Merchant of Venice (1923) Yale/Text/Act IV
ACT FOURTH
Scene One
[Venice. A Court of Justice]
Enter the Duke, the Magnificoes, Antonio, Bassanio, and Gratiano [with Salarino, Salanio, and Others].
Duke. What, is Antonio here?
Ant. Ready, so please your Grace.
Duke. I am sorry for thee: thou art come to answer
A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch 4
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.
Ant.I have heard
Your Grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify
His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate, 8
And that no lawful means can carry me
Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose
My patience to his fury, and am arm'd
To suffer with a quietness of spirit 12
The very tyranny and rage of his.
Duke. Go one, and call the Jew into the court.
Salar. He's ready at the door: he comes, my lord.
Enter Shylock.
Duke. Make room, and let him stand before our face. 16
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act; and then 'tis thought
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange 20
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty;
And where thou now exact'st the penalty,—
Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,—
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture, 24
But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,
Forgive a moiety of the principal;
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,
That have of late so huddled on his back, 28
Enow to press a royal merchant down,
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd 32
To offices of tender courtesy.
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.
Shy. I have possess'd your Grace of what I purpose;
And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn 36
To have the due and forfeit of my bond:
If you deny it, let the danger light
Upon your charter and your city's freedom.
You'll ask me why I rather choose to have 40
A weight of carrion flesh than to receive
Three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that:
But say it is my humour: is it answer'd?
What if my house be troubled with a rat, 44
And I be pleas'd to give ten thousand ducats
To have it ban'd? What, are you answer'd yet?
Some men there are love not a gaping pig;
Some, that are mad if they behold a cat; 48
And others, when the bagpipe sings i' the nose,
Cannot contain their urine: for affection
Masters our passion, sways it to the mood
Of what it likes, or loathes. Now, for your answer: 52
As there is no firm reason to be render'd,
Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;
Why he, a harmless necessary cat;
Why he, a woollen bagpipe; but of force 56
Must yield to such inevitable shame
As to offend, himself being offended;
So can I give no reason, nor I will not,
More than a lodg'd hate and a certain loathing 60
I bear Antonio, that I follow thus
A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd?
Bass. This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
To excuse the current of thy cruelty. 64
Shy. I am not bound to please thee with my answer.
Bass. Do all men kill the things they do not love?
Shy. Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
Bass. Every offence is not a hate at first. 68
Shy. What! wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
Ant. 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; 72
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 76
When they are fretted 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, 80
Make no more offers, use no further means;
But with all brief and plain conveniency,
Let me have judgment, and the Jew his will.
Bass. For thy three thousand ducats here is six. 84
Shy. If every ducat in six thousand ducats
Were in six parts and every part a ducat,
I would not draw them; I would have my bond.
Duke. How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none? 88
Shy. What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchas'd slave,
Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,
You use in abject and in slavish parts, 92
Because you bought them: shall I say to you,
Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?
Why sweat they under burdens? let their beds
Be made as soft as yours, and let their palates 96
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. 100
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?
Duke. Upon my power I may dismiss this court, 104
Unless Bellario, a learned doctor,
Whom I have sent for to determine this,
Come here to-day.
Salar.My lord, here stays without
A messenger with letters from the doctor, 108
New come from Padua.
Duke. Bring us the letters: call the messenger.
Bass. Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet!
The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones, and all, 112
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.
Ant. 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: 116
You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,
Than to live still, and write mine epitaph.
Enter Nerissa [dressed like a lawyer's clerk].
Duke. Came you from Padua, from Bellario?
Ner. From both, my lord. Bellario greets your Grace. 120
Bass. Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?
Shy. To cut the forfeiture from that bankrupt there.
Gra. Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew,
Thou mak'st thy knife keen; but no metal can, 124
No, not the hangman's axe, bear half the keenness
Of thy sharp envy. Can no prayers pierce thee?
Shy. No, none that thou hast wit enough to make.
Gra. O, be thou damn'd, inexecrable dog! 128
And for thy life let justice be accus'd.
Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,
That souls of animals infuse themselves 132
Into the trunks 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, 136
Infus'd itself in thee; for thy desires
Are wolfish, bloody, starv'd, and ravenous.
Shy. Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond,
Thou but offend'st thy lungs to speak so loud: 140
Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fall
To cureless ruin. I stand here for law.
Duke. This letter from Bellario doth commend
A young and learned doctor to our court. 144
Where is he?
