Scene I

[Venice]

[Enter Solanio and Salerio]

SOLANIO:

Now, what news on the Rialto?

SOLANIO:

Now, what’s the news in the Marketplace?

SALERIO:

Why, yet it lives there unchecked that Antonio hath
a ship of rich lading wrack'd on the narrow seas,—the
Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat,
and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried,(5)
as they say, if my gossip report, be an honest woman of her
word.

SALERIO:

Why, the rumors are all saying that Antonio has a ship
of rich cargo wrecked on the narrow seas; I think they call
the place the Goodwins, a very dangerous, flat, and fatal place,
where the dead bodies of many tall ships are buried, as they say, if my
gossip reporter is an honest woman of her word.

SOLANIO:

I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever
knapped ginger, or made her neighbours believe she wept
for the death of a third husband. But it is true,—without(10)
any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of
talk,—that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,—O that
I had a title good enough to keep his name company!—

SOLANIO:

I wish she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped
ginger or made her neighbors believe she wept for the death of a
third husband. But it is true,—without any slips of prolixity or
crossing the plain highway of talk,—that the good Antonio, the
honest Antonio,—Oh, that I had a title good enough to keep his
name company!—

SALERIO:

Come, the full stop.

SALERIO:

Come, the whole story.

SOLANIO:

Ha,—what sayest thou?—Why the end is, he hath lost(15)
a ship.

SOLANIO:

Huh? What do you say? Why, the end is, he has lost a
ship.

SALERIO:

I would it might prove the end of his losses!

SALERIO:

I wish it might prove the end of his losses.

SOLANIO:

Let me say, amen, betimes, lest the devil cross my
prayer: for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.—
How now, Shylock? what news among the merchants?(20)

SOLANIO:

Let me say 'amen' before it’s too late, in case the devil crosses my prayer,
because here he comes, in the likeness of a Jew.

How now, Shylock! What’s the news among the merchants?

[Enter Shylock]

SHYLOCK:

You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my
daughter's flight.

SHYLOCK:

You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my
daughter's flight.

SALERIO:

That's certain. I, for my part, knew the tailor that made
the wings she flew withal.

SALERIO:

That's true; I, for my part, knew the tailor who made
the wings she flew with.

SOLANIO:

And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was(25)
fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all to leave
the dam.

SOLANIO:

And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was ready
to fly; and then it is the nature of them all to leave the nest.

SHYLOCK:

She is damn'd for it.

SHYLOCK:

She is damned for it.

SALERIO:

That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.

SALERIO:

That’s true, if the devil may be her judge.

SHYLOCK:

My own flesh and blood to rebel!(30)

SHYLOCK:

My own flesh and blood to rebel!

SOLANIO:

Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years?

SOLANIO:

Damn it, old dead man! It rebels at this age?

SHYLOCK:

I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

SHYLOCK:

I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood.

SALERIO:

There is more difference between thy flesh and hers,
than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods,
than there is between red wine and rhenish:—but tell(35)
us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at
sea or no?

SALERIO:

There is more difference between your flesh and hers than
between coal and ivory; more between your bloods than there is
between red wine and white Rhine wine. But tell us, do you hear whether
Antonio has had any losses at sea or not?

SHYLOCK:

There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a
prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a
beggar, that was used to come so smug upon the mart. Let(40)
him look to his bond: he was wont to call me usurer;—let
him look to his bond: he was wont to lend money for a
Christian courtesy;—let him look to his bond.

SHYLOCK:

There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a prodigal,
who scarcely dares to show his face in the Marketplace; a beggar, that used
to come on the market so smugly; let him look to his promise to pay: he
was in the habit of calling me a usurer; let him look to his promise to pay:
he was in the habit of lending money for Christian courtesy; let him look to his promise to pay.

SALERIO:

Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his
flesh? What's that good for?(45)

SALERIO:

Why, I am sure, if he defaults, you won’t take his
flesh; what's that good for?

SHYLOCK:

To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it
will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and
hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked
at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains,
cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his(50)
reason? I am a Jew: hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew
hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?
fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as(55)
a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you
tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not
die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are
like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew
wrong a Christian, what is his humility? revenge. If a(60)
Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by
Christian example? why, revenge. The villany you teach
me I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better
the instruction.

SHYLOCK:

To bait fish with: if it feeds nothing else, it will
feed my revenge. He has disgraced me and insulted me half a
million times; laughed at my losses, joked about my gains, insulted my
religion, crossed my deals, cooled my friends, heated my
enemies. And what's his reason? I am a Jew. Doesn’t a Jew have eyes?
Doesn’t a Jew have hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections,
passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed
and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If
you stick us, don’t we bleed? If you tickle us, don’t we laugh?
If you poison us, don’t we die? And if you wrong us, shouldn’t we
seek revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we’ll resemble you
in that. If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is his option?
Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his choice
be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me
I’ll use; and it shall be hard but I’ll make the lesson better.

