The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice

ACT I SCENE III	Venice. A public place.
	Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK
SHYLOCK	Three thousand ducats; well.
BASSANIO	Ay, sir, for three months.
SHYLOCK	For three months; well.
BASSANIO	For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.	5
SHYLOCK	Antonio shall become bound; well.
BASSANIO	May you stead me? will you pleasure me? shall I
	know your answer?
SHYLOCK	Three thousand ducats for three months and Antonio bound.
BASSANIO	Your answer to that.	10
SHYLOCK	Antonio is a good man.
BASSANIO	Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?
SHYLOCK	Oh, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a
	good man is to have you understand me that he is
	sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition: he	15
	hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the
	Indies; I understand moreover, upon the Rialto, he
	hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and
	other ventures he hath, squandered abroad. But ships
	are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats	20
	and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I
	mean pirates, and then there is the peril of waters,
	winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding,
	sufficient. Three thousand ducats; I think I may
	take his bond.	25
BASSANIO	Be assured you may.
SHYLOCK	I will be assured I may; and, that I may be assured,
	I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio?
BASSANIO	If it please you to dine with us.
SHYLOCK	Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which	30
	your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into. I
	will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you,
	walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat
	with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What
	news on the Rialto? Who is he comes here?	35
	Enter ANTONIO
BASSANIO	This is Signior Antonio.
SHYLOCK	Aside
	I hate him for he is a Christian,
	But more for that in low simplicity
	He lends out money gratis and brings down
	The rate of usance here with us in Venice.	40
	If I can catch him once upon the hip,
	I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
	He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
	Even there where merchants most do congregate,
	On me, my bargains and my well-won thrift,	45
	Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
	If I forgive him!
BASSANIO	Shylock, do you hear?
SHYLOCK	I am debating of my present store,
	And, by the near guess of my memory,	50
	I cannot instantly raise up the gross
	Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
	Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
	Will furnish me. But soft! how many months
	Do you desire?	55
	To ANTONIO
	Rest you fair, good signior;
	Your worship was the last man in our mouths.
ANTONIO	Shylock, although I neither lend nor borrow
	By taking nor by giving of excess,
	Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,	60
	I'll break a custom. Is he yet possess'd
	How much ye would?
SHYLOCK	Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.
ANTONIO	And for three months.
SHYLOCK	I had forgot; three months; you told me so.	65
	Well then, your bond; and let me see; but hear you;
	Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow
	Upon advantage.
ANTONIO	I do never use it.
SHYLOCK	When Jacob grazed his uncle Laban's sheep--	70
	This Jacob from our holy Abram was,
	As his wise mother wrought in his behalf,
	The third possessor; ay, he was the third--
ANTONIO	And what of him? did he take interest?
SHYLOCK	No, not take interest, not, as you would say,	75
	Directly interest: mark what Jacob did.
	When Laban and himself were compromised
	That all the eanlings which were streak'd and pied
	Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank,
	In the end of autumn turned to the rams,	80
	And, when the work of generation was
	Between these woolly breeders in the act,
	The skilful shepherd peel'd me certain wands,
	And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
	He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes,	85
	Who then conceiving did in eaning time
	Fall parti-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's.
	This was a way to thrive, and he was blest:
	And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.
ANTONIO	This was a venture, sir, that Jacob served for;	90
	A thing not in his power to bring to pass,
	But sway'd and fashion'd by the hand of heaven.
	Was this inserted to make interest good?
	Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?
SHYLOCK	I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast:	95
	But note me, signior.
ANTONIO	Mark you this, Bassanio,
	The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
	An evil soul producing holy witness
	Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,	100
	A goodly apple rotten at the heart:
	O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!
SHYLOCK	Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum.
	Three months from twelve; then, let me see; the rate--
ANTONIO	Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?	105
SHYLOCK	Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
	In the Rialto you have rated me
	About my moneys and my usances:
	Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
	For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe.	110
	You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
	And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine,
	And all for use of that which is mine own.
	Well then, it now appears you need my help:
	Go to, then; you come to me, and you say	115
	'Shylock, we would have moneys:' you say so;
	You, that did void your rheum upon my beard
	And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
	Over your threshold: moneys is your suit
	What should I say to you? Should I not say	120
	'Hath a dog money? is it possible
	A cur can lend three thousand ducats?' Or
	Shall I bend low and in a bondman's key,
	With bated breath and whispering humbleness, Say this;
	'Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;	125
	You spurn'd me such a day; another time
	You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies
	I'll lend you thus much moneys'?
ANTONIO	I am as like to call thee so again,
	To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.	130
	If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
	As to thy friends; for when did friendship take
	A breed for barren metal of his friend?
	But lend it rather to thine enemy,
	Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face	135
	Exact the penalty.
SHYLOCK	Why, look you, how you storm!
	I would be friends with you and have your love,
	Forget the shames that you have stain'd me with,
	Supply your present wants and take no doit	140
	Of usance for my moneys, and you'll not hear me:
	This is kind I offer.
BASSANIO	This were kindness.
SHYLOCK	This kindness will I show.
	Go with me to a notary, seal me there	145
	Your single bond; and, in a merry sport,
	If you repay me not on such a day,
	In such a place, such sum or sums as are
	Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
	Be nominated for an equal pound	150
	Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
	In what part of your body pleaseth me.
ANTONIO	Content, i' faith: I'll seal to such a bond
	And say there is much kindness in the Jew.
BASSANIO	You shall not seal to such a bond for me:	155
	I'll rather dwell in my necessity.
ANTONIO	Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it:
	Within these two months, that's a month before
	This bond expires, I do expect return
	Of thrice three times the value of this bond.	160
SHYLOCK	O father Abram, what these Christians are,
	Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
	The thoughts of others! Pray you, tell me this;
	If he should break his day, what should I gain
	By the exaction of the forfeiture?	165
	A pound of man's flesh taken from a man
	Is not so estimable, profitable neither,
	As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
	To buy his favour, I extend this friendship:
	If he will take it, so; if not, adieu;	170
	And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not.
ANTONIO	Yes Shylock, I will seal unto this bond.
SHYLOCK	Then meet me forthwith at the notary's;
	Give him direction for this merry bond,
	And I will go and purse the ducats straight,	175
	See to my house, left in the fearful guard
	Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
	I will be with you.
ANTONIO	Hie thee, gentle Jew.
	Exit Shylock
	The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind.	180
BASSANIO	I like not fair terms and a villain's mind.
ANTONIO	Come on: in this there can be no dismay;
	My ships come home a month before the day.
	Exeunt