The Merchant of Venice

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE SHYLOCK ACT IV I have told your Honour what I want. I have sworn on the Holy Sabbath that I Venice, A court of Justice wil have the flesh as it is written in the Enter the Duke, Antonio, Bassanio, bond. If you don’t want to give it to Salerio, Gratiano and others. me, may your city be in danger of losing its freedom because you are DUKE unfair. You may wonder why I want Is Antonio here? the flesh rather than thte 3000 ducats. I ANTONIO will not answer you .I say I want the I am here your Honour. flesh because I feel like it. If there is a DUKE rat in my house and I want to pay I am very sorry for you Antonio. You 10 000 ducats to have it romeved> have to defend yourself against a Who can stop me? Does that answer person who is as hard a stone. He is your question? There are some men inhuman, unable to show any pity, and who don lot like pigs, there are some he does not have a drop of pity or men who get angry when they see a fogiveness in him. cat, other men can’t hold their urine ANTONIO when they hear bagpipes pley. Me I heard that your honour has gone have strange moods and they like trough a lot of trouble to make sure strange things. Now to answer your what he asks of me is lega. But, since question: As there is no reasonw hy he is very stubborn and there is no way men hate pigs and cats. why some men that the law can help I am ready to face can’t stand to listen to bagpipes, so I his anger with calmness. I will suffer can give you no reason why I want the whatever he has in store for me with flesh. All I know is that I hate Antonio quietness. and because I have him, I want the DUKE flesh, which is worth nothing instead Go, call the Jew into the courtroom. of the money. Is that enough of an SALERIO answer for you? He is already at the door your Honour. BASSANIO He is coming. That is not an answer! You have no Enter Shylock. feelings, there is no reason to excuse DUKE your cruelty. Make room for the man. Let him come SHYLOCK and stand in front of us. Shylock, Would you let a snake bite you twice? everybody thinks, me included, that ANTONIO you are just pretending that you are Please Bassanio, don’t argue with the going to take Antonio’s flesh, because Jew. You might as well stand on the you want to stress him. At the last each and tell the waves no to be that minute you will show mercy and high. You m ight as well ask a wolf forgive Antonio his debt. Where you why he killed a little lamb or you now want to take the man’s flesh, you might as well forbid the pine trees in will laters say you don’t want the flesh, the mountain to move when the wind and you will aslo say that you don’t blows. You will never be able to get even want to take the money. You will through to his hard Jewish heart. feel sorry for Antonio because he Nothing can change his mind. I beg experienced so much trouble lately. Is you, don’t argue anymore, don’t offer this what you are going to do. Answer him anything. Let the court make a me Jew! decision and let the Jew have his wish. Cheer up Antonio. There still is some Let us get this over with. hope. The Jew can have my flesh, BASSANIO bones, b lood and everything before I Shylock I will give you 6000 ducats will allow him to spill one drop of your instead of 3000. blood. SHYLOCK ANTONIOI have been choses to die. I If you take 6000 ducats and multiply am like a spoiled fruit, falling form a each of the 6000 ducats with six, then I tree. My time has come to die. The won’t take the money. I want my bond. only thing you will be useful for now DUKE Bassanio is to write a message for my How can you hope for mercy and gravestone. forgiveness if you don’t give any? Enter Nerissa, dressed like a lawyer’s SHYLOCK clerk. Who must I be afraid of, I am not DUKE doing anything wrong. Many of you Do you come from Bellario in Padua? have slaves that you have bought, and NERISSA you let them live like your donkeys I do your Honour. He sends you his and your dogs, because they are slaves greetings. She gives him a letter. and belong to you. Should I tell you to BASSANIO (to Shylock) set your slaves free and let them marry Why are you sharpening your knife so your daughters. Why do they have to keenly? works so hard. Let them sleep in your SHYLOCK won beds, and gi e them the same food To cut the flesh form that bankrupt to eat that you eat. You wil tell me tat over there. the slaves belong to yo and you can do GRATIANO with them what you want. I am telling You are not sharpening your knife on you now: The poound of flesh which I the sole of your shoe, but on your soul, ask of Antonio is mine. I will have it! I Jew! You are sharpening that knife, but bought it with my own money. If you no metal can ever be as sharp as you don’t give it to me, may your law be hatred for Antonio. Can no prayers cursed. There is no law in Venice that reach your heart? says I am wrong. I want what is legally SHYLOCK mine. Threat me accoding to the law. No prayers that you are clever enough Tell me: Shall I have the flesh? to pray. DUKE GRATIANO I have the power to give sentence. I am Damn you, you