ACT 1
[Enter PORTIA and NERISSA]
PORTIA
By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of
I tell you, Nerissa, my little body is worn out by
this great world.
this huge world.
NERISSA
You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in
You’d have a right to be tired, madam, if your life-troubles were
the same abundance as your good fortunes are:
as abundant as your good fortune.
and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit
From what I can see, the rich folk are as sick
with too much as they that starve with nothing.
with excess as those that starve with nothing.
It is no mean happiness therefore, to be seated in the mean:
So it’s not a bad level of happiness to be averagely well-off:
superfluity comes sooner by white hairs, but
the wealthy turn grey with age sooner than
competency lives longer.
those with moderate means.
PORTIA
Good sentences and well pronounced.
Good points, well made.
NERISSA
They would be better, if well followed.
They would be better if you heeded them.
PORTIA
If to do were as easy as to know what were good to
If doing what is right is as easy as knowing what is
do, chapels had been churches and poor men's
right, small chapels would be big churches and poor men’s
cottages princes' palaces. It is a good divine that
cottages would be palaces. It is a good priest that
follows his own instructions: I can easier teach
can follow his own instructions. I can easier teach
twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the
twenty people what the right thing to do is, than be one of the
twenty to follow mine own teaching. The brain may
twenty who follow what I’ve taught them. Your mind may
devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps
set rules to govern passion, but a raging temper usurps
o'er a cold decree: such a hare is madness the
cold reason. Young people are like mad hares
youth, to skip o'er the meshes of good counsel the
that jump the protective fences erected by a frail
cripple. But this reasoning is not in the fashion to
person. But this logic is not to be used to help
choose me a husband. O me, the word 'choose!'
me choose a husband. Ha, the irony of the word ‘choose!’
I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse whom I
I can neither choose who I should marry nor refuse those
dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed
I don’t like; that’s how it goes for a living daughter constrained
by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard,
by the wishes of her dead father. It’s difficult, right
Nerissa, that I cannot choose one nor refuse none?
Nerissa, that I can’t choose or refuse a man to marry?
NERISSA
Your father was ever virtuous; and holy men at their
Your father was a decent man, and holy men get
death have good inspirations: therefore the lottery,
profound inspiration on their deathbeds. And so, this lottery
that he hath devised in these three chests of gold,
that he created – in these three chests, of gold,
silver and lead, whereof who chooses his meaning
silver and lead, whereby whoever deciphers the meaning
chooses you, will, no doubt, never be chosen by any
will marry you – will, no doubt, never be deciphered by one
rightly but one who shall rightly love. But what
other than one who loves you. But are you
warmth is there in your affection towards any of
even slightly attracted to any of
these princely suitors that are already come?
those princes that have already come to see you?
PORTIA
I pray thee, over-name them; and as thou namest
Come on then, state their names: and as you name
them, I will describe them; and, according to my
them, I will describe them, and from my
description, level at my affection.
description, you can deduce how much I like them.
NERISSA
First, there is the Neapolitan prince.
First, there is the prince from Naples.
PORTIA
Ay, that's a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but
Ah, he’s a proper stallion, for he does nothing but
talk of his horse; and he makes it a great
talk about his horse, and he proudly makes the point,
appropriation to his own good parts, that he can
to strengthen his own credentials, that he can
shoe him himself. I am much afeard my lady his
shoe the horse himself. I’m afraid, my lady, that his
mother played false with a smith.
mother secretly slept with a blacksmith.
NERISSA
Then there is the County Palatine.
Then there is the Count Palatine.
PORTIA
He doth nothing but frown, as who should say 'If you
All he does is frown, as if to say, “If you won’t
will not have me, choose:' he hears merry tales and
marry me, clear off.” Even hearing happy stories,
smiles not: I fear he will prove the weeping
he doesn’t smile. I fear he’ll turn into Heraclitus of Ephesus,
philosopher when he grows old, being so full of
the morose philosopher, when he’s older, for he’s so
unmannerly sadness in his youth. I had rather be
rude and grumpy in his youth. I’d rather be
married to a death's-head with a bone in his mouth
married to a skull-and-crossbones
than to either of these. God defend me from these two!
than to either of these two. God protect me from them!
NERISSA
How say you by the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon?
What do you think of the French lord, Monsieur Le Bon?
PORTIA
God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man.
As he’s been made by God, I guess he is a man.
In truth, I know it is a sin to be a mocker: but, he!
In truth, I know it’s wrong to mock people…but, him!
Why, he hath a horse better than the
He talks as though his horse is better than the
Neapolitan's, a better bad habit of frowning than the
the prince from Naples’, and his frown is even worse than the
Count Palatine; he is every man in no man;
Count Palatine. He tries to better everyone, becoming no one;
if a throstle sing, he falls straight a capering: he will
if a thrush bird sings, he starts to dance; he will
fence with his own shadow: if I should marry him, I
fence with his own shadow; if I married him, it would be like
should marry twenty husbands. If he would despise me
being married to twenty husbands. If he hates me,
I would forgive him, for if he love me to madness,
I wouldn’t mind, for if he loved me dearly,
I shall never requite him.
I’d never love him back.
NERISSA
What say you, then, to Falconbridge, the young baron
Then what do you think of Falconbridge, the young baron
of England?
from England?
