Merchant of Venice Act 5, Scene 1 Modern English Translation Meaning Annotations – ICSE Class 10 & 9 English
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Original Text
Act V Scene I
Modern English Reading
Act V Scene I
LORENZO : The moon shines bright: in such a night as this, when the sweet wind gently kissed the trees, and they made no noise, in such a night, Troilus I think climbed the walls of Troy, and sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents, where Cressida lay that night.
JESSICA : In such a night Thisbe fearfully tripped over the dew, and saw the lion’s shadow before the lion itself, and ran away dismayed.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls, and sigh’d his soul toward the Grecian tents, where Cressid lay that night : the characters mentioned here, Troilus and Cressida, were later immortalised by Shakespeare in the drama bearing their names. This refers to a tale of ancient Troy. Troilus was a son of Priam. Cressida, whom he loved, had been taken to the camp of the Greeks, who were besieging Troy. So Troilus is depicted as sadly walking on the walls of Troy, and looking towards the tents of the Greeks, where she is. Shakespeare’s object is to assemble in the minds of the audience several events of romantic beauty from old classical legend, and thus to create the impression that they are now looking on such a night of moonlit beauty as existed in all those images. In such a night, did Thisbe fearfully o’ertrip the dew, and saw the lion’s shadow ere himself, and ran dismay’d away : Pyramus and Thisbe were lovers in ancient Babylon. They had made an appointment to meet each other at night, beside a certain tomb. Thisbe arrived first to keep the appointment, and saw a lion waiting there. She fled in terror, leaving her cloak on the ground behind her. The lion took the cloak in his mouth, thereby leaving stains of blood on it. So when Pyramus arrived, he concluded that she had been devoured, and slew himself. Then Thisbe returned and discovered her lover’s dead body, and also committed suicide. Probably it was from Gower that Shakespeare derived this story, though Chaucer also has it. o’ertrip : to trip over, or to run across with light steps. The “dew” signifies “the dew-covered grass”, ere himself: before she saw Pyramus.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
LORENZO : In such a night Dido stood with a willow in her hand On the wild banks of the sea, and sent her love to return to Carthage.
JESSICA : In such a night Medea gathered the enchanted herbs that renewed old Aeson.
LORENZO : In such a night Jessica stole away from the wealthy Jew, and ran from Venice with a poor love as far as Belmont.
JESSICA : In such a night Young Lorenzo swore he loved her well, Stealing her soul with many vows of love,— and never a true one.
LORENZO : In such a night Pretty Jessica, like a little witch, Lied about her love, and he forgave her.
Word Meaning With Annotation
In such a night, stood Dido, with a willow in her hand, upon the wild sea-banks, and waft her love to come again to Carthage : the story of the love of Aeneas and Dido is told by Virgil in the Aeneid. Aeneas was the great Trojan warrior who founded the city of Rome. During his voyages, he landed in Carthage, where he gained the love of Queen Dido. After several months of dalliance with her, he sailed away and left her broken – hearted. After a short period of extreme grief, she killed herself. Shakespeare says that it must have been on a beautiful full moon night like the present that Dido walked sadly by the shore of the wild sea, with a willow in the hand, the symbol of deserted love. Vainly she beckoned (wafted) to him to come back to Carthage. In such a night medea gather’d the enchanted herbs that did renew old Aeson : we have heard of the classical hero, Jason, in this play. Medea was his wife and she is said to have experimented in enchantment. She gathered herbs of magical properties by night, and administered them to her aged father-in-law, Aeson, in an effort to restore his youth, steal : steal away. Lorenzo may be referring to the manner in which Jessica had appropriated her father’s property, unthrift : unthrifty; good-for-nothing. Jessica speaks playfully here, stealing her soul : capturing her love, like a little shrew : the shrew is a small field mouse, which is noted for its ferocity and fighting powers. Then the term came to be used to denote a scolding, or abusive woman, as is described in Shakespeare’s play, The Taming of the Shrew. Lorenzo’s words are spoken in affectionate jest, did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew slander her love : did repeat untruths against her lover. Lorenzo is referring to Jessica’s remarks in lines 19-20, where Jessica had playfully accused him of making false promises of love to her.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
JESSICA : I would out-night you, if no one was coming, but, listen, I hear the footsteps of a man.
