-colour’d lambs, and those were Jacob’s.
111 This was a way to thrive, and he was blest;
112 And thrift is blessing if men steal it not.
113 ANTONIO.
114 This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv’d for,
115 A thing not in his power to bring to pass,
116 But sway’d and fashion’d by the hand of heaven.
117 Was this inserted to make interest good?
118 Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?
119 SHYLOCK.
120 I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast.
121 But note me, signior.
122 ANTONIO.
123 Mark you this, Bassanio,
124 The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
125 An evil soul producing holy witness
126 Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
127 A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
128 O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
129 SHYLOCK.
130 Three thousand ducats, ’tis a good round sum.
131 Three months from twelve, then let me see the rate.
132 ANTONIO.
133 Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?
134 SHYLOCK.
135 Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
136 In the Rialto you have rated me
137 About my moneys and my usances.
138 Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
139 (For suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe.)
140 You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
141 And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine,
142 And all for use of that which is mine own.
143 Well then, it now appears you need my help.
144 Go to, then, you come to me, and you say
145 “Shylock, we would have moneys.” You say so:
146 You that did void your rheum upon my beard,
147 And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
148 Over your threshold, moneys is your suit.
149 What should I say to you? Should I not say
150 “Hath a dog money? Is it possible
151 A cur can lend three thousand ducats?” Or
152 Shall I bend low and, in a bondman’s key,
153 With bated breath and whisp’ring humbleness,
154 Say this:
155 “Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday last;
156 You spurn’d me such a day; another time
157 You call’d me dog; and for these courtesies
158 I’ll lend you thus much moneys”?
159 ANTONIO.
160 I am as like to call thee so again,
161 To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too.
162 If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
163 As to thy friends, for when did friendship take
164 A breed for barren metal of his friend?
165 But lend it rather to thine enemy,
166 Who if he break, thou mayst with better face
167 Exact the penalty.
168 SHYLOCK.
169 Why, look you how you storm!
170 I would be friends with you, and have your love,
171 Forget the shames that you have stain’d me with,
172 Supply your present wants, and take no doit
173 Of usance for my moneys, and you’ll not hear me,
174 This is kind I offer.
175 BASSANIO.
176 This were kindness.
177 SHYLOCK.
178 This kindness will I show.
179 Go with me to a notary, seal me there
180 Your single bond; and in a merry sport,
181 If you repay me not on such a day,
182 In such a place, such sum or sums as are
183 Express’d in the condition, let the forfeit
184 Be nominated for an equal pound
185 Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
186 In what part of your body pleaseth me.
187 ANTONIO.
188 Content, in faith, I’ll seal to such a bond,
189 And say there is much kindness in the Jew.
190 BASSANIO.
191 You shall not seal to such a bond for me,
192 I’ll rather dwell in my necessity.
193 ANTONIO.
194 Why, fear not, man, I will not forfeit it,
195 Within these two months, that’s a month before
196 This bond expires, I do expect return
197 Of thrice three times the value of this bond.
198 SHYLOCK.
199 O father Abram, what these Christians are,
200 Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
201 The thoughts of others. Pray you, tell me this,
202 If he should break his day, what should I gain
203 By the exaction of the forfeiture?
204 A pound of man’s flesh, taken from a man,
205 Is not so estimable, profitable neither,
206 As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
207 To buy his favour, I extend this friendship.
208 If he will take it, so. If not, adieu,
209 And for my love I pray you wrong me not.
210 ANTONIO.
211 Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond.
212 SHYLOCK.
213 Then meet me forthwith at the notary’s,
214 Give him direction for this merry bond,
215 And I will go and purse the ducats straight,
216 See to my house left in the fearful guard
217 Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
218 I’ll be with you.
219 ANTONIO.
220 Hie thee, gentle Jew.
221 [_Exit Shylock._]
222 This Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind.
223 BASSANIO.
224 I like not fair terms and a villain’s mind.
225 ANTONIO.
226 Come on; in this there can be no dismay;
227 My ships come home a month before the day.
228 [_Exeunt._]