Merchant

of Venice

Merchant of Venice
Acts I-V
Act I
BEST FRIENDS ANTONIO AND BASSANIO ARE FEELING ANTONIO WOULD LEND BASSANIO THE MONEY
DOWN. BASSANIO WANTS TO WOO THE HEIRESS PORTIA BUT HIS FORTUNE IS TIED UP IN MERCHANT
BUT DOESN’T HAVE THE MEANS TO DO SO. SHIPS. INSTEAD, HE GRANTS HIS FRIEND
PERMISSION TO BORROW MONEY AGAINST
THE EXPECTED INCOME FROM HIS VESSELS.
IN SOOTH
I KNOW
NOT WHY I
AM SO SAD.

I HAVE DISABLED MINE ESTATE... IN BELMONT

IS A LADY RICHLY LEFT, AND SHE IS FAIR.
TRY WHAT MY CREDIT CAN IN VENICE DO.

IN BELMONT, PORTIA BEMOANS HER FATHER’S SHE AND HER MAID NERISSA HOPE THAT
WILL, WHICH STATES THAT SHE MUST MARRY THE BASSANIO WILL JOIN THE LINE OF SUITORS.
MAN WHO CHOOSES CORRECTLY BETWEEN CASKETS
OF GOLD, SILVER AND LEAD. DO YOU NOT
REMEMBER
LADY, IN YOUR
FATHER’S TIME,
A VENETIAN, A
SCHOLAR AND A
SOLDIER, THAT
I MAY NEITHER CHOOSE WHO I WOULD, NOR CAME HITHER?
REFUSE WHO I DISLIKE, SO IS THE WILL OF A LIVING
DAUGHTER CURBED BY THE WILL OF A DEAD FATHER. YES, YES, IT WAS BASSANIO! I REMEMBER HIM WELL,
AND I REMEMBER HIM WORTHY OF THY PRAISE.

BASSANIO APPROACHES THE JEWISH SHYLOCK NAMES HIS PRICE SHOULD

MONEYLENDER SHYLOCK FOR A LOAN.
SHYLOCK HOLDS A GRUDGE AGAINST
ANTONIO BECAUSE OF HIS ANTISEMITISM.
THE LOAN NOT BE REPAID IN TIME. LET THE
FORFEIT BE
NOMINATED FOR AN EQUAL POUND OF YOUR
FAIR FLESH, TO BE CUT OFF AND TAKEN IN
WHAT PART OF YOUR BODY PLEASETH ME.

MAY YOU
STEAD ME?

YES SHYLOCK, I WILL

I LIKE SEAL UNTO THIS BOND.
NOT FAIR
THREE THOUSAND DUCATS FOR THREE TERMS AND A
MONTHS, AND ANTONIO BOUND... VILLAIN’S
I HATE HIM FOR HE IS A CHRISTIAN. MIND.

1 Merchant of Venice Acts I-V

Act II
BASSANIO PREPARES TO TRAVEL TO BELMONT, ACCOMPANIED BEFORE HE DEPARTS SHYLOCK’S SERVICE,
BY HIS EXCITABLE FRIEND GRATIANO AND ASSISTED BY JESSICA GIVES LANCELOT A
SHYLOCK’S DISCONTENTED SERVANT, LANCELOT. LETTER TO DELIVER
TO LORENZO.
I MUST GO WITH
YOU TO BELMONT.

I’LL WHY THEN, YOU MUST.

TAKE MY BUT HEAR THEE, GRATIANO:
LEAVE OF THE THOU ART TOO WILD, TOO I AM SORRY THOU WILT LEAVE MY FATHER SO.
JEW IN THE RUDE, AND BOLD OF VOICE. OUR HOUSE IS HELL, AND THOU A MERRY DEVIL
TWINKLING. DIDST ROB IT OF SOME TASTE OF TEDIOUSNESS.

LORENZO COMES TO STEAL JESSICA AWAY

FROM SHYLOCK. THEY TAKE ALSO HIS BACK IN BELMONT, THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO IS
GOLD AND JEWELS. THE FIRST TO TRY TO WIN PORTIA’S HAND IN
MARRIAGE BUT HE PICKS THE WRONG CASKET.

FAREWELL, AND IF ‘ALL THAT

MY FORTUNE BE NOT GLISTERS IS NOT
CROSSED, I HAVE A FATHER, GOLD; OFTEN
YOU A DAUGHTER, LOST. HAVE YOU HEARD
THAT TOLD.’
SO ARE YOU, SWEET, EVEN IN
THE LOVELY GARNISH OF A BOY.

THE PRINCE
SHYLOCK REACTS BADLY TO HIS DAUGHTER’S OF ARRAGON
BETRAYAL. BUT THINGS ARE NOT FOLLOWS
LOOKING GOOD FOR ANTONIO EITHER. THE PRINCE
OF MOROCCO
IN CHOOSING
UNWISELY.

THERE MISCARRIED
MY DAUGHTER! A VESSEL OF OUR
O MY DUCATS! COUNTRY RICHLY WHAT’S HERE? THE
O MY DAUGHTER! FLED FRAUGHT. I THOUGHT PORTRAIT OF A
WITH A CHRISTIAN! UPON ANTONIO. BLINKING IDIOT!

2 Merchant of Venice Acts I-V

Act III
SHYLOCK AND ANTONIO’S FRIENDS GOAD EACH OTHER OVER
BASSANIO’S TURN HAS COME
THEIR RESPECTIVE MISFORTUNES.
TO CHOOSE A CASKET.
YOU KNEW OF MY DAUGHTER’S FLIGHT.

I FOR MY NOW, WHAT NEWS ON THE RIALTO?

