The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  Thou hast contrived against the very life

  Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd

  The danger formerly by me rehearsed.

  Down therefore and beg mercy of the duke.

  Wait a minute, Jew.

  The law still has a hold on you.

  It is written in the laws of Venice

  That if it shown a foreigner,

  By direct or indirect attempts,

  Tries to take the life of a citizen of Venice,

  The person he tried to take the life of

  Is entitled to one half of his propery, and the other half

  Goes to the state.

  The offender’s life lies in the mercy

  Of the duke, and only the duke.

  This seems to be your situation.

  It appears so, by clear course of action

  That you indirectly and directly taken.

  You have plotted against the life

  Of the defendant, and you have, by your actions,

  Brought on the harm to yourself I previously mentioned.

  So, get down on your knees, then, and beg mercy of the duke.

  GRATIANO

  Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thyself:

  And yet, thy wealth being forfeit to the state,

  Thou hast not left the value of a cord;

  Therefore thou must be hang'd at the state's charge.

  Beg that you may be allowed to hang yourself

  But, if your wealth goes to the state,

  You won’t have enough money to buy a rope,

  And you will have to be hung at cost to the state.

  DUKE

  That thou shalt see the difference of our spirits,

  I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it:

  For half thy wealth, it is Antonio's;

  The other half comes to the general state,

  Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.

  I want you to see the difference between our temperments.

  I pardon your life before you ask for it.

  Half of your wealth goes to Antonio.

  The other half goes to the state.

  If you show humility, I may drop that to a fine.

  PORTIA

  Ay, for the state, not for Antonio.

  The state’s half can be dropped, but not Antonio’s.

  SHYLOCK

  Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:

  You take my house when you do take the prop

  That doth sustain my house; you take my life

  When you do take the means whereby I live.

  No, go ahead and take my life with all of it. Don’t pardon that.

  You take my house when your take the income

  That keeps my house. You take my life

  When you take away the place where I live.

  PORTIA

  What mercy can you render him, Antonio?

  Can you show him any mercy, Antonio?

  GRATIANO

  A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake.

  Give him a rope to hang himself free of charge, for God’s sake!

  ANTONIO

  So please my lord the duke and all the court

  To quit the fine for one half of his goods,

  I am content; so he will let me have

  The other half in use, to render it,

  Upon his death, unto the gentleman

  That lately stole his daughter:

  Two things provided more, that, for this favour,

  He presently become a Christian;

  The other, that he do record a gift,

  Here in the court, of all he dies possess'd,

  Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter.

  If the duke and the courst

  Drop the fine for one half of his property

  I am satisfied, as long as he will allow

  The other half to be put in trust

  So that when he dies, it will go to the man

  Who recently stole his daughter.

  And two more things: that he, due to this favor being granted,

  Immediatley becomes a Christian.

  The other is that is records a will,

  Here in this court, that gives all when he dies

  To his son-in-law Lorenzo and his daughter.

  DUKE

  He shall do this, or else I do recant

  The pardon that I late pronounced here.

  He will do this or else I will take back

  The pardon I just gave to him.

  PORTIA

  Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say?

  Are you happy with that, Jew? What do you say?

  SHYLOCK

  I am content.

  I am happy with that.

  PORTIA

  Clerk, draw a deed of gift.

  Clerk, make up a deed of gift for him to sign.

  SHYLOCK

  I pray you, give me leave to go from hence;

  I am not well: send the deed after me,

  And I will sign it.

  Please, allow me to leave now,

  I am not feeling well. Send the deed after me

  And I will sign it.

  DUKE

  Get thee gone, but do it.

  Go on, then, but be sure to sign the deed.

  GRATIANO

  In christening shalt thou have two god-fathers:

  Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,

  To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.

  When you are christened you will have two god-fathers.

  If I had been the judge, you would have had ten more,

  As jurors that would bring you to the gallows, and not to be baptized.

  Exit SHYLOCK

  DUKE

  Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner.

  Sir, please come to my house for dinner.

