SCENE 1: BELMONT. AVENUE TO PORTIA'S HOUSE.

[Enter LORENZO and JESSICA]

LORENZO

The moon shines bright: in such a night as this,

The moon is shining bright. In such a night,

When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees

When gentle winds blew softly through the trees

And they did make no noise, in such a night

And did so silently, in such a night

Troilus methinks mounted the Troyan walls

I think that Troilus climbed the walls of Troy

And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents,

And sighed his heart out, seeing Grecian tents

Where Cressid lay that night.

Where Cressida laid down.

JESSICA

In such a night

Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew

Did Thisbe tiptoe, scared, across the dew

And saw the lion's shadow ere himself

And saw the shadow first before the lion

And ran dismayed away.

And ran away in fear.

LORENZO

In such a night

Stood Dido, Queen of Carthage, with a willow

Stood Dido with a willow in her hand

Upon the wild sea banks and waft her love

Aside the roaring sea and waved her love back

To come again to Carthage.

To join her back in Carthage.

JESSICA

In such a night

Medea gathered the enchanted herbs

That did renew old Aeson.

Rejuvenating Aeson.

LORENZO

In such a night

Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew

Did Jessica steal from the wealthy Jew,

And with an unthrift love did run from Venice

And unrestrained by love did run from Venice

As far as Belmont.

JESSICA

In such a night

Did young Lorenzo swear he loved her well,

Stealing her soul with many vows of faith

Winning her heart with many vows of love,

And ne'er a true one.

But none of them were true.

LORENZO

In such a night

Did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew,

Did pretty Jessica, much like a shrew,

Slander her love, and he forgave it her.

Badmouth her lover, but he did forgive her.

JESSICA

I would out-night you, did no body come;

I would outdo you if we were alone,

But, hark, I hear the footing of a man.

But listen, I can hear a man approaching.

[Enter STEPHANO]

LORENZO

Who comes so fast in silence of the night?

Who is that coming quickly in the night?

STEPHANO

A friend.

LORENZO

A friend! What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend?

A friend! Which friend? What is your name then, friend?

STEPHANO

Stephano is my name; and I bring word

Stephano is my name, and I bring news

My mistress will before the break of day

My mistress will, before the break of day,

Be here at Belmont; she doth stray about

Be here at Belmont. On the way, she’s stopping

By holy crosses, where she kneels and prays

At holy crosses, where she kneels and prays

For happy wedlock hours.

To lead a happy marriage.

LORENZO

Who comes with her?

STEPHANO

None but a holy hermit and her maid.

Nobody but a hermit and her maid.

I pray you, is my master yet returned?

I ask you, is my master back here yet?

LORENZO

He is not, nor we have not heard from him.

He’s not and neither have we heard from him.

But go we in, I pray thee, Jessica,

But let’s go inside now, please Jessica,

And ceremoniously let us prepare

And let us both then formally prepare

Some welcome for the mistress of the house.

A welcome for the mistress of the house.

[Enter LAUNCELOT]

LAUNCELOT

Sola, sola! Wo ha, ho! Sola, sola!

Hey up there now! Whoah there! Hey up there now!

LORENZO

Who calls?

Who’s calling out?

LAUNCELOT

Sola! Did you see Master Lorenzo?

Hey up! Did you see Master Lorenzo?

Master Lorenzo, sola, sola!

Master Lorenzo, hey up, hey up!

LORENZO

Leave hollaing, man: here.

Stop hollering, man; I’m here.

LAUNCELOT

Sola! Where? Where?

Hey up! Where? Where?

LORENZO

Here.

LAUNCELOT

Tell him there's a post come from my master, with

Tell him there’s some mail come from my master, with

his horn full of good news: my master will be here

a bucketful of good news. My master will be here

ere morning.

before the morning.

[Exit]

LORENZO

Sweet soul, let's in, and there expect their coming.

My sweet, let’s go inside, and start preparing.

And yet no matter: why should we go in?