PART KNEW
THE TAILOR LET MUSIC SOUND
THAT MADE WHILE HE DOTH MAKE
THE WINGS HIS CHOICE.
SHE FLEW
WITHAL. ♫ TELL ME WHERE IS FANCY BRED,
IN THE HEART, OR IN THE HEAD?

I WILL HAVE THE ANTONIO HATH A SHIP

HEART OF HIM IF OF RICH LADING WRECKED
HE FORFEIT. ON THE NARROW SEAS.
SO MAY THE OUTWARD SHOWS BE
LEAST THEMSELVES: THE WORLD IS
HIS SUCCESS IS CELEBRATED. GRATIANO AND NERISSA STILL DECEIVED WITH ORNAMENT.
ARE ALSO TO WED. BUT THEIR JOY IS SHORT-LIVED... LORENZO BRINGS NEWS OF ANTONIO’S
TRIBULATIONS. PORTIA BIDS BASSANIO GO
HELP HIS FRIEND.

MYSELF, AND WHAT IS HERE ARE A FEW OF THE

MINE, TO YOU AND YOURS UNPLEASANT’ST WORDS THAT
IS NOW CONVERTED. EVER BLOTTED PAPER.
NEVER SHALL YOU LIE BY
PORTIA’S SIDE WITH AN
UNQUIET SOUL. YOU SHALL
I GOT A PROMISE OF THIS FAIR ONE HERE. HAVE GOLD TO PAY THE
DEBT TWENTY TIMES OVER.

AN IMPRISONED ANTONIO LONGS PORTIA AND NERISSA PLOT TO FOLLOW

TO SEE BASSANIO ONCE MORE. THEIR MEN IN THE GUISE OF MALE LAWYERS.

I’LL HAVE MY BOND.

COME ON, NERISSA; WE’LL SEE OUR HUSBANDS

ALL DEBTS ARE CLEARED IF I IN SUCH A HABIT THAT THEY SHALL THINK WE
MIGHT BUT SEE YOU AT MY DEATH ARE ACCOMPLISHÈD WITH THAT WE LACK.

3
Act IV
IN COURT, SHYLOCK IGNORES PLEAS FOR PORTIA ENTERS DISGUISED AS DR BALTHAZAR,
MERCY AND DEMANDS HIS POUND OF FLESH. A REPUTABLE LAWYER, BUT (S)HE APPEARS
UNABLE TO HALT PROCEEDINGS.

FOR THY THREE

THOUSAND DUCATS THERE IS NO POWER O WISE YOUNG
HERE IS SIX. IN VENICE CAN ALTER A JUDGE, HOW I DO
DECREE ESTABLISHÈD. HONOUR THEE!
I AM NOT BOUND
WE ALL EXPECT A TO PLEASE THEE
GENTLE ANSWER, JEW. WITH MY ANSWERS.
BUT THERE IS A TWIST...

ANTONIO PREPARES FOR DEATH.

ARE THERE THE WORDS EXPRESSLY ARE ‘A POUND OF FLESH’.

I AM ARMED AND WELL BALANCE HERE TO IN THE CUTTING OF IT, IF THOU DOST SHED ONE
PREPARED. GIVE ME YOUR HAND, WEIGH THE FLESH? DROP OF CHRISTIAN BLOOD, THY LANDS AND GOODS
BASSANIO. FARE YOU WELL. ARE BY THE LAWS OF VENICE CONFISCATE.

O LEARNED JUDGE!

MOREOVER, THE PENALTY FOR A FOREIGNER ‘BALTHAZAR’ REFUSES PAYMENT BUT

PLOTTING TO KILL A VENETIAN IS DEATH. SHYLOCK’S PUTS BASSANIO’S FIDELITY TO THE
LIFE IS SPARED BUT HE DEPARTS A BROKEN MAN. TEST BY REQUESTING PORTIA’S RING.

YOU TAKE MY LIFE WHEN YOU DO

TAKE THE MEANS WHEREBY I LIVE.

I WILL HAVE
NOTHING ELSE
BUT ONLY THIS.

GOOD SIR, THIS RING WAS GIVEN ME

BY MY WIFE.
MY LORD BASSANIO, LET
HIM HAVE THE RING.

4 Merchant of Venice Acts I-V

Act V
REUNITED IN BELMONT, PORTIA TEASES
BASSANIO ABOUT THE LOSS OF HIS RING.
EVENTUALLY, SHE REVEALS HER SECRET.
I HAD IT OF HIM; PARDON ME,
BASSANIO, FOR BY THIS RING
THE DOCTOR LAY WITH ME.

SWEET PORTIA, IF YOU DID KNOW

TO WHOM I GAVE THE RING.

I WILL BECOME AS LIBERAL AS YOU; I’LL

WERE YOU THE DOCTOR
NOT DENY HIM ANYTHING I HAVE, NO, NOT
AND I KNEW NOT?
MY BODY, NOR MY HUSBAND’S BED. I AM DUMB.

SWEET LADY, YOU HAVE GIVEN ME MY LIFE

AND LIVING; FOR HERE I READ FOR CERTAIN
THAT MY SHIPS ARE SAFELY COME TO ROAD.

ANTONIO ALSO RECEIVES WELCOME NEWS.

AND ENSURING ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, FROM SHYLOCK COMES A PARTING GIFT.

I DO GIVE TO YOU AND JESSICA

FROM THE RICH JEW, A SPECIAL
DEED OF GIFT AFTER HIS DEATH
OF ALL HE DIES POSSESSED OF.
FAIR LADIES, YOU DROP
MANNA IN THE WAY OF
STARVÈD PEOPLE.