Ner.He attendeth here hard by,
To know your answer, whether you'll admit him.
Duke. With all my heart: some three or four of you
Go give him courteous conduct to this place. 148
Meantime, the court shall hear Bellario's letter.
[Clerk]. '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 visi- 152
tation was with me a young doctor of Rome; his
name is Balthazar. I acquainted him with the
cause in controversy between the Jew and Antonio
the merchant: we turned o'er many books toge- 156
ther: 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 160
request in my stead. I beseech you, let his lack
of years be no impediment to let him lack a re-
verend estimation, for I never knew so young a
body with so old a head. I leave him to your 164
gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better pub-
lish his commendation.'
Duke. You hear the learn'd Bellario, what he writes:
And here, I take it, is the doctor come. 168
Enter Portia for Balthazar [dressed like a doctor of laws].
Give me your hand. Came you from old Bellario?
Por. I did, my lord.
Duke. You are welcome: take your place.
Are you acquainted with the difference
That holds this present question in the court? 172
Por. I am informed throughly of the cause.
Which is the merchant here, and which the Jew?
Duke. Antonio and old Shylock, both stand forth.
Por. Is your name Shylock?
Shy. Shylock is my name. 176
Por. Of a strange nature is the suit you follow;
Yet in such rule that the Venetian law
Cannot impugn you as you do proceed.
[To Antonio.] You stand within his danger, do you not? 180
Ant. Ay, so he says.
Por. Do you confess the bond?
Ant. I do.
Por. Then must the Jew be merciful.
Shy. On what compulsion must I? tell me that.
Por. The quality of mercy is not strain'd, 184
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice bless'd;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes 188
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; 192
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 196
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 for mercy, 200
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 204
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Shy. My deeds upon my head! I crave the law,
The penalty and forfeit of my bond.
Por. Is he not able to discharge the money? 208
Bass. Yes, here I tender it for him in the court;
Yea, twice the sum: if that will not suffice,
I will be bound to pay it ten times o'er,
On forfeit of my hands, my head, my heart. 212
If this will not suffice, it must appear
That malice bears down truth. And, I beseech you,
Wrest once the law to your authority:
To do a great right, do a little wrong, 216
And curb this cruel devil of his will.
Por. It must not be. There is no power in Venice
Can alter a decree established:
'Twill be recorded for a precedent, 220
And many an error by the same example
Will rush into the state. It cannot be.
Shy. A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!
O wise young judge, how I do honour thee! 224
Por. I pray you, let me look upon the bond.
Shy. Here 'tis, most reverend doctor; here it is.
Por. Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd thee.
Shy. An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven: 228
Shall I lay perjury upon my soul?
No, not for Venice.
Por.Why, this bond is forfeit;
And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off 232
Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful:
Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond.
Shy. When it is paid according to the tenour.
It doth appear you are a worthy judge; 236
You know the law, your exposition
Hath been most sound: I charge you by the law,
Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar,
Proceed to judgment: by my soul I swear 240
There is no power in the tongue of man
To alter me. I stay here on my bond.
Ant. Most heartily I do beseech the court
To give the judgment.
Por.Why then, thus it is: 244
You must prepare your bosom for his knife.
Shy. O noble judge! O excellent young man!
Por. For the intent and purpose of the law
Hath full relation to the penalty, 248
Which here appeareth due upon the bond.
Shy. 'Tis very true! O wise and upright judge!
How much more elder art thou than thy looks!
Por. Therefore lay bare your bosom.
Shy.Ay, 'his breast:' 252
So says the bond:—doth it not, noble judge?—
'Nearest his heart:' those are the very words.
Por. It is so. Are there balance here to weigh
The flesh? 256
Shy. I have them ready.
Por. Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge,
To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.
Shy. Is it so nominated in the bond? 260
Por. It is not so express'd; but what of that?
'Twere good you do so much for charity.
Shy. I cannot find it: 'tis not in the bond.
Por. You, merchant, have you anything to say? 264
Ant. But little: I am arm'd and well prepar'd.
Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well!
Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you;
For herein Fortune shows herself more kind 268
Than is her custom: it is still her use
To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,
To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow
An age of poverty; from which lingering penance 272
Of such a misery doth she cut me off.
Commend me to your honourable wife:
Tell her the process of Antonio's end;
Say how I lov'd you, speak me fair in death; 276
And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge
Whether Bassanio had not once a love.