  PORTIA

  I humbly do desire your grace of pardon:

  I must away this night toward Padua,

  And it is meet I presently set forth.

  I humbly do request your pardon.

  I must leave tonight to go to Padua,

  And it is urgent that I leave immediatley.

  DUKE

  I am sorry that your leisure serves you not.

  Antonio, gratify this gentleman,

  For, in my mind, you are much bound to him.

  I am sorry you don’t have the time to join me.

  Antonio, you should reward this gentleman.

  In my mind, you are very much in debt to him.

  Exeunt Duke and his train

  BASSANIO

  Most worthy gentleman, I and my friend

  Have by your wisdom been this day acquitted

  Of grievous penalties; in lieu whereof,

  Three thousand ducats, due unto the Jew,

  We freely cope your courteous pains withal.

  Sir, my friend and I

  Have been aquitted today due to your wisdom

  From serious penalties. We’d like to give you

  The three thousand ducats that were due the Jew

  As recompense for the pains you have taken on our behalf.

  ANTONIO

  And stand indebted, over and above,

  In love and service to you evermore.

  We would still be indebted to you,

  And owe you love and service forever.

  PORTIA

  He is well paid that is well satisfied;

  And I, delivering you, am satisfied

  And therein do account myself well paid:

  My mind was never yet more mercenary.

  I pray you, know me when we meet again:

  I wish you well, and so I take my leave.

  He who does a good job is well paid,

  And I, in freeing you, am sastified

  And I consider myself well paid in that alone.

  I wasn’t thinking about money.

  I hope you recognize me when we meet again.

  I wish you the be
st. I’m going to go, now.

  BASSANIO

  Dear sir, of force I must attempt you further:

  Take some remembrance of us, as a tribute,

  Not as a fee: grant me two things, I pray you,

  Not to deny me, and to pardon me.

  Sir, I must insist you

  Take some token from us, as a gift,

  Not as a payment. Please grant me two things:

  Don’t say no, and forgive me for insisting.

  PORTIA

  You press me far, and therefore I will yield.

  You insist so much, and so I will give in and accept.

  To ANTONIO

  Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake;

  Give me your gloves. I will wear them for your sake.

  To BASSANIO

  And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you:

  Do not draw back your hand; I'll take no more;

  And you in love shall not deny me this.

  And from you, I’ll take this ring.

  Don’t pull back your hand—I’ll have nothing else.

  You can’t deny me this gift.

  BASSANIO

  This ring, good sir, alas, it is a trifle!

  I will not shame myself to give you this.

  But this ring, sir, it’s nothing!

  I would be ashamed to give you this.

  PORTIA

  I will have nothing else but only this;

  And now methinks I have a mind to it.

  I will having nothing else but the ring.

  Now that I think about it, I really want it.

  BASSANIO

  There's more depends on this than on the value.

  The dearest ring in Venice will I give you,

  And find it out by proclamation:

  Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.

  This ring means more to me than its actual value.

  I will give you the most expensive ring in Venice,

  And put out a public announcement to find it.

  But please forgive me for not giving you this ring.

  PORTIA

  I see, sir, you are liberal in offers

  You taught me first to beg; and now methinks

  You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.

  I see, sir, that you make big offers.

  You taught me how to beg, and now it seems

  You are teaching me how a beggar should be answered.

  BASSANIO

  Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife;

  And when she put it on, she made me vow

  That I should neither sell nor give nor lose it.

  Sir, this ring was given to me by my wife,

  And when she put it on my finger she made me promise

  That I should never sell it or give it away or lose it.

  PORTIA

  That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts.

  An if your wife be not a mad-woman,

  And know how well I have deserved the ring,

  She would not hold out enemy for ever,

  For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you!

  Many men use that excuse as a reason not to give things away.

  If your wife is not a madwoman,

  And you told her how much I did to deserve the ring,

  She would not be mad at you forever

  For giving it to me. Well, goodbye.

  Exeunt Portia and Nerissa

  ANTONIO

  My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:

  Let his deservings and my love withal

  Be valued against your wife's commandment.

  Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.