Enter Messenger [Stephano],
LORENZO : Who comes so quickly in silence of the night?
MESSENGER : A friend.
LORENZO : A friend! What friend? Your name, please, friend?
MESSENGER : Stephano is my name, and I bring word that my mistress will be here at Belmont before the break of day; she wanders about by holy crosses, where she kneels and prays for happy marriage hours.
LORENZO : Who comes with her?
MESSENGER : No one but a holy hermit and her maid. Please, is my master returned yet?
LORENZO : He has not, and we have not heard from him. But let’s go in, please, Jessica, and let’s prepare some welcome for the mistress of the house with strict observance of the formalities.
[Enter Launcelot]
Word Meaning With Annotation
I would out-night you : Jessica says, “I would beat you in this game of making speeches about nights,” or perhaps “I would have the last word though it meant staying here all night.” footing : footsteps; tread, she doth stray about by holy crosses : Portia is spending some time in religious exercises in various sacred places. The cross is the symbol of the Christian religion, and usually marks a sacred place or shrine. One or two editors have adduced this as evidence of Portia’s religious character. But we know that Bassanio is in great haste to return of Belmont at top speed, and yet Portia contrives to arrive before him. So we may accept this information of Stephano’s as a polite fiction to satisfy the curiosity of the servants as to their mistress’s whereabouts, wedlock hours : married life, none, but a holy hermit, and her maid : Portia is bringing a holy man back with her. She has halted by some wayside shrine, and brought back with her the attendant priest. A hermit signifies a solitary holy man, and not one from a religious house where many are assembled, he is not, nor we have not heard from him : this is an example of Shakespeare’s use of the double negative nor not. The custom was that a negative repeated in this manner made the meaning more emphatic, ceremoniously : attentively; with due care.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
LAUNCELOT : Hey, hey! Whoa, ha, hey! Hey, hey!
LORENZO : Who calls?
LAUNCELOT : Hey! Did you see Master Lorenzo? Master Lorenzo! Hey, hey!
LORENZO : Leave hey – ing, man. I’m here!
LAUNCELOT : Hey! Where? where?
LORENZO : Here!
LAUNCELOT : Tell him there’s a letter arrived from my master with his horn full of good news; my master will be here before morning.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Sola : is said to be an imitation of the sound of a posthorn, that is, the horn which a post or messenger blew to let people know he was coming, hollaing : calling out. tell him there’s a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news : a post was a messenger, and he blew his horn to announce his arrival. But there is another well-known phrase “horn of plenty”, because of the good news he brings.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
LORENZO : Sweet soul, let’s go in, and wait there for them to come. And yet, it doesn’t matter; why should we go in? My friend Stephano, let them know, please, within the house, that your mistress is at hand, and bring your music outside. How sweet the moonlight sleeps on this bank! We will sit here and let the sounds of music creep into our ears; soft stillness and the night compliment the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: look how the sky is covered thick with layers of bright gold; even the smallest star that you see sings like an angel as it moves, still singing like a choir to the young-eyed cherubs; such harmony is in immortal souls; but, while this muddy earth of decay buries us, we can’t hear it. Come, hey! And wake the goddess of love with a hymn; Pierce your mistress’ ear with sweetest touches, and bring her home with music.
JESSICA : I am never happy when I hear sweet music
Word Meaning With Annotation
Expect : await, signify : make known the fact. let the sounds- of music : let beautiful music steal gently upon us. soft stillness, and the night, become the touches of sweet harmony : peaceful quietness and night-time are very suitable for the notes of sweet music, there’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st, but in his motion like an angel sings : the ancients had a peculiar conception of the stars and heavenly bodies. They believed that every star and planet produced in its motion a peculiar musical note, and the combination of all composed “the grand harmony of the universe”. The cherubs, or angels, are depicted as listening to this music of the stars, and responding to it. This same conception of the music from the heavenly bodies is referred to elsewhere by Shakespeare, quiring : singing like a choir, or organised body of singers, young eyed : possessing the bright eyes of youth. Such harmony is in immortal souls; But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it : Lorenzo states here that our souls are immortal, and also produce divine music. But as long as the dull human body (muddy vesture of decay) encloses the soul, we are unable to hear this, come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn : Diana was the goddess of the moon. So to sing a hymn, or a solemn song, by night, might be said to awaken her. pierce : penetrate.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
LORENZO : The reason is your spirits are observant; because only look at a wild and wanton herd, or race of youthful and unhandled colts, pushing crazy limits, bellowing and neighing loudly which is the hot condition of their blood; if they only hear maybe a trumpet sound, or any air of music touches their ears, you will see them make a mutual stop, their savage eyes turned to a calm gaze by the sweet power of music: so the poet Pretended that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods; only music for the time changes his nature from not so wooden, hard, and full of rage. The man that has no music in him, or is not moved by harmony of sweet sounds, is fit for treason, plots, and stealing; the movement of his spirit is as dull as night, and his affections are as dark as the place between earth and hell. Don’t trust such a man. Listen to the music.