Repent but you that you shall lose your friend,
And he repents not that he pays your debt; 280
For if the Jew do cut but deep enough,
I'll pay it instantly with all my heart.
Bass. Antonio, I am married to a wife
Which is as dear to me as life itself; 284
But life itself, my wife, and all the world,
Are not with me esteem'd above thy life:
I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all,
Here to this devil, to deliver you. 288
Por. Your wife would give you little thanks for that,
If she were by to hear you make the offer.
Gra. I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love:
I would she were in heaven, so she could 292
Entreat some power to change this currish Jew.
Ner. 'Tis well you offer it behind her back;
The wish would make else an unquiet house.
Shy. These be the Christian husbands! I have a daughter; 296
Would any of the stock of Barabbas
Had been her husband rather than a Christian!
We trifle time; I pray thee, pursue sentence.
Por. A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine:
The court awards it, and the law doth give it. 301
Shy. Most rightful judge!
Por. And you must cut this flesh from off his breast:
The law allows it, and the court awards it. 304
Shy. Most learned judge! A sentence! come, prepare!
Por. Tarry a little: there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;
The words expressly are 'a pound of flesh:' 308
Then take thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed
One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate 312
Unto the state of Venice.
Gra. O upright judge! Mark, Jew: O learned judge!
Shy. Is that the law?
Por.Thyself shalt see the act;
For, as thou urgest justice, be assur'd 316
Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desir'st.
Gra. O learned judge! Mark, Jew: a learned judge!
Shy. I take this offer then: pay the bond thrice,
And let the Christian go.
Bass.Here is the money. 220
Por. Soft!
The Jew shall have all justice; soft! no haste:—
He shall have nothing but the penalty.
Gra. O Jew! an upright judge, a learned judge! 324
Por. Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood; nor cut thou less, nor more,
But just a pound of flesh: if thou tak'st more,
Or less, than a just pound, be it but so much 328
As makes it light or heavy in the substance,
Or the division of the twentieth part
Of one poor scruple, nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair, 332
Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate.
Gra. A second Daniel, a Daniel, Jew!
Now, infidel, I have thee on the hip.
Por. Why doth the Jew pause? take thy forfeiture.
Shy. Give me my principal, and let me go. 337
Bass. I have it ready for thee; here it is.
Por. He hath refus'd it in the open court:
He shall have merely justice, and his bond. 340
Gra. A Daniel, still say I; a second Daniel!
I thank thee, Jew, for teaching me that word.
Shy. Shall I not have barely my principal?
Por. Thou shalt have nothing but the forfeiture, 344
To be so taken at thy peril, Jew.
Shy. Why, then the devil give him good of it!
I'll stay no longer question.
Por.Tarry, Jew:
The law hath yet another hold on you. 348
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,
If it be prov'd against an alien
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen, 352
The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state;
And the offender's life lies in the mercy 356
Of the duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament, I say, thou stand'st;
For it appears by manifest proceeding,
That indirectly and directly too 360
Thou hast contriv'd against the very life
Of the defendant; and thou hast incurr'd
The danger formerly by me rehears'd.
Down therefore and beg mercy of the duke. 364
Gra. 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.
Duke. That thou shalt see the difference of our spirits, 369
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, 372
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.
Por. Ay, for the state; not for Antonio.
Shy. Nay, take my life and all; pardon not that:
You take my house when you do take the prop 376
That doth sustain my house; you take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.
Por. What mercy can you render him, Antonio? 379
Gra. A halter gratis; nothing else, for God's sake!
Ant. 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, 384
Upon his death, unto the gentleman
That lately stole his daughter:
Two things provided more, that, for this favour,
He presently become a Christian; 388
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.
Duke. He shall do this, or else I do recant 392
The pardon that I late pronounced here.
Por. Art thou contented, Jew? what dost thou say?
Shy. I am content.
Por. Clerk, draw a deed of gift.
Shy. I pray you give me leave to go from hence: 396
I am not well. Send the deed after me,
And I will sign it.
Duke.Get thee gone, but do it.
Gra. In christening thou shalt have two godfathers;
Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,
To bring thee to the gallows, not the font. 401
Duke. Sir, I entreat you home with me to dinner.
Por. I humbly do desire your Grace of pardon:
I must away this night toward Padua, 404
And it is meet I presently set forth.