  Consider how much he deserves and my friendship

  Against your wife’s order.

  BASSANIO

  Go, Gratiano, run and overtake him;

  Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst,

  Unto Antonio's house: away! make haste.

  Go, Gratianio—run after him

  Give him the ring and bring him, if you can,

  To Antonio’s house. Hurry! Run after him!

  Exit Gratiano

  Come, you and I will thither presently;

  And in the morning early will we both

  Fly toward Belmont: come, Antonio.

  Come on, you and I will go now,

  And early tomorrow morning we will both

  Hurry to get to Belmont. Come on, Antonio.

  Exeunt

  Enter PORTIA and NERISSA

  PORTIA

  Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed

  And let him sign it: we'll away to-night

  And be a day before our husbands home:

  This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.

  Ask where the Jew’s house is, then give him this deed

  And have him sign it. We’ll leave tonight

  And be home a day before our husbands.

  Lorenzo will be happy to see this deed.

  Enter GRATIANO

  GRATIANO

  Fair sir, you are well o'erta'en

  My Lord Bassanio upon more advice

  Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat

  Your company at dinner.

  Sir, it’s a good thing I caught up with you.

  Bassanio took my advice

  And has sent me after you with this ring. He requests

  Your company at dinner tonight.

  PORTIA

  That cannot be:

  His ring I do accept most thankfully:

  And so, I pray you, tell him: furthermore,

  I pray you, show my youth old Shylock's house.

  We can’t do that.

  I accept his ring with much gratitude,

  So please tell him that. Also,

  Can you show this young man to Shylock’s house?

  GRATIANO

  That will I do.

  I will do that.

  NERISSA

  Sir, I would speak with you.

  Sir, may I speak with you?

  Aside to PORTIA

  I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,

  Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.

  I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring,

  Which I made him swear to keep forever.

  PORTIA

  [Aside to NERISSA] Thou mayst, I warrant.

  We shall have old swearing

  That they did give the rings away to men;

  But we'll outface them, and outswear them too.

  [Aside to NERISSA] I bet you will be able to.

  They will swear to us

  That they gave the rings to men,

  But we will confront then and swear more than them.

  Aloud

  Away! make haste: thou knowist where I will tarry.

  Go on! Hurry. You know where I will be.

  NERISSA

  Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?

  Come, sir, will you show me to his house?

  Exeunt

  Enter LORENZO and JESSICA

  LORENZO

  The moon shines bright: in such a night as this,

  When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees

  And they did make no noise, in such a night

  Troilus methinks mounted the Troyan walls

  And sigh'd his soul toward the Grecian tents,

  Where Cressid lay that night.

  The moon shines so brightly tonight. On a night like this,

  When the wind blows so gently in the treetops

  They barely make noise—on a night just like this,

  I think Troilus climbed the Troyan walls

  And sighed toward the Grecian tents

  Where his love Cressida slept.

  JESSICA

  In such a night

  Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew

  And saw the lion's shadow ere himself

  And ran dismay'd away.

  On a night like this

  T
hisbe tripped over the dew

  When he saw the lion’s shadow before him

  And ran away in fear.

  LORENZO

  In such a night

  Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

  Upon the wild sea banks and waft her love

  To come again to Carthage.

  On a night like this,

  Dido stood with a willow branch in her hand

  On the wild seashore and signaled her lover

  To come back to Carthage.

  JESSICA

  In such a night

  Medea gather'd the enchanted herbs

  That did renew old AEson.

  On a night like this,

  Medea gathered the magic herbs

  That rejuvenated old Aeson.

  LORENZO

  In such a night

  Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew

  And with an unthrift love did run from Venice

  As far as Belmont.

  On a night like this,

  Jessica stole from the wealthy Jew

  And with her spendthrift lover

  All the way to Belmont.

  JESSICA

  In such a night

  Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,

  Stealing her soul with many vows of faith

  And ne'er a true one.

  On a night like this

  Young Lorenzo swore he loved Jessica very much

  And won her soul with many vows of love,

  But not one single vow was true.

  LORENZO

  In such a night