hateful dog, its unfair however waiting for Bellario. He is a that you should be alive. You make me well educated lawyer. I have sent for doubt my own religion. You amost him to come and try this case, and he is make me belief what Pythagoras says: supposed to come today. that the souls of animals live in men. SALERIO You have the same attitude as a wolf Your honour, there is a young man that was killed for killing humans. outside, a messenger who says he is Your desires are wolfish, bloody and here with letters from Bellario. He has without any human kindness. just come from Padua. SHYLOCK DUKE You can say whatever you want to say Bring me the letters. Call the but you cannot change what is written messenger. in this bond. You are just hurting your BASSANIO lings when you scream like this. It is better to say nothing. I stand here Antonio and old Shylock, stand within the law. It is on my side. forward. DUKE PORTIA This letter is from Bellario. He Is your name Shylock? recommends a young lawyer that he SHYLOCK has send here. Where is the young Yes, it is my name. man? PORTIA NERISSA This is a very strange bond that you He is waiting outside for your answer made with Antonio. Yet, in all the laws on whether you would admit him. of Venice, there is not one that says DUKE you may not ask for it. The Venetian Let him come in by all means. Three or law cannot stop you and therefore we four of you, go fetch him and lead him must go on. into the courtroom. In the meantime (To Antonio) You are the one that the clerk will read you Bellario’s letter. Shylock will hurt? CLERK ANTONIO Your Honour Yes, so he says I write this letter to tell you that I am PORTIA very ill. When your mesenger arrived Did you sign this bond? with your request there was ayoung ANTONIO lawyer here, visiting from Rome. His I did. name is Balthazar. I told him about PORTIA thecase and th oargument btween the Then you must show him mercy. Jew and Antonio the merchant. We SHYLOCK studied many books for an answer. I Why must I show him mercy? Tell have given him my opinion of the case, me? and he will add his won cleverness to PORTIA it. He is very good, and he has agreed Mercy does not have to be forced from to come to you and do the case for you. you. Mercy is as gentle as rain that Don’t let his young age foot you. I falls from heaven. Mercy is twice have never known such a young person blessed. It is good for the person who with so much knowledge. I know you gives mercy and it is good for the will accept him and your trial will person who receives mercy. Mercy is prove how bright he is. an example of strength and might. A Enter Portia, dressed as a Lawyer king that shows mercy is more DUKE importan than one who can’t show You heard w hat Bellario wrote. Her is mercy. Mercy is a quality that comes the lawyer. Give me your hand. Do directly from God. Jew, I want you to you come from Bellario? think about this. If you decide to cut PORTIA Antonio’s flesh, not one of us will be I do your Honour. saved because we all allowed Antonio DUKE to die. If you show mercy to Antonio, You are welcome. Take your place. and don’t kill him, you are actually Are you familiar with the contents of saving us all. Please you have to show th case that you have to argue? mercy, if you don’t the court of Venice PORTIA can do nothing else but to give you a I am thoroughly informed about the pound of Anotio’s flesh. situation. who is the merchant and who SHYLOCK is the Jew? I have made a promise to heaven. I DUKE want justice. I want the penalty he has to pay for not paying me back. I want change my mind. I stand here on my the pound of flesh. bond. PORTIA ANTONIO Is he not able to pay back the money? Please, I beg you. Give him what he BASSANIO want. Yes, he can pay it back. Here, I give PORTIA him the money even twice the amount. Well then, so it must be. You must If that is not enough, I will pay it ten prepare your chest for his knife… times over. I will give him my hands, SHYLOCK my head, my heart. if that is not Oh noble judge! Oh excellent young enough then it is clear tha Shylock man! does not want justice, he wants to hurt PORTIA Antonio. I plead with you, find some It seems as if this bond is legal. He has law that will stop that devil from right to take the pund of flesh. It is hurting this innocent man. legal. PORTIA SHYLOCK I cannot help you. There is no law in Wonderful. I knew it. You are very Venice that can change that bond. If wise. You are much wiser than you we change this bond then every other look. bond will be changed and everything PORTIA wil be in chaos. I cannot change the Unbutton your shirt Antonio law. SHYLOCK SHYLOCK Yes, his chest. The bond says so, does This lawyer is like a second Daniel. He it not judge? “Nearest his heart” are the is as young and as wise as Daniel. words. PORTIA PORTIA Please, let me look at the bond. It is like you say. Is there a scale here SHYLOCK to weigh the flesh? Her it is, most excellent lawyer. SHYLOCK PORTIA I have them ready. Shylock, they offer you three times the PORTIA money. Shylock, pay a surgeon to be near SHYLOCK when you cut the flesh so that he can A promise