Enter Portia and Nerissa.
PORTIA : That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! A good deed in a naughty world shines like that.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Race : a particular breed or strain. Here it seems to mean just the same as “herd”, unhandled colts : young horses which have not been “broken” or trained, hot condition of their blood : their own natural wild condition, mutual stand : come to a standstill all together, modest : quiet mild, the poet, did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods : Orpheus was a famed musician of classical tradition. It was said that his skill was so wonderful that trees, stones, and other inanimate objects could be moved from place to place by the power of his music, and streams could be made to change their courses. The particular poet referred to as imagining (feigning) this is probably Ovid, stockish : the phrase “stokes and stones” is usually employed to denote the inanimate things of nature. “Stock” is the same as “stick” or dead wood. The general sense of the world is “unfeeling or devoid of life”, full of rage : savage, with concord of sweet sounds : by the harmonious sounds of sweet music. Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils : “capable of treachery, scheming, and dishonesty.” Treason in Shakespeare’s time meant a political offence involving disloyalty to the State, stratagems : usually means a diplomatic or crafty action; the word is here used with a sense of baseness, which it need not necessarily possess, the motions of his spirit are dull as night : his thoughts and feelings are black as night, and his affections dark as Erebus : “and his likes and dislikes as dark as Hell.” Erebus was an abode of utter darkness, supposed by the classical peoples to exist in the under-world, and corresponding to our conception of Hell, naughty : worthless; wicked.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
NERISSA : When the moon was shining, we did not see the candle.
PORTIA : The greater light dims the lesser one like that. A substitute shines as brightly as a king Until a king is back, and then the substitute’s condition drains away, as an inland brook does into the river of waters. Music! Listen!
Word Meaning With Annotation
So doth the greater glory dim the less, a substitute shines brightly as a king, Unto the king be by; and then his state, Empties itself, as doth an inland brook, Into the main of waters. Music! hark! : this, like numerous other passages in the final scene, show the unusual extent to which Shakespeare allows his characters to indulge in general moralising on life. He is carefully constructing the final atmosphere in which the play is to conclude. There is almost an attempt to convey a moral lesson, or point out a meaning to be derived from the incidents of the first four Acts, an intention practically unknown elsewhere in Shakespeare. The lines show Portia’s reflective nature, and give a final conception of her intellectual powers, a substitute : a person who has been acting temporarily in the place of another, his state : the glory and the splendour of the temporary king, inland brook : a stream flowing from the interior of the country.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
NERISSA : It is your music, madam, from the house.
PORTIA : Nothing is good, I see, without respect: I think it sounds much sweeter at night than by day.
NERISSA : Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.
PORTIA : The crow sings as sweetly as the lark when either is waited on, and I think the nightingale, if she sang by day, when every goose is cackling, would be considered no better a musician than the wren. How many things are fit for use by the seasons to their right praise and true perfection! Peace, hey! The moon sleeps with her lover, and does not want to be awakened!