PORTIA
You know I say nothing to him, for he understands
You know I do not talk to him, for he can’t understand me,
not me, nor I him: he hath neither Latin, French,
nor me him. He can’t speak either Latin, French,
nor Italian, and you will come into the court and
or Italian, and you will put your hand on your heart and
swear that I have a poor pennyworth in the English.
swear I barely speak a word of English.
He is a proper man's picture, but, alas, who can
He’s a fine looking man, but unfortunately, who can
converse with a dumb-show? How oddly he is suited!
talk to someone who can’t speak? How bizarrely does he dress!
I think he bought his doublet in Italy, his round
I think he bought his tight-fitting jacket in Italy, his
hose in France, his bonnet in Germany and his
pantaloons in France, his floppy hat in Germany and his
behaviour every where.
behaviour from who knows where.
NERISSA
What think you of the Scottish lord, his neighbour?
What do you think of the Scottish lord, his neighbour?
PORTIA
That he hath a neighbourly charity in him, for he
I think he’s neighbourly and charitable because he
borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman and
got punched in the ear by the Englishman and
swore he would pay him again when he was able:
swore to only punch him back when he could;
I think the Frenchman became his surety and sealed
I think the Frenchman backed him up, committing to
under for another.
punch the Englishman too.
NERISSA
How like you the young German, the Duke of
How do you like the young German, the Duke of
Saxony's nephew?
Saxony’s nephew?
PORTIA
Very vilely in the morning, when he is sober, and
I hate him in the morning, when he is sober, and
most vilely in the afternoon, when he is drunk:
I despise him in the afternoon, when he is drunk.
when he is best, he is a little worse than a man, and
At his best, he’s a little worse than any man, but
when he is worst, he is little better than a beast:
at his worst, he’s little better than a wild animal.
and the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall
And if the worst comes to the worst, I hope I will
make shift to go without him.
manage to avoid him.
NERISSA
If he should offer to choose, and choose the right
If he takes up the challenge to choose a box, and chooses
casket, you should refuse to perform your father's
the right one, then you’d have to refuse to perform your father’s
will, if you should refuse to accept him.
wishes, if you refuse to marry him.
PORTIA
Therefore, for fear of the worst, I pray thee, set a
So, fearing the worst, I’ll ask you to place a
deep glass of rhenish wine on the contrary casket,
large glass of German Rhineland wine on the wrong box,
for if the devil be within and that temptation without,
for if the devil leads him to temptation,
I know he will choose it. I will do any thing,
I know that he will choose it. I will do anything,
Nerissa, ere I'll be married to a sponge.
Nerissa, before I will marry a sodden drunkard.
NERISSA
You need not fear, lady, the having any of these
My lady, you don’t have to worry about marrying any of these
lords: they have acquainted me with their
lords: they have told me of their
determinations; which is, indeed, to return to their
plans, which is, indeed, to return to their
home and to trouble you with no more suit, unless
homes and no longer try to seduce you, unless
you may be won by some other sort than your father's
you can be wooed by some means other than your father’s
imposition depending on the caskets.
requirements involving picking boxes.
PORTIA
If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as
If I live to be as old as the ancient Sibyl, I’ll die a
chaste as Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner
virgin like the Roman goddess Diana, unless I’m married by
of my father's will. I am glad this parcel of wooers
how my father wanted. I’m glad this group of wooers
are so reasonable, for there is not one among them
are so reasonable, because there isn’t one of them
but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God grant
that I do not hope departs, and I pray to God he lets
them a fair departure.
them travel home safely.
NERISSA
Do you not remember, lady, in your father's time,
Don’t you remember, lady, when your father was alive,
a Venetian, a scholar and a soldier, that came hither
a Venetian man – a scholar and a soldier – who came here
in company of the Marquis of Montferrat?
along with the Marquis of Montferrat?
PORTIA
Yes, yes, it was Bassanio; as I think, he was so called.
Yes, I do, that was Bassanio, as I recall his name.
NERISSA
True, madam: he, of all the men that ever I laid my foolish
That’s right, madam. Of all the men that I ever laid my foolish
eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a fair lady.
eyes upon, he was the most suitable for a beautiful lady.
PORTIA
I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of
I remember him well, and I remember he was deserving of
thy praise.
your praise.
[Enter a Serving-man]
How now! What news?
Hello! What’s news?
SERVANT
The four strangers seek for you, madam, to take
The four foreigners are looking for you, madam, so they
their leave: and there is a forerunner come from a
can say goodbye; and there’s a messenger arrived from a
fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who brings word the
fifth, the Prince of Morocco, who says that the
prince his master will be here to-night.
prince, his master, will be arriving here tonight.
PORTIA
If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good a
If I can welcome the fifth with as much
heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should
enthusiasm as I bade the other four farewell, then I’ll
be glad of his approach: if he have the condition
be happy to meet him. If he has the character
of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had
of a saint but is as dark as the devil, I would
rather he should shrive me than wive me.
rather confess to him than marry him.
Come, Nerissa. Sirrah, go before.
Come, Nerissa. Sir, go out before.
Whiles we shut the gates
As we shut the gates
upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.
upon one wooer, another knocks at the door.
[Exeunt]