Enter a man from Antonio

[SERVANT:]

Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house,(65)
and desires to speak with you both.

[SERVANT:]

Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and wants to
speak with both of you.

SALERIO:

We have been up and down to seek him.

SALERIO:

We have been up and down looking for him.

Enter Tubal

SALERIO:

Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be
matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

SALERIO:

Here comes another Jew: we cannot
Match them, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

Exeunt Gentleman.

SHYLOCK:

How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? hast thou(70)
found my daughter?

SHYLOCK:

How now, Tubal! What’s the news from Genoa? Have you found my
daughter?

TUBAL:

I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find
her.

TUBAL:

I often came to places where I heard of her, but I cannot find her.

SHYLOCK:

Why, there, there, there, there! a diamond gone, cost
me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell(75)
upon our nation till now; I never felt it till now:—two thou-
sand ducats in that; and other precious, precious jewels.—I
would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in
her ear! 'would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats
in her coffin! No news of them?—Why, so:—and I know(80)
not what's spent in the search. Why, thou loss upon loss! the
thief gone with so much, and so much to find the thief; and
no satisfaction, no revenge: nor no ill luck stirring but what
lights o' my shoulders; no sighs but o' my breathing: no tears
but o' my shedding.(85)

SHYLOCK:

Why there, there, there, there! A diamond gone, cost me
two thousand dollars in Frankfort! The curse never fell on our
nation until now; I never felt it until now. Two thousand dollars in
that, and other precious, precious jewels. I wish my daughter
were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear; I wish she were
trained at my feet, and the dollars in her coffin! No news of
them? Why, okay: and I don’t know what's been spent in the search. Why,
you—loss on loss! The thief gone with so much, and so much to
find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge; or only bad luck
stirring and sits on my shoulders; no sighs except the ones
I’m breathing; no tears except the ones I’m shedding.

TUBAL:

Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in
Genoa,—

TUBAL:

Yes, other men have bad luck too. Antonio, as I heard in
Genoa,—

SHYLOCK:

What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck?

SHYLOCK:

What, what, what? Bad luck, bad luck?

TUBAL:

Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

TUBAL:

—has his largest ship lost, coming from Tripolis.

SHYLOCK:

I thank God, I thank God:—Is it true? is it true?(90)

SHYLOCK:

I thank God! I thank God! Is it true, is it true?

TUBAL:

I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the
wrack.

TUBAL:

I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck.

SHYLOCK:

I thank thee, good Tubal;—Good news, good news:
ha! ha!—Where? in Genoa?

SHYLOCK:

I thank you, good Tubal. Good news, good news! ha, ha!
Where? in Genoa?

TUBAL:

Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night,(95)
fourscore ducats!

TUBAL:

Your daughter spent, as I heard, one night, in Genoa
eighty dollars.

SHYLOCK:

Thou stick'st a dagger in me:—I shall never see my
gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting! fourscore ducats!

SHYLOCK:

You stick a dagger in me: I shall never see my gold
again: eighty dollars all at once! Eighty dollars!

TUBAL:

There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my company
to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break.(100)

TUBAL:

Many of Antonio's creditors came with me to
Venice, swearing he can only go broke.

SHYLOCK:

I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture
Him; I am glad of it.

SHYLOCK:

I am very glad of it; I'll plague him, I'll torture him; I
am glad of it.

TUBAL:

One of them showed me a ring, that he had of your
daughter for a monkey.

TUBAL:

One of them showed me a ring that he accepted from your daughter
as payment for a monkey.

SHYLOCK:

Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal: it was(105)
my turquoise: I had it of Leah, when I was a bachelor: I
would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.

SHYLOCK:

Damn her! You torture me, Tubal: It was my
turquoise ring; I got from Leah, my wife, when I was still single; I wouldn’t
have traded it for a wilderness of monkeys.

TUBAL:

But Antonio is certainly undone.

TUBAL:

But Antonio is certainly bankrupt.

SHYLOCK:

Nay, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, fee me
an officer, bespeak him a fortnight before: I will have the(110)
heart of him, if he forfeit; forwere he out of Venice, I can
make what merchandise I will. Go, Tubal, and meet me at
our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.

SHYLOCK:

No, that's true; that's very true. Go, Tubal, hire me an
officer; accuse Antonio as of two weeks ago. I’ll have his heart,
if he defaults; because, if he were out of business in Venice,
I can make whatever deals I want to. Go, Tubal, and meet me
at our synagogue; go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.

Exeunt.