Word Meaning With Annotation
Nothing is good, I see, without respect : nothing is good only because of its own value; it is affected, influenced by and dependent on circumstances and environment, methinks : I think; it seems to me. The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark, when neither is attended : this is a statement which will be disputed by any observer of English bird life. The crow in England has a harsh unmusical note, not differing greatly from the Indian crow. The lark has a singularly sweet song. The crow lives in flocks, and a flock of crows all “cawing” at once is not musical by any means whereas the lark certainly commands our undivided attention by always singing alone, and at a great height in the air. Shakespeare, however, says that the chief charm of the lark’s song is that it is always heard alone, while crows are not appreciated because they are always heard in flocks. The nightingale, if she should sing by day, when every goose is cackling, would be thought, no better a musician than the wren : this is a repetition of the same thought, but again is an over-statement. The nightingale certainly attracts more attention, since the song of the bird is usually heard all alone in the dusk of evening, when other birds have retired for the night. But the song of the nightingale is singularly musical under any circumstances, while the notes of the wren possess no great charm in themselves. Moreover the nightingale does often sing by day, though Shakespeare does not seem to know this, every goose : every common bird, cackling : uttering harsh notes, by season season’d are : are improved in every way by being performed at a suitable time or place. Such artificial arrangement of words as this we term “epigrammatic.” the moon sleeps with Endymion, And would not be awak’d : this is another reference to an old- classical legend. Endymion was a beautiful youth who was loved by the moon. When he slept at night, the moon kissed him by pouring down her silvery light. So the phrase “the moon sleeps with Endymion” became a poetical expression meaning “it is night and the moon is shining”. But Portia takes “sleeps” in its literal sense, and says, “Silence there! the moon and her beloved Endymion are asleep and she does not wish to be disturbed by your music.”
Original Text
Modern English Reading
LORENZO : That is the voice, or I am much mistaken, of Portia.
PORTIA : He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo, by my bad voice. .
LORENZO : Dear lady, welcome home.
PORTIA : We have been praying for our husbands’ welfare, which are moving along quickly, we hope, the better for our words. Have they returned?
LORENZO : Madam, not yet; but there is come a messenger ahead of them, to show that they are coming.
PORTIA : Go in, Nerissa: give orders to my servants that they take no notice at all of our being absent from here; nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you.
LORENZO : Your husband is near; I hear his trumpet. We are no tattle tales, madam; don’t be afraid of us.
PORTIA : I think this night is only sick daylight; It looks a little paler; it’s a day Like a cloudy day.
Enter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their followers.
Word Meaning With Annotation
He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo, By the bad voice : Portia’s humour. The cuckoo in England has an unmistakable note; even a blind man could not confuse it with any other bird, which speed, we hope, the better for our words : “Whom, we hope, will be benefited by our prayer.” The word speed is from the Old English verb spedan, which meant “to prosper” or “to benefit by”. The meaning has now come to denote fastness or quickness, but the old meaning will be found in such a phrase as “God speed you !” or, “May God make you prosperous!”, that they take no note at all : that they appear to know nothing at all of. tucket : a series of notes on a trumpet, tell-tales : informers; people who tell tales of each other. this night, methinks, is but the daylight sick : it is such a clear night that Portia says it is rather like a dim or sickly kind of daylight than the darkness we expect at night time.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
BASSANIO : We should hold day with the direct opposite, if you would walk in absence of the sun.
PORTIA : Let me give light, but let me not be light, because a light wife makes a heavy husband, and never let Bassanio be heavy for me: But God bless all! Welcome home, my lord.
BASSANIO : I thank you, madam; give welcome to my friend: This is the man, this is Antonio, to whom I am so infinitely indebted.
PORTIA : You should be much indebted to him in all senses, because, as I hear, he was much indebted for you.
ANTONIO : No more than I am well released from.
PORTIA : Sir, you are very welcome to our house. That welcome must appear in other ways than words, since this breathy courtesy is so inadequate.
Word Meaning With Annotation
We should hold day with the Antipodes, If you would walk in absence of the sun : this is an example of the fantastic and extravagant compliments of gallantry which were popular among the Elizabethans. The Antipodes denote the point on the earth’s surface which is exactly opposite to where we happen to be for the time being. Thus England has Australia for its Antipodes, since the two countries are at opposite points of the earth. When the sun is shining in Australia, it must be dark in England. But Bassanio says that Portia herself diffuses such brightness as to replace the sun, so that it is possible for them to enjoy daylight at the same time as the Antipodes. It is his elaborate and courtly way of explaining the brightness of the night, on which Portia herself has just been commenting, let me give light, but let me not be light : again the favourite play upon words Portia puns on the double meaning of light, (i) bright, (ii) immoral. A woman of doubtful virtue is very often called “a light woman.” for a light wife doth make a heavy husband : for an unchaste wife makes a sad husband, you should in all sense be much bound to him. for, as I hear, he was much bound for you : “you have every reason to be under great obligations of friendship to him, for I hear that he accepted great responsibilities on your behalf.” acquitted of : now free from, therefore, I scant this breathing courtesy : so I shall cease expressing it in mere polite words.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
GRATIANO : By moon up there, I swear you insult me; believe me, I gave it to the judge’s clerk. I wish he were castrated that has it, for my part, since you take it, love, so much to heart.