But, then again, why should we go inside?

My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you,

My friend Stephano, please will you announce

Within the house, your mistress is at hand;

Within the house, your mistress soon will be home;

And bring your music forth into the air.

And tell all the musicians to come out here.

[Exit Stephano]

How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!

How lovely is the moonlight on this bank!

Here will we sit and let the sounds of music

Let’s sit here and we’ll let the sounds of music

Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night

Waft in our ears: oh what a lovely night

Become the touches of sweet harmony.

To hear the harmonies of gentle music.

Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven

Sit, Jessica. Look how the sky in heaven

Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:

Is thickly dotted with its golden stars:

There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st

There’s not a star within the sky so small

But in his motion like an angel sings,

Whose motion doesn’t match angelic singing,

Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;

Like cherubs singing in falsetto tones.

Such harmony is in immortal souls;

That sound comes from our immortality;

But whilst this muddy vesture of decay

But whilst we’re here within decaying bodies

Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.

That keep us trapped within, we cannot hear it.

[Enter Musicians]

Come, ho! And wake Diana with a hymn!

Come on and wake the moon-god with a hymn!

With sweetest touches pierce your mistress' ear,

Play lovely tunes your mistress likes to hear,

And draw her home with music.

And call her home with music.

[Music]

JESSICA

I am never merry when I hear sweet music.

I’m never cheerful when I hear sweet music.

LORENZO

The reason is, your spirits are attentive:

Well, that’s because your soul is concentrating.

For do but note a wild and wanton herd,

For if you spot a wild, unbridled herd

Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,

Or see young, untrained horses galloping

Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,

And bucking vigorously, neighing loudly,

Which is the hot condition of their blood;

Which is their natural state when agitated;

If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,

But if, perhaps, they hear a trumpet sounding

Or any air of music touch their ears,

Or any graceful music in their ears,

You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,

You’ll notice that they all stand still together,

Their savage eyes turned to a modest gaze

Their feral eyes all softening their gaze

By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet

By music’s gentle power. Hence poet Ovid

Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods;

Wrote Orpheus’s tunes lured trees, stones, water.

Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage,

For nothing is so tough and full of anger

But music for the time doth change his nature.

That music will not alter its behaviour.

The man that hath no music in himself,

The person who hates music and is tone deaf,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

And lacks appreciation for sweet tunes,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;

Is good for nothing but for plots to cheat you;

The motions of his spirit are dull as night

His soulless actions are as dull as night;

And his affections dark as Erebus:

He thinks like Erebus, the god of darkness.

Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.

Don’t trust a man like that. Now, hear the music.

[Enter PORTIA and NERISSA]

PORTIA

That light we see is burning in my hall.

That light’s a candle burning in my hall.

How far that little candle throws his beams!

How far that little candle throws its light beams!

So shines a good deed in a naughty world.

It shines like doing good when flanked by evil.

NERISSA

When the moon shone, we did not see the candle.

PORTIA

So doth the greater glory dim the less:

The greatest things outshine those that are weaker:

A substitute shines brightly as a king

A man who thinks he’s king might seem impressive

Unto the king be by, and then his state

Until the King is close, then he becomes

Empties itself, as doth an inland brook

Pathetic, like a hillside stream that meets

Into the main of waters. Music! Hark!

A river’s estuary. That’s music! Listen!

NERISSA

It is your music, madam, of the house.

It’s your musician, madam, from your house.

PORTIA

Nothing is good, I see, without respect:

I see now nothing’s good when out of context:

Methinks it sounds much sweeter than by day.

That music’s sweeter than when played by day.

NERISSA

Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.

The silence makes it sound the way it does.

PORTIA

The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark,

The crow can sing as sweetly as the lark

When neither is attended, and I think

When no one’s listening, and I believe

The nightingale, if she should sing by day,

That if the nightingale would sing at daytime,

When every goose is cackling, would be thought

When every goose is cackling, we’d all think

No better a musician than the wren.

Its singing is no better than a wren.

