1596

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

by William Shakespeare

DRAMATIS PERSONAE -

THE DUKE OF VENICE

THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO, suitor to Portia

THE PRINCE OF ARRAGON, " " "

ANTONIO, a merchant of Venice

BASSANIO, his friend, suitor to Portia

SOLANIO, friend to Antonio and Bassanio

SALERIO, " " " " "

GRATIANO, " " " " "

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, servant to Portia

STEPHANO, " " " -

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 -

SCENE:

Venice, and PORTIA'S house at Belmont

ACT I.

SCENE I.

Venice. A street -

Enter ANTONIO, SALERIO, and SOLANIO -

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.

SALERIO. 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.

SOLANIO. 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.

SALERIO. My wind, cooling my broth,

Would blow me to an ague when I thought

What harm a wind too great might do at sea.

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 bechanc'd 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.

SOLANIO. Why then you are in love.

ANTONIO. Fie, fie!

SOLANIO. 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 fram'd 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 -

Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman,

Gratiano and Lorenzo. Fare ye well;

We leave you now with better company.

SALERIO. I would have stay'd till I had made you merry,