PORTIA : A quarrel, hey, already! What’s the matter ?
GRATIANO : About a hoop of gold, a worthless ring that she gave me, whose inscription was, For all the world, like knife maker’s poem on a knife, “Love me and leave me not.”
NERISSA : Why do you talk of the inscription or the value? You swore to me, when I gave it you, that you would wear it until the hour of your death, and that it would go with you to your grave; you should have respected and have kept it though not for me, but for your intense oaths. Gave it a judge’s clerk! No, God’s my judge, the clerk will never grow a beard that took it.
GRATIANO : He will, if he lives to be a man.
NERISSA : Yes, if a woman lives to be a man.
GRATIANO : N o w, by this hand, I gave it to a youth, a kind of boy, a little scrubbed boy no taller than you, the judge’s clerk; a chattering boy that asked for it as a fee; I could not, for my heart, deny him the ring.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Hoop : circle; ring, posy : this word was used by the Elizabethans to denote the proverb or inscription which was often written on the inside of a ring, like cutler’s poetry : it was also customary to have inscriptions on the blades of knives. They would perhaps not be so poetical in tone, for Gratiano says with contempt that the motto in the ring which Nerissa had given him was more like the inscription one: would expect to find on a knife. But we can hardly see that this is just, when applied to “Love me and leave me not.” It seems quite appropriate and suitable for a lover’s gift, and Gratiano’s sneer is poor, you should have been respective : you should have had respect for it. the clerk will ne’er wear hair on’s face that had it : the clerk you claim to have given in to will never wear a beard (i.e. because it was to a woman that you gave it), by this hand : another Elizabethan oath, scrubbed : scrubby; small-sized. prating : over-talkative, begg’d it as a fee : asked for it as his payment.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
PORTIA : You are to blame,—I must be plain with you,—to part so quickly with your wife’s first gift, a thing stuck on your finger with oaths, and so nailed with faith to your flesh with faith. I gave my love a ring, and made him swear never to part with it, and here he stands, I would dare to swear for him that he would not leave it nor pluck it from his finger for all the wealth in the world. Now, truly, Gratiano, you give your wife a cause for grief that is very unkind; if it was given to me, I should be angry about it.
BASSANIO : Why, it would be better if I cut my left hand off, and swear I lost the ring defending it.
GRATIANO : My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away to the judge that asked for it, and indeed deserved it too; and then the boy, his clerk, that took some pains in writing, he asked for mine; and neither man nor master would take anything else but the two rings.
Word Meaning With Annotation
To part so slightly with your wife’s first gift : to let such a slight cause make you part with your wife’s first present to you. a thing stuck on with oaths upon your Finger : the ring had been placed on his finger to the accompaniment of solemn promises, which should have made it remain there, and so riveted with faith unto your flesh : a rivet is a type of steel nail, used to fasten metal plates together. Portia tells Gratiano that his solemn faith and honour should have been as strong as steel rivets in preventing the ring from leaving his finger. I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it : Portia is deliberately making the situation uncomfortable for Bassanio, and increasing the irony for the enjoyment of the audience. She says that she is so sure of Bassanio that she would take an oath that he has not parted with her ring, “leave if’ is equivalent to “part with it” or “lose it”, masters : possesses; owns, you give your wife too unkind a cause of grief : you have inflicted too cruel an injury on your wife. An ‘twere to me, I should be mad at it : if this had been done to me, I should be angered by it. I were best to : my best course would be to, etc. Man nor master : “man” in this sense is often used to denote “servant”, i.e. the clerk, while “master” is of course, Portia in her capacity as judge.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
BASSANIO : If I could add a lie to a fault, I would deny it; but you see my finger Hasn’t got the ring on it; it is gone.
PORTIA : Your false heart of truth is even so “gone,” by heaven, I’ll never sleep with you until I see the ring.
NERISSA : And neither will I until I see mine again.