How many things by season seasoned are

How many things, when timing’s right, achieve

To their right praise and true perfection!

Their true perfection that we rightly praise!

Peace, ho! The moon sleeps with Endymion

Quiet! The moon sleeps like Endymion,

And would not be awaked.

The man who can’t be wakened.

[Music ceases]

LORENZO

That is the voice,

That’s the voice,

Or I am much deceived, of Portia.

Unless I’m much mistaken, of our Portia.

PORTIA

He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo,

He knows me like the blind man knows a cuckoo:

By the bad voice.

By its bad voice.

LORENZO

Dear lady, welcome home.

PORTIA

We have been praying for our husbands' healths,

We’ve prayed about the welfare of our husbands,

Which speed, we hope, the better for our words.

And hope our prayers will bring them quickly home.

Are they returned?

Have they returned?

LORENZO

Madam, they are not yet;

Madam, they haven’t yet;

But there is come a messenger before,

But earlier a messenger arrived

To signify their coming.

Who told us they were coming.

PORTIA

Go in, Nerissa;

Give order to my servants that they take

Give orders to our servants that they mustn’t

No note at all of our being absent hence;

Reveal to anyone we’ve been away.

Nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you.

[A tucket sounds]

LORENZO

Your husband is at hand; I hear his trumpet:

Your husband is nearby; I hear his trumpet.

We are no tell-tales, madam; fear you not.

We never gossip, madam, don’t you worry.

PORTIA

This night methinks is but the daylight sick;

I think tonight feels like a dismal day;

It looks a little paler: 'tis a day,

It is a little paler: it’s a day

Such as the day is when the sun is hid.

Where cloudy skies obliterate the sun.

[Enter BASSANIO, ANTONIO, GRATIANO, and their followers]

BASSANIO

We should hold day with the Antipodes,

Just like earth’s opposite side, it is daytime

If you would walk in absence of the sun.

When you are walking when the sun’s not out.

PORTIA

Let me give light, but let me not be light;

Let me shine light, but not be light in spirit;

For a light wife doth make a heavy husband,

For light in spirit makes a husband weary;

And never be Bassanio so for me:

Bassanio mustn’t be like that for me.

But God sort all! You are welcome home, my lord.

But God will work it out! You’re welcome home, lord.

BASSANIO

I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend.

I thank you, madam. Please, welcome my friend.

This is the man, this is Antonio,

This is the man I told you of, Antonio,

To whom I am so infinitely bound.

To whom I’m bound in friendship evermore.

PORTIA

You should in all sense be much bound to him.

You should be bound to him, in every sense,

For, as I hear, he was much bound for you.

For he was very bound to you, I’ve heard.

ANTONIO

No more than I am well acquitted of.

I have been very well reprieved of bonds.

PORTIA

Sir, you are very welcome to our house:

It must appear in other ways than words,

I have to demonstrate with more than words,

Therefore I scant this breathing courtesy.

So I’ll refrain from talking words of welcome.

GRATIANO

[To NERISSA]

By yonder moon I swear you do me wrong;

I swear by moonlight that you’re hurting me!

In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk:

I promise that I gave it to the court clerk;

Would he were gelt that had it, for my part,

I wish that man that got it gets castrated

Since you do take it, love, so much at heart.

Because, my love, it’s caused you so much pain.

PORTIA

A quarrel, ho, already! What's the matter?

An argument already! What’s the problem?

GRATIANO

About a hoop of gold, a paltry ring

About a hoop of gold, a simple ring

That she did give me, whose posy was

That she had given me, which was engraved

For all the world like cutler's poetry

For all to see, with jeweller’s poetry

Upon a knife, 'Love me, and leave me not.'

Carved with a knife, “Love me, and do not leave me.”

NERISSA

What talk you of the posy or the value?

Why talk about the poetry or value?

You swore to me, when I did give it you,

You swore to me when I gave it to you

That you would wear it till your hour of death

That you would wear it till the day you died

And that it should lie with you in your grave:

And that it would lie with you in your grave.

Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths,

It’s not about me, but the oaths we swore,

You should have been respective and have kept it.

Which you should have respected and adhered to.

Gave it a judge's clerk! No, God's my judge,

You gave it to a judge’s clerk! God’s my judge,

The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face that had it.

And I bet that this clerk can’t grow a beard.

GRATIANO

He will, an if he live to be a man.

He will if he grows up to be a man.

NERISSA

Ay, if a woman live to be a man.

Yes, if a woman lives to be a man.

GRATIANO

Now, by this hand, I gave it to a youth,

I promise you I gave it to a young man,

A kind of boy, a little scrubbed boy,

A sort of boy, a little scrubbed-up boy,

No higher than thyself; the judge's clerk,

No taller than yourself; the judge’s clerk,

A prating boy, that begged it as a fee:

A babbling boy that begged it as a fee;

I could not for my heart deny it him.

I didn’t have the heart to turn him down.

PORTIA

You were to blame, I must be plain with you,

You are to blame, I have to tell you straight,

To part so slightly with your wife's first gift:

To give away your wife’s first gift so swiftly:

A thing stuck on with oaths upon your finger

You swore an oath when placed upon your finger;

And so riveted with faith unto your flesh.

It should be stuck with faith upon your body.

I gave my love a ring and made him swear

Never to part with it; and here he stands;

That he would never part with it. He’s here;

I dare be sworn for him he would not leave it

I dare to swear that he would never leave it

Nor pluck it from his finger, for the wealth

Nor take it off his hand for all the money

That the world masters. Now, in faith, Gratiano,

Within the world. Now, truthfully, Gratiano,

You give your wife too unkind a cause of grief:

You’ve been far too unkind to hurt your wife.

An 'twere to me, I should be mad at it.

If it were me, I would be furious.

BASSANIO

[Aside]

Why, I were best to cut my left hand off

It would be better chopping off my left hand

And swear I lost the ring defending it.

Then swear I lost the ring defending it.

GRATIANO

My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away

Unto the judge that begged it and indeed

Unto the judge that begged for it, and truly

Deserved it too; and then the boy, his clerk,

That took some pains in writing, he begged mine;

That wrote the notes in court begged me for mine;

And neither man nor master would take aught

And neither would the judge nor clerk accept

But the two rings.

Anything but the rings.

PORTIA

What ring gave you my lord?

Which ring did you give?

Not that, I hope, which you received of me.

I hope not that one that I gave to you.

BASSANIO

If I could add a lie unto a fault,

If I could add a lie onto an error,

I would deny it; but you see my finger

I would deny it. But you see my finger

Hath not the ring upon it; it is gone.

Has not the ring upon it; it is gone.

PORTIA

Even so void is your false heart of truth.

Your heart lacks truth; your finger lacks the ring.

By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed

I swear I’ll never go to bed with you

Until I see the ring.

NERISSA

Nor I in yours

Nor I to yours

Till I again see mine.

Till I see mine again.

BASSANIO

Sweet Portia,

If you did know to whom I gave the ring,

If you knew of the man I gave the ring to

If you did know for whom I gave the ring

And of the man for whom I gave the ring for,

And would conceive for what I gave the ring

And understood why I gave out the ring

And how unwillingly I left the ring,

When nought would be accepted but the ring,

When all that they’d accept was just the ring,

You would abate the strength of your displeasure.

You wouldn’t be as angry as you are now.

PORTIA

If you had known the virtue of the ring,

If you had known the meaning of the ring,

Or half her worthiness that gave the ring,

Or half the worth of her who gave the ring,

Or your own honour to contain the ring,

Or of your honour to retain the ring,

You would not then have parted with the ring.

You wouldn’t then have parted with the ring.

What man is there so much unreasonable,

Who is the man who’s so unreasonable,

If you had pleased to have defended it

That if you’d tried your hardest to defend it

With any terms of zeal, wanted the modesty

With any eagerness, he still would want

To urge the thing held as a ceremony?