Duke. I am sorry that your leisure serves you not.
Antonio, gratify this gentleman,
For, in my mind, you are much bound to him. 408
Bass. 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, 412
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Ant. And stand indebted, over and above,
In love and service to you evermore.
Por. He is well paid that is well satisfied; 416
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: 420
I wish you well, and so I take my leave.
Bass. 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, 424
Not to deny me, and to pardon me.
Por. You press me far, and therefore I will yield.
[To Antonio.] Give me your gloves, I'll wear them for your sake;
[To Bassanio.] And, for your love, I'll take this ring from you. 428
Do not draw back your hand; Ill take no more;
And you in love shall not deny me this.
Bass. This ring, good sir? alas! it is a trifle;
I will not shame myself to give you this. 432
Por. I will have nothing else but only this;
And now methinks I have a mind to it.
Bass. There's more depends on this than on the value.
The dearest ring in Venice will I give you, 436
And find it out by proclamation:
Only for this, I pray you, pardon me.
Por. I see, sir, you are liberal in offers:
You taught me first to beg, and now methinks 440
You teach me how a beggar should be answer'd.
Bass. Good sir, this ring was given me by my wife;
And when she put it on, she made me vow
That I should never sell nor give nor lose it. 444
Por. That 'scuse serves many men to save their gifts.
And if your wife be not a mad-woman,
And know how well I have deserv'd the ring,
She would not hold out enemy for ever, 448
For giving it to me. Well, peace be with you.
Ant. My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring:
Let his deservings and my love withal
Be valu'd 'gainst your wife's commandment. 452
Bass. Go, Gratiano; run and overtake him;
Give him the ring, and bring him, if thou canst,
Unto Antonio's house. Away! make haste.
Come, you and I will thither presently, 456
And in the morning early will we both
Fly toward Belmont. Come, Antonio. Exeunt.
Scene Two
[The Same. A Street]
Enter Portia and Nerissa.
Por. 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. 4
Enter Gratiano.
Gra. 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.
Por.That cannot be: 8
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.
Gra. That will I do.
Ner.Sir, I would speak with you. 12
[Aside to Portia.] I'll see if I can get my husband's ring,
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.
Por. Thou mayst, I warrant. We shall have old swearing
That they did give the rings away to men; 16
But we'll outface them, and outswear them too.
Away! make haste: thou know'st where I will tarry.
Ner. Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
Footnotes to Act IV
Scene One
3 answer: satisfy
6 dram: drop
7 qualify: moderate
13 tyranny and rage: violent dominance
18 fashion: pretence
19 act: performance
20 remorse: pity
24 loose: release
26 moiety: portion (two syllables only)
28 huddled: crowded
37 due and forfeit: forfeit that is due
38 danger: damage
46 ban'd: poisoned
47 gaping pig: pig roasted with the mouth open
50 affection: natural bent of mind
56 woollen; cf. n.
62 losing: moneyless, unprofitable
64 current: steady flow
68 offence: resentment
70 question: converse
72 bate: reduce
73, 74 Cf. n.
76 and: and bid them
87 draw: receive
92 parts: actions
97 season'd: gratified
104 Upon . . . power: by authority vested in me
118 Cf. n.
128 inexecrable: who cannot be execrated enough
129 justice; cf. n.
142 cureless: incurable
148 conduct: escort
149 letter; cf. n.
162 reverend estimation: respectful esteem
165, 166 publish . . . commendation: make known his merit
171 difference: dispute
173 throughly: thoroughly
178 rule: correct mode of procedure
179 impugn: oppose
180 danger: power to hurt
184 strain'd: constrained, forced
191 The attribute: what belongs
awe and majesty: awful majesty
197 seasons: flavors
214 truth: equity
215 Wrest: strain
to: to the advantage of
223 Daniel; cf. n.
242 stay . . . on: await the fulfilment of
299 pursue: proceed with
328 just: precise
329 substance: amount
331 scruple: one-third of a dram, twenty grains
332 estimation: calculation
353 contrive: plot
355 privy coffer: treasury
357 'gainst . . . voice: in spite of what other persons may judge
363 formerly: above
373 drive: reduce
390 of all: of all of which
400 ten more: i.e., a jury of twelve
407 gratify: reward
413 cope: match, requite
422 force: necessity
attempt: tempt, urge
437 proclamation: advertisement (through the street crier)
Scene Two
6 advice: consideration
15 old: much