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The Merchant of Venice - Act 1, scene 3
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The Merchant of Venice - Act 1, scene 3Act 1, scene 3
⌜Scene 3⌝
Synopsis:
In Venice Bassanio goes to Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to borrow, in Antonio’s name, 3,000 ducats. Shylock hates Antonio but agrees to lend the money provided that Antonio sign a bond to yield a pound of his own flesh if he is unable to repay the loan on time. Shylock insists that the bond is a kind of joke, a “merry bond.” Bassanio distrusts Shylock, but Antonio, confident of the success of his trading expeditions, agrees to sign the bond.
Enter Bassanio with Shylock the Jew.SHYLOCK 0327 Three thousand ducats, well.
BASSANIO 0328 Ay, sir, for three months.
SHYLOCK 0329 For three months, well.
BASSANIO 0330 For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall
0331 5 be bound.
SHYLOCK 0332 Antonio shall become bound, well.
BASSANIO 0333 May you stead me? Will you pleasure me?
0334 Shall I know your answer?
SHYLOCK 0335 Three thousand ducats for three months,
0336 10 and Antonio bound.
BASSANIO 0337 Your answer to that?
SHYLOCK 0338 Antonio is a good man.
BASSANIO 0339 Have you heard any imputation to the
0340 contrary?
p.
29
SHYLOCK
0341
15Ho, no, no, no, no! My meaning in saying he0342 is a good man is to have you understand me that he
0343 is sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition: he
0344 hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the
0345 Indies. I understand, moreover, upon the Rialto,
0346 20 he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and
0347 other ventures he hath squandered abroad. But
0348 ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land
0349 rats and water rats, water thieves and land
0350 thieves—I mean pirates—and then there is the
0351 25 peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is,
0352 notwithstanding, sufficient. Three thousand ducats.
0353 I think I may take his bond.
BASSANIO 0354 Be assured you may.
SHYLOCK 0355 I will be assured I may. And that I may be
0356 30 assured, I will bethink me. May I speak with
0357 Antonio?
BASSANIO 0358 If it please you to dine with us.
SHYLOCK 0359 Yes, to smell pork! To eat of the habitation
0360 which your prophet the Nazarite conjured the
0361 35 devil into! I will buy with you, sell with you, talk
0362 with you, walk with you, and so following; but I
0363 will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with
0364 you.—What news on the Rialto?—Who is he comes
0365 here?
Enter Antonio.
BASSANIO 0366 40This is Signior Antonio.
SHYLOCK, ⌜aside⌝
0367 How like a fawning publican he looks!
0368 I hate him for he is a Christian,
0369 But more for that in low simplicity
0370 He lends out money gratis and brings down
0371 45 The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
0372 If I can catch him once upon the hip,
0373 I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
p.
31
0374
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,0375 Even there where merchants most do congregate,
0376 50 On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
0377 Which he calls “interest.” Cursèd be my tribe
0378 If I forgive him!
BASSANIO 0379 Shylock, do you hear?
SHYLOCK
0380 I am debating of my present store,
0381 55 And, by the near guess of my memory,
0382 I cannot instantly raise up the gross
0383 Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
0384 Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
0385 Will furnish me. But soft, how many months
0386 60 Do you desire? ⌜To Antonio.⌝ Rest you fair, good
0387 signior!
0388 Your Worship was the last man in our mouths.
ANTONIO
0389 Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow
0390 By taking nor by giving of excess,
0391 65 Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
0392 I’ll break a custom. ⌜To Bassanio.⌝ Is he yet
0393 possessed
0394 How much you would?
SHYLOCK 0395 Ay, ay, three thousand
0396 70 ducats.
ANTONIO 0397 And for three months.
SHYLOCK
0398 I had forgot—three months. ⌜To Bassanio.⌝
0399 You told me so.—
0400 Well then, your bond. And let me see—but hear
0401 75 you:
0402 Methoughts you said you neither lend nor borrow
0403 Upon advantage.
ANTONIO 0404 I do never use it.
SHYLOCK
0405 When Jacob grazed his Uncle Laban’s sheep—
0406 80 This Jacob from our holy Abram was
p.
33
0407
(As his wise mother wrought in his behalf)0408 The third possessor; ay, he was the third—
ANTONIO
0409 And what of him? Did he take interest?
SHYLOCK
0410 No, not take interest, not, as you would say,
0411 85 Directly “interest.” Mark what Jacob did.