BASSANIO : Sweet Portia, If you knew to whom I gave the ring, if you knew for whom I gave the ring, and would think about for what I gave the ring, and how unwillingly I let the ring go, when nothing would be accepted but the ring, you would decrease the strength of your anger.
PORTIA : If you had known the virtue of the ring, or half the worthiness of her who gave the ring, or your own honor to hold the ring, you wouldn’t have parted then with the ring. What man is there so very unreasonable, that, if you had bothered to defend it with any terms of earnestness, lacked the modesty to encourage the thing be held as a ceremony? Nerissa teaches me what to believe: I’ll die for it, but some woman took the ring.
Word Meaning With Annotation
If I could add a lie unto a fault, I would deny it : if my conscience would allow me to conceal my offence by a lie, I would deny having done so. even so void is your false heart of truth : similarly your false heart lacks truth, void, empty of. Sweet Portia, if you did know to whom I gave the ring : this device of ending a number of lines with the same word is found seldom in Shakespeare, though, cases do occur. If you did know for whom I gave the ring : Bassanio means that it was for the sake of his friend, Antonio, that he gave the ring away, left : “parted with”, abate : lessen. If you had known the virtue of the ring : “virtue” is often used in this manner to denote “goodness”. But it is more probable that Portia hints that the ring had a mystic or luck-bringing property, which would be lost by parting with it. or your own honour to contain the ring : If you had realised what a sacred obligation it was on your part to preserve the ring, what man is there so much unreasonable : the use of “much” In this adverbial sense is strange to our ideas of the word; read “so very unreasonable”. If you had pleas’d to have defended it : if you had cared to make an effort to retain possession of it. with any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty, to urge the thing held as a ceremony : the sense is simple: “if you had defended it true zeal, what man would have been so lacking in good manners (modesty) as to press you for the ring, which you wore as a sacred thing?” I’ll die for’t, but some woman had the ring : I will wager my very life that you gave the ring to some woman.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
BASSANLO : No, by my honor, madam, by my soul, no woman took it, but a civil doctor, which refused three thousand dollars of me, and begged for the ring, which I denied him, and let him go away displeased, even he that had delayed the very life of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet-lady ? I forced to send the ring after him;! was overcome with shame and courtesy; my honor would not let ingratitude wo much offend it. Pardon me, good lady; because, by these blessed candles of the night, if you had been there, I think you would have begged the ring from me to give the worthy doctor.
PORTIA : Don’t let that doctor ever come near my house; since he has gotten the jewel that I loved, and which you swore to keep for me, I’ll become as free as you; I won’t deny him anything I have, no, not my body, nor my husband’s bed. I shall know him, I am well sure of it. Don’t sleep a night from home; watch me with one hundred eyes; if you don’t, if ! am left alone, now, by my virginity which is still my own, I’ll have that doctor for my lover.
NERISSA : And I his clerk; so be well advised how you leave me to my own protection.
GRATIANO : WelI, do so : don’t let me take him then ; because, if I do, I’ll break the young clerk’s pen.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Civil doctor : a lawyer; a doctor of civil law. had up : saved; preserved. I was enforc’d to send it after him : I felt myself compelled (morally) to send the ring after him. I was beset with shame and courtesy : I was filled with shame at having refused him, and also prompted by natural courtesy to give it to him. besmear : stain; disgrace, blessed candles of the night : the stars, which are still visible. Shakespeare wishes the audience to think of this as taking place in the dim light of dawn, with stars still visible. He continues the impression of scenery by numerous little allusions of this nature.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
ANTONIO : I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels.
PORTIA : Sir, don’t grieve; you are welcome never the less.
BASSANIO : Portia, forgive me this forced wrong; and in the hearing of these many friends, I swear to you, even by your own beautiful eyes, that I see myself in,—
PORTIA : Listen, only that!In both my eyes, he doubly sees himself, one in each eye; swear by your double self, and there’s an oath to believe.
BASSANIO : No, but listen to me: Pardon this fault, and, by my soul, I swear I will never again break an oath made to you.
ANTONIO : I once lent my body for his wealth, Which would have been fatal, except for him that took your husband’s ring. I would dare to be indebted again, lose my soul as the penalty, that your lord will never more break an oath intentionally.
