The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare

• Publisher: Studium Legis
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9788826069302
• Topic: Littérature
• Subtopic: Théâtre shakespearien

The Merchant of Venice is a 16th century play byWilliam Shakespearein which a merchant in Venice must default on a large loan provided by an abusedJewishmoneylender. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Though classified as acomedyin theFirst Folioand sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's otherromantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known forShylockand the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. Also notable isPortia's speech about "the quality of mercy".

The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare

Table of Contents

Characters of the Play

Act I

Scene I. Venice. A street.

Scene II: Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Scene III. Venice. A public place.

Act II

Scene I. Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Scene II. Venice. A street.

Scene III. The same. A room in Shylock’s house.

Scene IV. The same. A street.

Scene V. The same. Before Shylock’s house.

Scene VI. The same.

Scene VII. Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Scene VIII. Venice. A street.

Scene IX. Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Act III

Scene I. Venice. A street.

Scene II. Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Scene III. Venice. A street.

Scene IV. Belmont. A room in Portia’s house.

Scene V. The same. A garden.

Act IV

Scene I. Venice. A court of justice.

Scene II. The same. A street.

Act V

Scene I. Belmont. Avenue to Portia’s house.

List of Illustrations

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“Till I see my ring, I will not again look upon your face”

“I will collect the Ducats and follow you as speedily as may be”

“Do you not remember, Lady, a venetian, a young soldier?”

“Look to my house — yes, look to it well”

“Take this packet,” she cried

“The Duke shall grant me Justice”

“Here choose I. Joy be the consequence”

“A pound of that same Merchant’s flesh is yours”

Characters of the Play

The Duke of Venice.
The Prince of Arragon and The Prince of Morocco, suitors to Portia.
Antonio, a merchant.
Bassanio, his friend.
Salanio, Salarino, and Gratiano, friends to Antonio and Bassanio.
Lorenzo, in love with Jessica.
Shylock, a rich Jew.

Tubal, a Jew, his friend.
Launcelot Gobbo, a clown, servant to Shylock.
Old Gobbo, father to Launcelot.
Leonardo, servant to Bassanio.
Balthasar and Stephano, servants to Portia.

Portia, a rich heiress.
Nerissa, her waiting-maid.
Jessica, daughter to Shylock.

Magnificoes of Venice, Officers of the Court of Justice, Gaoler, Servants, and other Attendants.

Act I

Scene I. Venice. A street.

Enter Antonio, Salarino, and Salanio

Antonio In sooth, I know not why I am so sad:
It wearies me; you say it wearies you;
But how I caught it, found it, or came by it,
What stuff ’tis made of, whereof it is born,
I am to learn;
And such a want-wit sadness makes of me,
That I have much ado to know myself.

Salarino Your mind is tossing on the ocean;
There, where your argosies with portly sail,
Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood,
Or, as it were, the pageants of the sea,
Do overpeer the petty traffickers,
That curtsy to them, do them reverence,
As they fly by them with their woven wings.

Salanio Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth,
The better part of my affections would
Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still
Plucking the grass, to know where sits the wind,
Peering in maps for ports and piers and roads;
And every object that might make me fear
Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt
Would make me sad.

Salarino My wind cooling my broth
Would blow me to an ague, when I thought
What harm a wind too great at sea might do.
I should not see the sandy hour-glass run,
But I should think of shallows and of flats,
And see my wealthy Andrew dock’d in sand,
Vailing her high-top lower than her ribs
To kiss her burial. Should I go to church
And see the holy edifice of stone,
And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks,
Which touching but my gentle vessel’s side,
Would scatter all her spices on the stream,
Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks,
And, in a word, but even now worth this,
And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought
To think on this, and shall I lack the thought
That such a thing bechanced would make me sad?
But tell not me; I know, Antonio
Is sad to think upon his merchandise.

Antonio Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it,
My ventures are not in one bottom trusted,
Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate
Upon the fortune of this present year:
Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad.

Salarino Why, then you are in love.

Antonio Fie, fie!

Salarino Not in love neither? Then let us say you are sad,
Because you are not merry: and ’twere as easy
For you to laugh and leap and say you are merry,
Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus,
Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time:
Some that will evermore peep through their eyes
And laugh like parrots at a bag-piper,
And other of such vinegar aspect
That they’ll not show their teeth in way of smile,
Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Enter Bassanio, Lorenzo, and Gratiano

Salanio Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman,
Gratiano and Lorenzo. Fare ye well:
We leave you now with better company.

Salarino I would have stay’d till I had made you merry,
If worthier friends had not prevented me.

Antonio Your worth is very dear in my regard.
I take it, your own business calls on you
And you embrace the occasion to depart.

Salarino Good morrow, my good lords.

Bassanio Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? say, when?
You grow exceeding strang...