The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 287
On my claim against him. Do you have your answer?
BASSANIO
This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
To excuse the current of thy cruelty.
That is no answer, you heartless man,
To excuse how cruel you are being.
SHYLOCK
I am not bound to please thee with my answers.
No one said my answers have to please you.
BASSANIO
Do all men kill the things they do not love?
Tell me, do all men kill the things they do not love?
SHYLOCK
Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
Does any man not want to kill the thing he hates?
BASSANIO
Every offence is not a hate at first.
Not every annoyance is hated at first.
SHYLOCK
What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
What, would you let a snake bite you twice?
ANTONIO
I pray you, think you question with the Jew:
You may as well go stand upon the beach
And bid the main flood bate his usual height;
You may as well use question with the wolf
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb;
You may as well forbid the mountain pines
To wag their high tops and to make no noise,
When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven;
You may as well do anything most hard,
As seek to soften that--than which what's harder?--
His Jewish heart: therefore, I do beseech you,
Make no more offers, use no farther means,
But with all brief and plain conveniency
Let me have judgment and the Jew his will.
Please, why are you arguing with the Jew?
You may as well go stand on the beach
And ask the largest waves to decrease in height.
You may as well as the wolf
Why he killed a lamb and made its mother cry.
You may as well tell the pines in the mountains
To stop swaying and to be quiet
When the wind blows and moves through them.
You may as well attempt to do anything just as impossible
Than to try to soften his hard
Jewish heart. I beg you,
Don’t make him any more offers, and do try anything else.
Let’s make this brief and as easy as possible—
Let me have my punishment and give the Jew what he wants.
BASSANIO
For thy three thousand ducats here is six.
Instead of three thousand ducats, here is six.
SHYLOCK
If every ducat is six thousand ducats,
Were in six parts and every part a ducat,
I would not draw them; I would have my bond.
If every ducat were six thousand ducats,
And then six times that,
I would not have them. I will have my payment.
DUKE
How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none?
How can you ever hope for mercy when you give none?
SHYLOCK
What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchased slave,
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,
You use in abject and in slavish parts,
Because you bought them: shall I say to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds
Be made as soft as yours and let their palates
Be season'd with such viands? You will answer
'The slaves are ours:' so do I answer you:
The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,
Is dearly bought; 'tis mine and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your law!
There is no force in the decrees of Venice.
I stand for judgment: answer; shall I have it?
What punishment should I dread, since I do no wrong?
You have in your possession many slaves you’ve bought
Which—like your donkeys and your dogs and mules—
You use to do despictable things just because they are slaves
And you bought them. What if I said to you,
‘Set them free and let them marry your children,’
And ‘Why are you making them work so hard?’ or ‘Give them beds
As soft as your and please their palates
With the same food you eat?’ You would answer,
‘The slaves are mine.’ And so I answer you the same.
I demand the pound of flesh—
I paid a lot for it. It is mine and I will have it.
If you deny me, your laws will mean nothing!
You will not be able to enforce the rules of Venice.
I’m waiting for my payment. Answer me: will I have it?
DUKE
Upon my power I may dismiss this court,
Unless Bellario, a learned doctor,
Whom I have sent for to determine this,
Come here to-day.
I will dimiss the court for the day
Unless Bellario, a wise expert of the law
Whom I sent for to help make the judgement,
Shows up today.
SALERIO
My lord, here stays without
A messenger with letters from the doctor,
New come from Padua.
Outside there waits
A messanger with letters from the doctor,
Who is arriving from Padua.
DUKE
Bring us the letters; call the messenger.
Bring us the letters and call in the messenger.
BASSANIO
Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet!
The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all,
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.
Cheer up, Antonio! Keep up your courage!
The Jew can have my flesh, blood, bones—everything—
Before I let you lose one drop of blood for me.
ANTONIO
I am a tainted wether of the flock,
Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit
Drops earliest to the ground; and so let me
You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,
Than to live still and write mine epitaph.
I am the diseased sheep in the flock,
Most fit for death. The weakest of the fruit
Falls to the ground first. Let me be the one.
I can’t think of a better purpose, Bassanio,
Than for you to live and write my epitaph.
Enter NERISSA, dressed like a lawyer's clerk
DUKE
Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Have you come from Padua from Bellario’s?
NERISSA
From both, my lord. Bellario greets your grace.
From both, sir. Bellario sends his greetings.
Presenting a letter
BASSANIO
Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
Why are you sharpening your knife so eagerly?
SHYLOCK
To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there.
To cut my payment from that bankrupt man over there.
GRATIANO
Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,
Thou makest thy knife keen; but no metal can,
No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?
You shouldn’t do it on the sole of your shoe, but on your soul, cruel Jew,
You’d sharpen the knife better than any metal can.
Not even the hangman’s ax could be half as sharp
As the hate inside you. Can no prayers reach you?
SHYLOCK
No, none that thou hast wit
enough to make.
No, none that you have the intelligence to make.
GRATIANO
O, be thou damn'd, inexecrable dog!
And for thy life let justice be accused.