is a promise. I have made a stop Anonio from bleeding to death promise in heaven. Shall I defy my when you cut the flesh. religion and harm my soul? No, not SHYLOCK even for Venice. Does the bond say I must have a PORTIA surgeon here? Well then, this bond is forgeit. It was PORTIA not paid in time. The Jew may claim It does not say so, so what? Do it for his pound of flesh, to be cut off charity. nearest the Merchant’s heart. Be SHYLOCK merciful Shylock, take three times the I cannot find it anywhere in the bond. money. Order me to tear up the bond. PORTIA SHYLOCK You Merchant, do you have anything You can tear it after I have my pound to say? of flesh. You seem to know the law. I ANTONIO order you, give me the flesh. There is Very little. I am well prepared fo rthis not a man in this courtroom that can moment. Bassanio, give me your hand. Good bye, don’t cry because this is happening to me because of you. I am Shylock comes closer to cut the flesh actually fortunate to die. I have no PORTIA money left so I might as well die. I Before you cut, there is something else. don’t have to grow old poor now. Tell This bond gives you now blood. The your wife about me. Tell her how I words are clearly a pound of flesh. died. Tell her how much I loved you. Take your bond, take your pound of When you tell her the story let her flesh, but if you shed one drop of decide whether I have loved you or Christian blood when you cut the flesh, not. All you must be sorry about is the your land and possessions will be fact that you are losing a friend. If the confiscated according to the laws of Jew cuts too deep, I will die. Venice. The state will take all. BASSANIO GRATIANO Antonio, I am married to a lovely wife. A great lawyer! Look Jew, a smart I love her like I love life. You are more lawyer! important to me than life or my wife. I SHYLOCK would sacrifice everything to deliver Is that a law? you from Shylock. PORTIA PORTIA Yes. Since you want justice you will I am sure that if your wife hears this get all justice. she will not be impressed. GRATIANO GRATIANO A great lawyer! Look Jew, a smart I also have a wife whom I love very lawyer! much. I would rather see her dead in SHYLOCK heaven so that she can spek to some I will take the money. Pay the bond angel to change Antonio’s fate, than to three times and the Christian can go. see Antonio hurt. BASSANIO NERISSA Here is the money. It is a good thing you say this behind PORTIA her back because she would definitley Wait! The Jew shall have all justice. not like what you say. Wait, he shall have nothing but the SHYLOCK flesh. This is what Christian husbands are GRATIANO like. I have a daughter. I would rather A great lawyer!! Look Jew, a smart have rher marry on of Barrabas’s lawyer! children than to see her marry a PORTIA Crhistian. Please, we are waisting time. Therefore, Shylock, prepare to cut off The sentence. the flesh. But don’t shed any blood. PORTIA Also, don’t cut more or less than a A pound of that Merchant’s flesh is pound of flesh. If you take more than a yours. The court gives it to you. pound or less than a pound, if it differs SHYLOCK in the smallest degree, you will die and Most honourable judge your possessions will be confiscated. PORTIA GRATIANO You must cut the flesh from his chest. A great lawyer! Look Jew, a smart The law allows it and the court gives it lawyer! A second Daniel. Thank you to you. for teaching me that word. Now look SHYLOCK who is in trouble. Excellent! A sentence! Come, prepare PORTIA yourself Antonio Why do you wait Jew? Take the flesh. SHYLOCK Give me my three thousand ducats and you ask for it. Half of your wealth will let me go. go to Antonio the other half will come BASSANIO to the state. If you are very humble, the Here it is. I have it ready. state may not take your half but only PORTIA give you a fine. He has refused the money in front of PORTIA everybody. He will have nothing but The state may ask for a fine,but justice and his bond. Antonio must get half of Shylock’s GRATIANO possessions. A great lawyer! Look Jew, a smart SHYLOCK lawyer. A second Daniel. Thank you No, take my life and everything! Don’t for teaching me that word. Now look forgive me! If you take my wealth, the who is in trouble. place where I live, then you take the SHYLOCK very things that are keeping me alive. Can’t I even have my money? You are taking my life if you are PORTIA taking my money. You will have nothing but the flesh. PORTIA You can take it and destroy yourself in What mercy can you show him the process, Jew. Antonio? SHYLOCK GRATIANO Why then, let him enjoy it with the A free rope around his neck, nothing devil. I will not stay here any longer. else, I beg you. PORTIA ANTONIO Wait Jew! The law has something else If the Duke agrees, please don’t give against you. It is written in the laws of shylock a fine for half of his Venice that if it can be proved that a possessions. I am satisfied, if you foreigner tried to take the life of a would let me use half of Shylock’s Venetioan, directly or indirectly, that possessions. When Shylock dies, I will the Venetian can have half his goods give it to the man