PORTIA
Is it your dear friend that is thus in trouble?
Is it your dear friend who is in this trouble?
BASSANIO
The dearest friend to me, the kindest man,
The best-condition'd and unwearied spirit
In doing courtesies, and one in whom
The ancient Roman honour more appears
Than any that draws breath in Italy.
He is my dearest friend and the kindest man.
He had the best disposition and a great spirit
And has the best manners. He is the sort of man
The ancient Roman idea of honor appears in
More than any other man in Italy.
PORTIA
What sum owes he the Jew?
How much does he owe the Jew?
BASSANIO
For me three thousand ducats.
He owes him three thousand ducats.
PORTIA
What, no more?
Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond;
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description
Shall lose a hair through Bassanio's fault.
First go with me to church and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend;
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over:
When it is paid, bring your true friend along.
My maid Nerissa and myself meantime
Will live as maids and widows. Come, away!
For you shall hence upon your wedding-day:
Bid your friends welcome, show a merry cheer:
Since you are dear bought, I will love you dear.
But let me hear the letter of your friend.
What, that’s all?
Pay him six thousand and be done with the debt.
Double the six thousand, and then triple it
Before this great friend as you’ve described him
Loses a hair through your fault.
But first, let’s go to church and get married.
And then you should go to Venice to be with your friend.
You would never sleep by my side otherwise
Without a restless soul. You will have enough gold
To pay this petty debt twenty times over.
When it is paid, bring your friend back here.
Nerissa and I, in the meantime
Will live like virgins and widows. Let’s go!
You will leave once you are married.
Welcome your friends and put on a happy face.
Since it is costing so much to have you, I will love you all the more.
But first, read me the letter from your friend.
BASSANIO
[Reads] Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all
miscarried, my creditors grow cruel, my estate is
very low, my bond to the Jew is forfeit; and since
in paying it, it is impossible I should live, all
debts are cleared between you and I, if I might but
see you at my death. Notwithstanding, use your
pleasure: if your love do not persuade you to come,
let not my letter.
[Reads] Sweer Bassanio, my ships have all
been wrecked, my creditors are growing cruel, my wealth is
very low, my loan to the Jew is forfeited, and since
I’m not paying it, it is impossible to live, all
debts between you and I are cleared if I could just
see you when I die. I understand that if you
don’t want to come because of your affection for me
this letter will not convince you to do so.
PORTIA
O love, dispatch all business, and be gone!
Oh, my love—take care of things and go on!
BASSANIO
Since I have your good leave to go away,
I will make haste: but, till I come again,
No bed shall e'er be guilty of my stay,
No rest be interposer 'twixt us twain.
Since I have your blessing in going away,
I will hurry back. But, until I return,
Know that I will not sleep in any bed.
I will not rest until I am with you again.
Exeunt
Enter SHYLOCK, SALARINO, ANTONIO, and Gaoler
SHYLOCK
Gaoler, look to him: tell not me of mercy;
This is the fool that lent out money gratis:
Gaoler, look to him.
Jailer, keep an eye on this one. Don’t try to convice me of mercy.
This is the fool that lent out money without interest.
Jailer, keep an eye on him.
ANTONIO
Hear me yet, good Shylock.
Listen to me, Shylock.
SHYLOCK
I'll have my bond; speak not against my bond:
I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond.
Thou call'dst me dog before thou hadst a cause;
But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs:
The duke shall grant me justice. I do wonder,
Thou naughty gaoler, that thou art so fond
To come abroad with him at his request.
I’ll have my payment. Don’t try to talk me out of getting it.
I have sworn an oath the I will get my payment.
You called me a dog when you had no reason to do so.
So, since I am a dog, beware of my fangs.
The duke will give me justice. I do wonder,
however, why this jailer is so bad, to allow
Antonio to come out of his cell by simply asking.
ANTONIO
I pray thee, hear me speak.
Please, listen to what I have to say.
SHYLOCK
I'll have my bond; I will not hear thee speak:
I'll have my bond; and therefore speak no more.