Thou almost makest me waver in my faith
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,
That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the boxs of men: thy currish spirit
Govern'd a wolf, who, hang'd for human slaughter,
Even from the gallows did his fell soul fleet,
And, whilst thou lay'st in thy unhallow'd dam,
Infused itself in thee; for thy desires
Are wolvish, bloody, starved and ravenous.
Oh, go to hell, you unmovable dog!
You should be killed in the name of justice.
You almost cause me to be unsteady in my beliefs,
And to agree with the philosopher Pythagoras
That the souls of animals are born again
As humans. Your dog-like soul
Came from a wolf who was slaughtered for killing humans.
As he hung from the gallows his savage soul fled
And—while you were in the unholy womb of your mother—
It came into you. Your desires
Are wolfish, bloody, starved and insatiable.
SHYLOCK
Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond,
Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud:
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall
To cureless ruin. I stand here for law.
Until you can rant the seal off of my contract,
You just hurt your lungs to yell so loudly.
Recover your senses, young man, or you will fall
apart. I have the law on my side.
DUKE
This letter from Bellario doth commend
A young and learned doctor to our court.
Where is he?
This letter from Bellario recommends
A young and well-educated legal expert to our court.
Where is he?
NERISSA
He attendeth here hard by,
To know your answer, whether you'll admit him.
He waits nearby
To hear whether you will admit him into the court.
DUKE
With all my heart. Some three or four of you
Go give him courteous conduct to this place.
Meantime the court shall hear Bellario's letter.
I welcome him with all of my heart. Three or four of you
Go give him a courteous escort here.
In the meantime, the court will hear Bellario’s letter.
Clerk
[Reads]
Your grace shall understand that at the receipt of
your letter I am very sick: but in the instant that
your messenger came, in loving visitation was with
me a young doctor of Rome; his name is Balthasar. I
acquainted him with the cause in controversy between
the Jew and Antonio the merchant: we turned o'er
many books together: he is furnished with my
opinion; which, bettered with his own learning, the
greatness whereof I cannot enough commend, comes
with him, at my importunity, to fill up your grace's
request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack of
years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend
estimation; for I never knew so young a body with so
old a head. I leave him to your gracious
acceptance, whose trial shall better publish his
commendation.
[Reads]
Please understand that even though I received
your letter, I am very ill at the time. However, when
your messenger delivered the letter, I was being visited by
a young doctor from Rome whose name is Balthasar. I
told him about the controvery regarding
the Jew and Antonio the merchant. We looked over
many books together. He is aware of my
opinion on the matter, which was made better with his knowledge,
which is so broad I could not recommend him more, and he brings
my opinion with him, since I am not able to do so, and will fill your
request in place of me. Please do not let his young age
fool you into thinking he is not worthy of respect
and high esteem. I’ve never known such a young body graced with
such a wise head. I leave him for you
to accept into court. Once you see what he can do, he
will commend himself by his actions.
DUKE
You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes:
And here, I take it, is the doctor come.
You hear the wise Bellario has written.
And here comes the expert he recommends.
Enter PORTIA, dressed like a doctor of laws
Give me your hand. Come you from old Bellario?
Please, shake my hand. Have you come from Bellario?
PORTIA
I did, my lord.
I did, sir.
DUKE
You are welcome: take your place.
Are you acquainted with the difference
That holds this present question in the court?
Welcome, and please take a seat.
Are you acquainted with the case
That is currently before the court?
PORTIA
I am informed thoroughly of the cause.
Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?
I am thoroughoy familiar with the case.
Which is the merchant, here, and which is the Jew?
DUKE
Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth.
Antonio and Shylock, please step forward.
PORTIA
Is your name Shylock?
Is your name Shylock?
SHYLOCK
Shylock is my name.
My name is Shylock.
PORTIA
Of a strange nature is the suit you follow;
Yet in such rule that the Venetian law
Cannot impugn you as you do proceed.
You stand within his danger, do you not?
The case you present is very strange,
Yet is so valid that the Venetian law
Cannot dispute it as you go forward with it.
You stand within danger here, don’t you?
ANTONIO
Ay, so he says.
Yes, that’s what he says.
PORTIA
Do you confess the bond?
Do you acknowledge the contract?
ANTONIO
I do.
I do.
PORTIA
Then must the Jew be merciful.
Then the Jew must show mercy.
SHYLOCK
On what compulsion must I? tell me that.
Why should I do that? Tell me.
PORTIA
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray f
or mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Mercy is not something that can be forced.
It drops like soft rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath it. It twice blesses:
It blesses he who gives it and he who receives it.
It is influential in the most influential people. It makes
A king look better than his own crown does.
His scepter shows his power and strength on earth,
It is a credit to his awe and grandness.
Within it sits the dread and fear of kings,
But mercy has more power and is higher than the scepter.
It is enthroned within the hearts of kings.
It is a credit to God himself,
Earthly power seems most like God’s power
When mercy is added to justice. So, Jew,
Although it is justice you want, consider this.
Following the course of justice alone
won’t save you. We pray for mercy,
And saying the prayer teaches us to give
mercy. I have said all of this
To persuade you to reduce the severity of your claim,
Which, if you follow through, this strict court of Venice
Will have to serve sentence against the merchant there.
SHYLOCK
My deeds upon my head! I crave the law,
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.
My actions are my own! I want the law—