0412 When Laban and himself were compromised
0413 That all the eanlings which were streaked and pied
0414 Should fall as Jacob’s hire, the ewes being rank
0415 In end of autumn turnèd to the rams,
0416 90 And when the work of generation was
0417 Between these woolly breeders in the act,
0418 The skillful shepherd pilled me certain wands,
0419 And in the doing of the deed of kind
0420 He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes,
0421 95 Who then conceiving did in eaning time
0422 Fall parti-colored lambs, and those were Jacob’s.
0423 This was a way to thrive, and he was blest;
0424 And thrift is blessing if men steal it not.
ANTONIO
0425 This was a venture, sir, that Jacob served for,
0426 100 A thing not in his power to bring to pass,
0427 But swayed and fashioned by the hand of heaven.
0428 Was this inserted to make interest good?
0429 Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?
SHYLOCK
0430 I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast.
0431 105 But note me, signior—
ANTONIO, ⌜aside to Bassanio⌝
0432 Mark you this, Bassanio,
0433 The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose!
0434 An evil soul producing holy witness
0435 Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
0436 110 A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
0437 O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
p.
35
SHYLOCK 0438 Three thousand ducats. ’Tis a good round sum.
0439 Three months from twelve, then let me see, the
0440 rate—
ANTONIO
0441 115 Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?
SHYLOCK
0442 Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
0443 In the Rialto you have rated me
0444 About my moneys and my usances.
0445 Still have I borne it with a patient shrug
0446 120 (For suff’rance is the badge of all our tribe).
0447 You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog,
0448 And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine,
0449 And all for use of that which is mine own.
0450 Well then, it now appears you need my help.
0451 125 Go to, then. You come to me and you say
0452 “Shylock, we would have moneys”—you say so,
0453 You, that did void your rheum upon my beard,
0454 And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
0455 Over your threshold. Moneys is your suit.
0456 130 What should I say to you? Should I not say
0457 “Hath a dog money? Is it possible
0458 A cur can lend three thousand ducats?” Or
0459 Shall I bend low, and in a bondman’s key,
0460 With bated breath and whisp’ring humbleness,
0461 135 Say this: “Fair sir, you spet on me on Wednesday
0462 last;
0463 You spurned me such a day; another time
0464 You called me ‘dog’; and for these courtesies
0465 I’ll lend you thus much moneys”?
ANTONIO
0466 140 I am as like to call thee so again,
0467 To spet on thee again, to spurn thee, too.
0468 If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
0469 As to thy friends, for when did friendship take
p.
37
0470
A breed for barren metal of his friend?0471 145 But lend it rather to thine enemy,
0472 Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face
0473 Exact the penalty.
SHYLOCK 0474 Why, look you how you storm!
0475 I would be friends with you and have your love,
0476 150 Forget the shames that you have stained me with,
0477 Supply your present wants, and take no doit
0478 Of usance for my moneys, and you’ll not hear me!
0479 This is kind I offer.
BASSANIO 0480 This were kindness!
SHYLOCK 0481 155This kindness will I show.
0482 Go with me to a notary, seal me there
0483 Your single bond; and in a merry sport,
0484 If you repay me not on such a day,
0485 In such a place, such sum or sums as are
0486 160 Expressed in the condition, let the forfeit
0487 Be nominated for an equal pound
0488 Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
0489 In what part of your body pleaseth me.
ANTONIO
0490 Content, in faith. I’ll seal to such a bond,
0491 165 And say there is much kindness in the Jew.
BASSANIO
0492 You shall not seal to such a bond for me!
0493 I’ll rather dwell in my necessity.
ANTONIO
0494 Why, fear not, man, I will not forfeit it!
0495 Within these two months—that’s a month before
0496 170 This bond expires—I do expect return
0497 Of thrice three times the value of this bond.
SHYLOCK
0498 O father Abram, what these Christians are,
0499 Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
0500 The thoughts of others! Pray you tell me this:
0501 175 If he should break his day, what should I gain
p.
39
0502
By the exaction of the forfeiture?0503 A pound of man’s flesh taken from a man
0504 Is not so estimable, profitable neither,
0505 As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
0506 180 To buy his favor I extend this friendship.
0507 If he will take it, so. If not, adieu;
0508 And for my love I pray you wrong me not.
ANTONIO
0509 Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond.
SHYLOCK
0510 Then meet me forthwith at the notary’s.
0511 185 Give him direction for this merry bond,
0512 And I will go and purse the ducats straight,
0513 See to my house left in the fearful guard
0514 Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
0515 I’ll be with you.
ANTONIO 0516 190 Hie thee, gentle Jew.
⌜Shylock⌝ exits.
0517 The Hebrew will turn Christian; he grows kind.
BASSANIO
0518 I like not fair terms and a villain’s mind.
ANTONIO
0519 Come on, in this there can be no dismay;
0520 My ships come home a month before the day.
They exit.