I'll not be made a soft and dull-eyed fool,
To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield
To Christian intercessors. Follow not;
I'll have no speaking: I will have my bond.
I will have my payment. I will not listen to you.
I will have my payment. So just stop talking.
I’ll not be made to look like a weak and easily deceived fool
To just shake my head, give up to you with a sigh and yield
To Christian prayers. Don’t follow me.
I won’t listen to you. I will have my payment.
Exit
SALARINO
It is the most impenetrable cur
That ever kept with men.
He is the most impossible dog
Who ever lived among men.
ANTONIO
Let him alone:
I'll follow him no more with bootless prayers.
He seeks my life; his reason well I know:
I oft deliver'd from his forfeitures
Many that have at times made moan to me;
Therefore he hates me.
Leave him alone.
I won’t follow him anymore with my useless prayers.
He wants me dead. I know his reason:
I’ve given money to the people who couldn’t pay him back
Many times, once they’ve asked me to do so.
He hates me for that reason.
SALARINO
I am sure the duke
Will never grant this forfeiture to hold.
I am sure the duke
Will never allow this payment for forfeit to be enforced.
ANTONIO
The duke cannot deny the course of law:
For the commodity that strangers have
With us in Venice, if it be denied,
Will much impeach the justice of his state;
Since that the trade and profit of the city
Consisteth of all nations. Therefore
, go:
These griefs and losses have so bated me,
That I shall hardly spare a pound of flesh
To-morrow to my bloody creditor.
Well, gaoler, on. Pray God, Bassanio come
To see me pay his debt, and then I care not!
The duke cannot deny the law.
The business that strangers bring
To merchants in Venice can not be denied
Or it would cause harm to the justice of the state
Since the profit of the city depends on the trade
Of foreigners. So, go on—
These worries have caused me to lose so much weight
I will hardly be able to spare a pound of flesh
Tomorrow to my bloody creditor.
So, jailer, go away. I just hope to God Bassanio comes
To see me pay his debt, and I don’t care about anything else!
Exeunt
Enter PORTIA, NERISSA, LORENZO, JESSICA, and BALTHASAR
LORENZO
Madam, although I speak it in your presence,
You have a noble and a true conceit
Of godlike amity; which appears most strongly
In bearing thus the absence of your lord.
But if you knew to whom you show this honour,
How true a gentleman you send relief,
How dear a lover of my lord your husband,
I know you would be prouder of the work
Than customary bounty can enforce you.
Madam, I’d like to say in your presence
That you have a noble and true understanding
Of real friendship, which you have shown
By letting your lord go off like this.
The man you are sending him to
Loves your lord greatly and is faithful to him.
I know you might be prouder of doing what comes
Natural to you if you knew this.
PORTIA
I never did repent for doing good,
Nor shall not now: for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose souls do bear an equal yoke Of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners and of spirit;
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. If it be so,
How little is the cost I have bestow'd
In purchasing the semblance of my soul
From out the state of hellish misery!
This comes too near the praising of myself;
Therefore no more of it: hear other things.
Lorenzo, I commit into your hands
The husbandry and manage of my house
Until my lord's return: for mine own part,
I have toward heaven breathed a secret vow
To live in prayer and contemplation,
Only attended by Nerissa here,
Until her husband and my lord's return:
There is a monastery two miles off;
And there will we abide. I do desire you
Not to deny this imposition;
The which my love and some necessity
Now lays upon you.
I’ve never been sorry for doing good,
And I won’t be now. Friends
That talk and spend time together
Have souls that bear an equal amount of love.
They must be very much alike, and have the same sort
of chracteristics, manners and energy.
This makes me think that this Antonio,
Being such a close friend of my lord,
Must be very much like my lord. So, if that’s the case,
The money I’ve sent with him is a small amount
To free the one who is like my lover
Out of a hellish state!
But, I’m coming too close to praising myself,
So let’s talk of this no more. Let’s talk about other things.