To take a thing with sentimental value?

Nerissa teaches me what to believe:

Nerissa’s taught me what I should believe:

I'll die for't but some woman had the ring.

I bet my life some woman’s got the ring.

BASSANIO

No, by my honour, madam, by my soul,

No, on my honour, madam, on my life

No woman had it, but a civil doctor,

No woman has it, but a decent doctor,

Which did refuse three thousand ducats of me

Who had refused three thousand gold coins from me,

And begged the ring; the which I did deny him

And begged me for the ring, but I refused him

And suffered him to go displeased away;

And suffered as he left us all displeased,

Even he that did uphold the very life

And this just after he had saved the life

Of my dear friend. What should I say, sweet lady?

I was enforced to send it after him;

I had no choice but send it on to him;

I was beset with shame and courtesy;

It left me torn between my shame and kindness;

My honour would not let ingratitude

Ingratitude does go against my honour

So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady;

And smears my reputation. I am sorry

For, by these blessed candles of the night,

But if, by all the stars within the sky,

Had you been there, I think you would have begged

You had been there, I think you would have begged

The ring of me to give the worthy doctor.

The ring from me to give the worthy doctor.

PORTIA

Let not that doctor e'er come near my house:

Don’t ever let that doctor come to this house,

Since he hath got the jewel that I loved,

For he has got the jewel that I loved,

And that which you did swear to keep for me,

And as you swore you’d keep that ring for me,

I will become as liberal as you;

I’ll match the open-mindedness of you.

I'll not deny him any thing I have,

I will not stop him taking all I have,

No, not my body nor my husband's bed:

No, not my body nor my husband’s bed.

Know him I shall, I am well sure of it:

I’m sure I’ll recognise him when I see him.

Lie not a night from home; watch me like Argus:

Stay; watch me like a beast with many eyes,

If you do not, if I be left alone,

For, if you don’t, if I am left alone,

Now, by mine honour, which is yet mine own,

Then, by my honour – which I’ve still retained –

I'll have that doctor for my bedfellow.

I swear I’ll share my bedroom with the doctor.

NERISSA

And I his clerk; therefore be well advised

And, with his clerk, I’ll do the same; beware

How you do leave me to mine own protection.

Of leaving me to look after myself.

GRATIANO

Well, do you so; let not me take him, then;

Well, go on then, but make sure I don’t catch him,

For if I do, I'll mar the young clerk's pen.

For if I do, I’ll break the young clerk’s pen.

ANTONIO

I am the unhappy subject of these quarrels.

I am the cause of all your arguments.

PORTIA

Sir, grieve not you; you are welcome notwithstanding.

Sir, do not worry; you’re still welcome here.

BASSANIO

Portia, forgive me this enforced wrong;

Portia, forgive this error forced on me;

And, in the hearing of these many friends,

And, whilst we have so many friends as witness,

I swear to thee, even by thine own fair eyes,

I swear to you, as you look on with kind eyes,

Wherein I see myself--

Where I see my reflection…

PORTIA

Mark you but that!

Did you hear that?

In both my eyes he doubly sees himself;

In both my eyes, he twice sees his reflection;

In each eye, one: swear by your double self,

One in each eye; swear by the both of you,

And there's an oath of credit.

As that’s an oath worth swearing.

BASSANIO

Nay, but hear me:

No, but listen:

Pardon this fault, and by my soul I swear

I’m sorry for my fault, but cross my heart,

I never more will break an oath with thee.

I’ll never break an oath with you again.

ANTONIO

I once did lend my body for his wealth;

I once lent out my body for his wealth,

Which, but for him that had your husband's ring,

Which, only for the man who has your ring now,

Had quite miscarried: I dare be bound again,

It would have ended badly. I’ve a new oath,

My soul upon the forfeit, that your lord

Whereby my soul’s the forfeit: that your husband

Will never more break faith advisedly.

