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The Merchant of Venice - Act 3, scene 1
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The Merchant of Venice - Act 3, scene 1Act 3, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
In Venice Solanio and Salarino have learned that the Italian ship wrecked in the English Channel was Antonio’s. Shylock enters angry at Jessica’s flight. He declares his intention of taking a pound of Antonio’s flesh if Antonio is unable to repay the loan. Tubal enters to tell Shylock news of Jessica’s extravagancy and Antonio’s losses. Shylock sends Tubal to begin the process of Antonio’s arrest.
⌜Enter⌝ Solanio and Salarino.SOLANIO 1224 Now, what news on the Rialto?
SALARINO 1225 Why, yet it lives there unchecked that Antonio
1226 hath a ship of rich lading wracked on the
1227 Narrow Seas—the Goodwins, I think they call the
1228 5 place—a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the
1229 carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say,
1230 if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her
1231 word.
SOLANIO 1232 I would she were as lying a gossip in that as
1233 10 ever knapped ginger or made her neighbors believe
1234 she wept for the death of a third husband. But
1235 it is true, without any slips of prolixity or crossing
1236 the plain highway of talk, that the good Antonio,
1237 the honest Antonio—O, that I had a title good
1238 15 enough to keep his name company!—
SALARINO 1239 Come, the full stop.
SOLANIO 1240 Ha, what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he
1241 hath lost a ship.
SALARINO 1242 I would it might prove the end of his losses.
SOLANIO 1243 20Let me say “amen” betimes, lest the devil
1244 cross my prayer, for here he comes in the likeness
1245 of a Jew.
Enter Shylock.
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97
1246
How now, Shylock, what news among the1247 merchants?
SHYLOCK 1248 25You knew, none so well, none so well as you,
1249 of my daughter’s flight.
SALARINO 1250 That’s certain. I for my part knew the tailor
1251 that made the wings she flew withal.
SOLANIO 1252 And Shylock for his own part knew the bird
1253 30 was fledge, and then it is the complexion of them
1254 all to leave the dam.
SHYLOCK 1255 She is damned for it.
SALARINO 1256 That’s certain, if the devil may be her judge.
SHYLOCK 1257 My own flesh and blood to rebel!
SOLANIO 1258 35Out upon it, old carrion! Rebels it at these
1259 years?
SHYLOCK 1260 I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood.
SALARINO 1261 There is more difference between thy flesh
1262 and hers than between jet and ivory, more between
1263 40 your bloods than there is between red wine and
1264 Rhenish. But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio
1265 have had any loss at sea or no?
SHYLOCK 1266 There I have another bad match! A bankrout,
1267 a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on
1268 45 the Rialto, a beggar that was used to come so smug
1269 upon the mart! Let him look to his bond. He was
1270 wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond. He
1271 was wont to lend money for a Christian cur’sy; let
1272 him look to his bond.
SALARINO 1273 50Why, I am sure if he forfeit, thou wilt not
1274 take his flesh! What’s that good for?
SHYLOCK 1275 To bait fish withal; if it will feed nothing else,
1276 it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me and
1277 hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses,
1278 55 mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted
1279 my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies—
1280 and what’s his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not
1281 a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions,
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99
1282
senses, affections, passions? Fed with the1283 60 same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to
1284 the same diseases, healed by the same means,
1285 warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer
1286 as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not
1287 bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you
1288 65 poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall
1289 we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will
1290 resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,
1291 what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong
1292 a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian
1293 70 example? Why, revenge! The villainy you teach me I
1294 will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the
1295 instruction.
Enter a man from Antonio.
⌜SERVINGMAN⌝ 1296 Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his
1297 house and desires to speak with you both.
SALARINO 1298 75We have been up and down to seek him.
Enter Tubal.
SOLANIO 1299 Here comes another of the tribe; a third
1300 cannot be matched unless the devil himself turn
1301 Jew.
⌜Salarino, Solanio, and the Servingman⌝ exit.
SHYLOCK 1302 How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa?
1303 80 Hast thou found my daughter?
TUBAL 1304 I often came where I did hear of her, but
1305 cannot find her.
SHYLOCK 1306 Why, there, there, there, there! A diamond
1307 gone cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfurt!
1308 85 The curse never fell upon our nation till now, I
1309 never felt it till now. Two thousand ducats in that,
1310 and other precious, precious jewels! I would my
1311 daughter were dead at my foot and the jewels in her
1312 ear; would she were hearsed at my foot and the
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101
1313
90 ducats in her coffin. No news of them? Why so? And1314 I know not what’s spent in the search! Why, thou
1315 loss upon loss! The thief gone with so much, and so
1316 much to find the thief, and no satisfaction, no
1317 revenge, nor no ill luck stirring but what lights a’ my
1318 95 shoulders, no sighs but a’ my breathing, no tears but
1319 a’ my shedding.
TUBAL 1320 Yes, other men have ill luck, too. Antonio, as I
1321 heard in Genoa—
SHYLOCK 1322 What, what, what? Ill luck, ill luck?
TUBAL 1323 100—hath an argosy cast away coming from
1324 Tripolis.
SHYLOCK 1325 I thank God, I thank God! Is it true, is it true?
TUBAL 1326 I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped
1327 the wrack.
SHYLOCK 1328 105I thank thee, good Tubal. Good news, good
1329 news! Ha, ha, ⌜heard⌝ in Genoa—
TUBAL 1330 Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one
1331 night fourscore ducats.
SHYLOCK 1332 Thou stick’st a dagger in me. I shall never
1333 110 see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting,
1334 fourscore ducats!
TUBAL 1335 There came divers of Antonio’s creditors in my
1336 company to Venice that swear he cannot choose
1337 but break.
SHYLOCK 1338 115I am very glad of it. I’ll plague him, I’ll
1339 torture him. I am glad of it.
TUBAL 1340 One of them showed me a ring that he had of
1341 your daughter for a monkey.
SHYLOCK 1342 Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal. It
1343 120 was my ⌜turquoise!⌝ I had it of Leah when I was a
1344 bachelor. I would not have given it for a wilderness
1345 of monkeys.
TUBAL 1346 But Antonio is certainly undone.
SHYLOCK 1347 Nay, that’s true, that’s very true. Go, Tubal,
1348 125 fee me an officer. Bespeak him a fortnight before. I
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1349
will have the heart of him if he forfeit, for were he1350 out of Venice I can make what merchandise I will.
1351 Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue. Go, good
1352 Tubal, at our synagogue, Tubal.
They exit.