Go, presently inquire, and so will I, Where money is, and I no question make To have it of my trust or for my sake. NERISSA You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing. It is no mean happiness therefore, to be seated in the mean: superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but competency lives longer.
It is a good divine that follows his own instructions: I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching.
But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me a husband. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? NERISSA Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery, that he hath devised in these three chests of gold, silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what warmth is there in your affection towards any of these princely suitors that are already come?
PORTIA I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou namest them, I will describe them; and, according to my description, level at my affection.
I am much afeard my lady his mother played false with a smith. God defend me from these two! In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker: but, he!
If he would despise me I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness, I shall never requite him. How oddly he is suited! I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany and his behavior every where. PORTIA That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman and swore he would pay him again when he was able: I think the Frenchman became his surety and sealed under for another.
PORTIA Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk: when he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and when he is worst, he is little better than a beast: and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him. PORTIA Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a deep glass of rhenish wine on the contrary casket, for if the devil be within and that temptation without, I know he will choose it.
I am glad this parcel of wooers are so reasonable, for there is not one among them but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God grant them a fair departure. Enter a Serving-man How now! Servant The four strangers seek for you, madam, to take their leave: and there is a forerunner come from a fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the prince his master will be here to-night. PORTIA If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good a heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should be glad of his approach: if he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.
Come, Nerissa. Sirrah, go before. Whiles we shut the gates upon one wooer, another knocks at the door. Yet his means are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies; I understand moreover, upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath, squandered abroad.
But ships are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I mean pirates, and then there is the peril of waters, winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding, sufficient. Three thousand ducats; I think I may take his bond. May I speak with Antonio? I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What news on the Rialto?
Who is he comes here? I hate him for he is a Christian, But more for that in low simplicity He lends out money gratis and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our sacred nation, and he rails, Even there where merchants most do congregate, On me, my bargains and my well-won thrift, Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe, If I forgive him! What of that? Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe, Will furnish me.
But soft! Well then, your bond; and let me see; but hear you; Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow Upon advantage. This was a way to thrive, and he was blest: And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not. Was this inserted to make interest good? Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?
An evil soul producing holy witness Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart: O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath! You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, And all for use of that which is mine own. Should I not say Hath a dog money? If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends; for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy, Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face Exact the penalty.
Pray you, tell me this; If he should break his day, what should I gain By the exaction of the forfeiture? I say, To buy his favour, I extend this friendship: If he will take it, so; if not, adieu; And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not.
Exit Shylock The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind. Flourish of cornets. By this scimitar That slew the Sophy and a Persian prince That won three fields of Sultan Solyman, I would outstare the sternest eyes that look, Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth, Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear, Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, To win thee, lady.
But, alas the while! If Hercules and Lichas play at dice Which is the better man, the greater throw May turn by fortune from the weaker hand: So is Alcides beaten by his page; And so may I, blind fortune leading me, Miss that which one unworthier may attain, And die with grieving. PORTIA You must take your chance, And either not attempt to choose at all Or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong Never to speak to lady afterward In way of marriage: therefore be advised.
Come, bring me unto my chance. Cornets, and exeunt. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnal; and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew.
The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend; my heels are at your command; I will run. Can you tell me whether one Launcelot, that dwells with him, dwell with him or no?
Aside Mark me now; now will I raise the waters. Talk you of young Master Launcelot? Talk not of Master Launcelot, father; for the young gentleman, according to Fates and Destinies and such odd sayings, the Sisters Three and such branches of learning, is indeed deceased, or, as you would say in plain terms, gone to heaven.
Do you know me, father? Lord worshipped might he be! How dost thou and thy master agree? I have brought him a present. How gree you now? Father, I am glad you are come: give me your present to one Master Bassanio, who, indeed, gives rare new liveries: if I serve not him, I will run as far as God has any ground.
O rare fortune! See these letters delivered; put the liveries to making, and desire Gratiano to come anon to my lodging. What would you?
Go, father, with thy son. Take leave of thy old master and inquire My lodging out. Well, if any man in Italy have a fairer table which doth offer to swear upon a book, I shall have good fortune. But hear thee, Gratiano; Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice; Parts that become thee happily enough And in such eyes as ours appear not faults; But where thou art not known, why, there they show Something too liberal.
Pray thee, take pain To allay with some cold drops of modesty Thy skipping spirit, lest through thy wild behavior I be misconstrued in the place I go to, And lose my hopes. But fare you well: I have some business. Most beautiful pagan, most sweet Jew! But, adieu: these foolish drops do something drown my manly spirit: adieu.
But though I am a daughter to his blood, I am not to his manners. Go, gentlemen, Exit Launcelot Will you prepare you for this masque tonight? I am provided of a torch-bearer. Come, go with me; peruse this as thou goest: Fair Jessica shall be my torch-beare r. I do not bid thee call. But wherefore should I go? Jessica, my girl, Look to my house. I am right loath to go: There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest, For I did dream of money-bags to-night.
