Portia.

Tarry, Jew:

The law hath yet another hold on you.

It is enacted in the laws of Venice,

If it be proved against an alien

That he attempt

Or seek the life of any citizen,

The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the coffer of the state;

And the offender's life lies in the mercy

Of the Duke only.

Down therefore and beg mercy of the Duke. 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.

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. Antonio. So please my lord the Duke and all the court To quit1 the fine for one half of his goods,

Two things provided, that

He presently become a Christian;

The other, that he do record a gift,

Here in the court, of all he dies possessed, Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant

The pardon that I late pronounced here.

Shylock. I pray you, give me leave to go from hence. I am not well. Send the deed after me,

Scene 2. Belmont. Outside Portia's house.

Lorenzo and Jessica [enter R.].1

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
Troilus2 methinks mounted the Troyan3 walls,
And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents,
Where Cressid lay that night.

Jessica.

In such a night, Medea gathered the enchanted herbs

That did renew old son.

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.

Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,
Stealing her soul with many vows of faith
And ne'er a true one.

Lorenzo.

In such a night

Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,
Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears. Soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony.

1 There are only a very few lines in this scene, and yet the scene means a great deal in showing the happiness of Lorenzo and Jessica and of Portia and Bassanio.

2 Troilus (Trō'I-lus). Troilus, one of the sons of Priam, was in love with Cressida (krès'I-dȧ), who was taken by the Greeks in an exchange of prisoners.

3 Troyan (troi'-ăn). See map, page 38, for the site of ancient Troy, the scene of Homer's Iliad.

4 Medea (më'de'ȧ). Medea restored the youth of Jason's father, Æson (e'son), through a broth of magic herbs.

Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
Is thick inlaid with patines 1 of bright gold:

There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st
But in its motion like an angel sings.

Music from inside the house. And while Lorenzo and Jessica sit entranced, there pass along the avenue across the back of the stage [L. to R.] the reunited lovers, Portia and Bassanio, conversing happily, and quietly enough not to disturb Lorenzo and Jessica.

Jessica. I am never merry when I hear sweet music.
Lorenzo. The reason is, your spirits2 are attentive3;
The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.

The motions of his spirit are dull as night

And his affections dark as Erebus.1

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

[Curtain.]

ADDITIONAL READINGS

From the complete play of The Merchant of Venice. Bassanio and Portia.

Bassanio, though a spendthrift, is in other respects quite estimable. Portia is one of the most beautiful characters in Shakespeare. Some of her speeches are so fine that they become food for thought throughout a lifetime remembrance of her.

Act I, Scene i from line 575; Scene ii.

II, i, vii, ix.

III, ii, iv.

1 patines (pătīns): tiny gold plates; the stars.

2

spirits: mind.

3 attentive: concentrated upon serious thoughts.

4 Erebus (ĕr'-e-bus): the dark and gloomy entrance to Hades.

5 The line numbers refer to The Macmillan Pocket Classics edition of The Merchant of Venice.

Gratiano is one of the most talkative of Antonio's friends. His tongue is constantly running away with him, and the appropriateness of his remarks is often less evident than his good nature. Nerissa is Portia's waiting maid.

I, i, 73–118; ii.

II, ii, from 171.

III, ii, 186-215; iv, 57.

IV, i, from 113; ii.

V, i, from 142.

Launcelot Gobbo.

Launcelot is one of the rare comedians that Shakespeare loved to sandwich into his serious themes.

II, ii, 1-165; iii, v.

III, v.

V, i, 39-48.

SETTING: Rome: the neighborhood of Sardis (sär'dis); the neighborhood of Philippi (fi-lip'î); 44 to 42 B.C.

* Cast reducible from 27 to 13, if during the latter part of the play Casca becomes Pindarus; Trebonius, Strato; Decius Brutus, both Young Cato and Dardanius; Metellus Cimber, Lucilius; Cinna, Volumnius; Lucius, Clitus; and Cæsar by taking pains to change his characterization assumes the rôles quite different from his own of the First Soldier and Octavius' servant; Octavius in the same way assumes the