who married his and th state the other half. The offender daughter. I also want two more things. must then beg for his own life from the He must become a Christian. He must Duke, because the Duke has the right also write out a contract in which he to kill him. I say that you tried to kill states that Lorenzo and Jessica inherit Antonio and that you have broken this all his possessions when he dies. law. I have proven it through the DUKE proceedings in this court that indirectly He will do this, if he does not, I will and directly you have planned to kill take back all my mercy and he will be Antonio therefore your possessions killed. will be confiscated. Kneel before the PORTIA Duke and beg for your life. Are you satisfied, Jew? GRATIANO SHYLOCK Beg that you may have permission to I am satisfied. hang yourself. And yet, since all your PORTIA money is going to the state you won’t Clerk, let us draw up the agreement. have any left to buy a rope to hang SHYLOCK yourself with therefore the state must Please, give me permission to go even pay for you hanging. home. I don’t feel well. Send the DUKE documents after me, and I will sign it. To show you how different we are in DUKE character, I give you your life before You may leave, but remember to sign You are very persistent therefore I will the documents. accept. Give me your gloves; I will GRATIANO wear them and think of you. When we baptise you as a Christian, Bassanio takes off his gloves you must have two witnesses. Had I And to prove that you love me, I will been the judge, I would have asked for take this ring from you. Don’t pull ten more, that will make them twelve. away your hand, I will take nothing Twelve people are needed in the jury more and if you love me you will not for a murder trial. I would have tried refuse me the ring. you for murder before I baptised you, BASSANIO then I would have taken you to be This ring, dear sir, is nothing, It is hanged. worthless and unimportant. I will not Shylock off degrade myself by giving it ot you. DUKE PORTIA Sire, please come home with me for I will have nothing else but the ring dinner. and now I think I am even beginning to PORTIA like the ring. Please forgive me, but I must refuse BASSANIO the invitation. I must go to Padua This ring is more important to me than tonight, and I have to leave right now. it is valuable. I will find you the most DUKE exclusive ring in Venice. I will buy I am sorry that you are not free to stay. you the most expensive ring in Venice, Antonio, thank this gentleman properly please, don’t ask me for this ring. for in my mind you owe him your life. PORTIA The Duke and followers off I see you are very quick to make BASSANIO offers. First you teach me to beg for Most worthy gentleman, my friend and something and now I think you are I have been saved from a terrible teaching me how a beggar should be problem by your wisdom. I had to give answered. the Jew 3000 ducats. I now give the BASSANIO 3000 ducats to you. Dear Sir. My wife gave me this ring ANTONIO and she made me promise to always We will be in your debt forever, we keep it on my finger. I may not sell or offer you our love and service forever. lose it. PORTIA PORTIA He that is satisfied with what he has That excuse has helped many men to done is well paid. I, in setting you free, keep the gifst they have promised am very satisfied and therefore I others. If your wife is not crazy, she consider myself well paid. I did not do will know that I deserve this ring with this to receive any money. I do ask you what I have done. She would not hate however that you will know me when you forever. Well, peace be with you. you see me again. Portia and Nerissa off. BASSANIO ANTONIO Dear sir, I must force you to take at Bassanio, give him the ring. I will least something from us that will explain to your wife what has done to remind you of us, not as payment. Just deserve it and it will be enough to free do me two favours, don’t refuse my you from that promise you made. request and forgive me for forcing you. BASSANIO PORTIA Go Gratiano, run after the man and give him the ring. Bring him to Antonio’s house for dinner.

SCENE 2 (A street in Venice) Enter Portia and Nerissa, disguised as before.

PORTIA find out where the house of the Jew is and give him this contract. Let him sighn it. We will leave tonight. We will be home a day before our husband.s Lorenzo will be very happy about this contract. Enter Gratiano GRATIANO Good sir, I have found you. My lor Bassanio has been advised to send you this ring. He also asks you to join him for dinner tonight. PORTIA I cannot join him for dinner. I accept this ring very gladly. Please tell him so. Please show my clerk where Shylock’s house is. GRATIANO I will do so. NERISSA Sir, may I speak privately with you. (Aside to Portia) I am going to see if I can get my husband’s ring. I also made him swear to keep it forever. PORTIA (Aside to Nerissa) You may. We will complain loudly when they say that they gave the rings to men. We will say they are lying. Go, be quick. You know where I will wait for you. NERISSA Come sir, please show me where the house is. Exeunt