PORTIA : Then you shall be his insurance. Give him this, and tell him keep it better than the other one.
Word Meaning With Annotation
I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels : I am unfortunate enough to be the cause of this quarrel, enforced wrong : this wrong which I was forced to inflict on you. thine own fair eyes, wherein I see myself : Bassanio may mean that he actually sees his own physical reflection in Portia’s bright eyes. But it may also be read: “Wherein I see the reflection of a soul, similar to my own.” There is no one clear meaning, for Shakespeare purposely constructs such lines with an ambiguous form in order to enable the other party to the conversation to quibble on the double meaning. So here Portia at once takes his words up in the former sense. She says, “If you see yourself reflected in my eyes you must see two images, one in each eye. If there are two images of you, that shows you to be a double (deceitful) person. So when you swear by your own deceitful self, that is not an oath which one can believe.” I once did lend my body for his wealth : I once pledged my body on purpose for his welfare, had quite miscarried : would have been completely lost, which refers to body. I dare be bound again : yet I would risk entering myself as security for him once more, pledging my soul rather than my body, advisedly : intentionally; deliberately, surety : sponsor; security.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
ANTONIO : Here, Lord Bassanio, swear to keep this ring.
BASSANIO : By heaven! It’s the same one I gave the doctor!
PORTIA : I got it from him: pardon me, Bassanio, Because, by this ring, the doctor slept with me.
NERISSA : And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano, because that same scrubbed boy, the doctor’s clerk, instead of this, slept with me last night.
GRATIANO : Why, this is like the mending of high ways in summer, where the ways are fair enough. What! Are we betrayed before we have deserved it?
PORTIA : Don’t speak so indecently. You are all amazed: Here is a letter; read it at your leisure; it comes from Padua, from Bellario: There you shall find that Portia was the doctor, Nerissa there, her clerk: Lorenzo here shall witness that I set out as soon as you left, and even just now returned; I have not yet entered my house. Antonio, you are welcome; and I have better news in store for you than you expect: unseal this letter right away; there you shall find three of your merchant ships have richly come into harbor suddenly. You will not know by what strange accident I happened to get this letter.
ANTONIO : I am speechless.
BASSANIO : You were the doctor, and I didn’t know you?
GRATIANO : You were you the clerk that is to betray me?
NERISSA : Yes, but the clerk that never means to do it, unless he lives until he is a man.
BASSANIO : Sweet doctor, you shall be my lover: when I am absent, then you can lie with my wife.
ANTONIO : Sweet lady, you have given me life and living, because here I read for certain that my ships have safely come home.
PORTIA : How is it now, Lorenzo! My clerk has some good comforts for you, too.
NERISSA : Yes, and I’ll give them to him without a fee. There I give to you and Jessica, from the rich Jew, a special deed of gift, that after his death, to have everything he dies possessed of.
LORENZO : Beautiful ladies, you drop holy bread in the way of starved people.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Sweet lady, you have given me life, and living : “You saved my life at the trial, and now you restore my means of livelihood,” This is the same thought as expressed by Shylock in the trial scene, road : a road, in the sea-faring sense, is a sheltered bay or harbour where ships can lie in safety. A special deed of gift : that which Shylock had been compelled to draw up in the court. We know that Portia possessed this, but we are left quite without information as to where she procured the letter telling Antonio of the safe arrival of his ships, manna : in the Old Testament of the Bible, the Jews are described as wandering in the desert on a long journey, without any means of support. So God sent divine food from heaven to them, called “manna”, and this they found lying on the ground.
Original Text
Modern English Reading
PORTIA : It is almost morning, and I am still sure you are not totally satisfied about these events full. Let’s go in; and ask us all your questions, and we’ll answer everything truthfully.
GRATIANO : Let it be so: the first question that my Nerissa shall be sworn on is, whether she would rather wait until the next night, or come to bed now, being two hours until day: but if the day was here, I would wish it to be dark, until I was sleeping with the doctor’s clerk. Well, while I live, I’ll fear no other thing so much as keeping Nerissa’s ring safe.
Exeunt.
Word Meaning With Annotation
And charge us there upon inter’gatories : “and put as many questions to us as you like.” This phrase has been quoted in support of the argument that Shakespeare may have served in a law office at some time or other, so accurate and full is his knowledge of legal terms.
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