Go you before me, sirrah; Say I will come. Well, Jessica, go in; Perhaps I will return immediately: Do as I bid you; shut doors after you: Fast bind, fast find; A proverb never stale in thrifty mind. Where is the horse that doth untread again His tedious measures with the unbated fire That he did pace them first?
Approach; Here dwells my father Jew. And now who knows But you, Lorenzo, whether I am yours? They in themselves, good-sooth, are too too light. LORENZO Beshrew me but I love her heartily; For she is wise, if I can judge of her, And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true, And true she is, as she hath proved herself, And therefore, like herself, wise, fair and true, Shall she be placed in my constant soul.
On, gentlemen; away! Our masquing mates by this time for us stay. No masque to-night: the wind is come about; Bassanio presently will go aboard: I have sent twenty out to seek for you. Now make your choice. Let me see; I will survey the inscriptions back again. What says this leaden casket? Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.
This casket threatens. What says the silver with her virgin hue? Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves. As much as I deserve! One of these three contains her heavenly picture. O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem Was set in worse than gold. Deliver me the key: Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye There is a written scroll! Reads All that glitters is not gold; Often have you heard that told: Many a man his life hath sold But my outside to behold: Gilded tombs do worms enfold. Cold, indeed; and labour lost: Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost! Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart To take a tedious leave: thus losers part.
Exit with his train. Draw the curtains, go. Let all of his complexion choose me so. O my ducats! O my daughter! Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats! A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats, Of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter! And jewels, two stones, two rich and precious stones, Stolen by my daughter! I pray thee, let us go and find him out And quicken his embraced heaviness With some delight or other.
Gold; silver; and base lead. What says the golden chest? I will not choose what many men desire, Because I will not jump with common spirits And rank me with the barbarous multitudes. Let none presume To wear an undeserved dignity. O, that estates, degrees and offices Were not derived corruptly, and that clear honour Were purchased by the merit of the wearer! How many then should cover that stand bare! How many be commanded that command! Well, but to my choice: Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.
Give me a key for this, And instantly unlock my fortunes here. I will read it. How much unlike art thou to Portia! How much unlike my hopes and my deservings! Who chooseth me shall have as much as he deserves. Is that my prize? Reads The fire seven times tried this: Seven times tried that judgment is, That did never choose amiss. Take what wife you will to bed, I will ever be your head: So be gone: you are sped. Sweet, adieu. O, these deliberate fools! Enter a Servant Servant Where is my lady?
Servant Madam, there is alighted at your gate A young Venetian, one that comes before To signify the approaching of his lord; From whom he bringeth sensible regreets, To wit, besides commends and courteous breath, Gifts of rich value. Yet I have not seen So likely an ambassador of love: A day in April never came so sweet, To show how costly summer was at hand, As this fore-spurrer comes before his lord. SALANIO I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped ginger or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband.
But it is true, without any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,—O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company! Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship. SALARINO There is more difference between thy flesh and hers than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods than there is between red wine and rhenish.
But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no? SHYLOCK There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug upon the mart; let him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy; let him look to his bond.
I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.
Enter a Servant Servant Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house and desires to speak with you both. The curse never fell upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now: two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels.
I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! No news of them? Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was my turquoise; I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor: I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.
Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him, if he forfeit; for, were he out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will.
Go, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal. But lest you should not understand me well,— And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,— I would detain you here some month or two Before you venture for me.
O, these naughty times Put bars between the owners and their rights! And so, though yours, not yours. Prove it so, Let fortune go to hell for it, not I. But let me to my fortune and the caskets. Nerissa and the rest, stand all aloof. Let music sound while he doth make his choice; Then, if he lose, he makes a swan-like end, Fading in music: that the comparison May stand more proper, my eye shall be the stream And watery death-bed for him. He may win; And what is music then?
Now he goes, With no less presence, but with much more love, Than young Alcides, when he did redeem The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy To the sea-monster: I stand for sacrifice The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives, With bleared visages, come forth to view The issue of the exploit. Go, Hercules! Live thou, I live: with much, much more dismay I view the fight than thou that makest the fray.
Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart, or in the head? How begot, how nourished? Reply, reply. Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses.
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Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Publication date Usage Public Domain Mark 1. Bassanio, an impoverished gentleman, uses the credit of his friend, the merchant Antonio, to borrow money from a wealthy Jew, Shylock. Antonio pledges to pay Shylock a pound of flesh if he defaults on the loan, which Bassanio will use to woo a rich heiress, Portia. A subplot concerns the elopement of Shylock's daughter Jessica with a Christian, Bassanio's friend Lorenzo.
In its focus on love and marriage, the play shares certain concerns with Shakespeare's other comedies. Yet its depiction of the tensions between Jews and Christians in early modern Venice - and its highly dramatic trial scene in Act 4 - create darker currents in the play. Christensen Narrator: Dennis Sayers Audio edited by: Elizabeth Klett For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats if available , please go to the LibriVox catalog page for this recording.
For more free audio books or to become a volunteer reader, visit LibriVox. Download M4B 36MB. This piece is an honest effort, with the voice talent varying from 5 stars to 1.
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