Lorenzo, I’d like for you
To take over the care and management of my house
Until my lord comes back. As for me—
I have made a secret vow to heaven
To live in prayer and meditation
To be only accompanied my Nerissa
Until her husband and my lord come back.
There is a monastery about two miles away.
We will stay there. I hope you
Will not deny this request
Which my love and some need
Puts upon you.
LORENZO
Madam, with all my heart;
I shall obey you in all fair commands.
Madam, with all of my heart—
I will do whatever you wish.
PORTIA
My people do already know my mind,
And will acknowledge you and Jessica
In place of Lord Bassanio and myself.
And so farewell, till we shall meet again.
My servants already know about this
And will answer to you and Jessica
In place of Lord Bassanio and me.
So, goodbye, until we see each other again.
LORENZO
Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you!
I hope you find peace of mind and happiness!
JESSICA
I wish your ladyship all heart's content.
I wish you all you hope for at this time.
PORTIA
I thank you for your wish, and am well pleased
To wish it back on you: fare you well Jessica.
Thanks you for the wish, and I’m happy
To wish the same back to you. Goodbye, Jessica. Take care.
Exeunt JESSICA and LORENZO
Now, Balthasar,
As I have ever found thee honest-true,
So let me find thee still. Take this same letter,
And use thou all the endeavour of a man
In speed to Padua: see thou render this
Into my cousin's hand, Doctor Bellario;
And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee,
Bring them, I pray thee, with imagined speed
Unto the tranect, to the common ferry
Which trades to Venice. Waste no time in words,
But get thee gone: I shall be there before thee.
Now, Balthasar,
I have found you to be ever honest and true,
And I hope to find you that way, still. Take this letter,
And with as much speed as possible for a man
Get to Padua. Put this letter
Into my cousin’s—Dr. Bellario—hands.
Take whatever papers and clothes he gives to you
And bring them, please, as quickly as you can
To the ferry—the public ferry—
That goes to and from Venice. Don’t waste time talking,
Just get going. I will be there before you.
BALTHASAR
Madam, I go with all convenient speed.
Madam, I will go as fast as possible.
Exit
PORTIA
Come on, Nerissa; I have work in hand
That you yet know not of: we'll see our husbands
Before they think of us.
Come on, Nerissa, I have things in the works
You don’t know about yet. We’ll see our husbands
Before they even think of us.
NERISSA
Shall they see us?
Will they see us?
PORTIA
They shall, Nerissa; but in such a habit,
That they shall think we are accomplished
With that we lack. I'll hold thee any wager,
When we are both accoutred like young men,
I'll prove the prettier fellow of the two,
And wear my dagger with the braver grace,
And speak between the change of man and boy
With a reed voic
e, and turn two mincing steps
Into a manly stride, and speak of frays
Like a fine bragging youth, and tell quaint lies,
How honourable ladies sought my love,
Which I denying, they fell sick and died;
I could not do withal; then I'll repent,
And wish for all that, that I had not killed them;
And twenty of these puny lies I'll tell,
That men shall swear I have discontinued school
Above a twelvemonth. I have within my mind
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks,
Which I will practise.
They will see us, Nerissa, but we will be dressed
In a way that they will think we are
what we are not. I will bet you
That when we are both dressed like young men
I will be the handsomer of the two
And I will wear my sword with much more grace
And speak like just like an adolescent boy
With a squeaking voice, and my ladylike steps
Will become a manly stride. I’ll talk about frightening things
Like a fine bragging young man, and tell clever lies
About how honorable ladies wanted my love,
But when I wouldn’t give it to them, they fell sick and died
I could do nothing about it! Then, I’ll feel sorry
And wish that what I had done had not killed them.
I’ll tell twenty of these little lies.
And men will swear I just graduated from school
A year ago. I have in my head
A thousand of these sort of tricks for young men
That I will use.
NERISSA
Why, shall we turn to men?
Why will we turn into men?
PORTIA
Fie, what a question's that,
If thou wert near a lewd interpreter!
But come, I'll tell thee all my whole device
When I am in my coach, which stays for us
At the park gate; and therefore haste away,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 285