Will never break a promise made to you.

PORTIA

Then you shall be his surety. Give him this

Then you’ll be his insurance. Give him this

And bid him keep it better than the other.

And tell him to take better care of it.

ANTONIO

Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring.

Here, Lord Bassanio; swear you’ll keep this ring.

BASSANIO

By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!

My god, it is the one I gave the doctor!

PORTIA

I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio;

I got it from him. Pardon me, Bassanio;

For, by this ring, the doctor lay with me.

I got this ring by sleeping with the doctor.

NERISSA

And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano;

And I am sorry too, my Gratiano;

For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,

For that same scrubbed-up boy, the doctor’s clerk,

In lieu of this last night did lie with me.

Gave this to me for sleeping with me last night.

GRATIANO

Why, this is like the mending of highways

What? This is like repairing of the highways

In summer, where the ways are fair enough:

In summer, prior to the winter’s damage:

What, are we cuckolds ere we have deserved it?

You cheated us before we have deserved it!

PORTIA

Speak not so grossly. You are all amazed:

Don’t speak so rudely. You are all in shock.

Here is a letter; read it at your leisure;

Here is a letter; read it at your leisure.

It comes from Padua, from Bellario:

There you shall find that Portia was the doctor,

You’ll come to learn that Portia was the doctor,

Nerissa there her clerk: Lorenzo here

Nerissa was her clerk. Lorenzo here

Shall witness I set forth as soon as you

Will verify I left as soon as you did

And even but now returned; I have not yet

And that I’ve just returned; I’ve not as yet

Entered my house. Antonio, you are welcome;

Gone in the house. Antonio, you’re welcome;

And I have better news in store for you

And I’ve some even better news for you

Than you expect: unseal this letter soon;

That you do not expect: open this letter.

There you shall find three of your argosies

In it you’ll learn three of your cargo ships

Are richly come to harbour suddenly:

Have just arrived in port, laden with goods.

You shall not know by what strange accident

You’ll never guess how accidentally

I chanced on this letter.

I came across this letter.

ANTONIO

I am dumb.

I am speechless.

BASSANIO

Were you the doctor and I knew you not?

Were you the doctor, but I didn’t realise?

GRATIANO

Were you the clerk that is to make me cuckold?

Were you the clerk that I thought had betrayed me?

NERISSA

Ay, but the clerk that never means to do it,

Yes, but the clerk can’t ever sleep with your wife

Unless he live until he be a man.

Unless he lives until he is a man.

BASSANIO

Sweet doctor, you shall be my bed-fellow:

Sweet doctor, you will share my bed with me;

When I am absent, then lie with my wife.

When I’m away, you can sleep with my wife.

ANTONIO

Sweet lady, you have given me life and living;

You’ve saved my life, and now you’ve saved my living,

For here I read for certain that my ships

For I have read for certain that my ships

Are safely come to road.

Are safely in the port.

PORTIA

How now, Lorenzo!

Hello, Lorenzo!

My clerk hath some good comforts too for you.

My clerk has also got good news for you.

NERISSA

Ay, and I'll give them him without a fee.

Yes, and I’ll give it to him free of charge.

There do I give to you and Jessica,

I’m giving this to you and Jessica,

From the rich Jew, a special deed of gift,

From the rich Jew, it is his special will,

After his death, of all he dies possessed of.

That when he dies, all that he owns is yours.

LORENZO

Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way

Dear ladies, this is like some food from heaven

Of starved people.

For starving people.

PORTIA

It is almost morning,

And yet I am sure you are not satisfied

And I am sure you’re keen to learn some more

Of these events at full. Let us go in;

About how all this happened. Let’s go inside,

And charge us there upon inter'gatories,

And ask us any questions that you like,

And we will answer all things faithfully.

And we will tell the truth on everything.

GRATIANO

Let it be so: the first inter'gatory

Let’s do that then. The first thing I must know

That my Nerissa shall be sworn on is,

That my Nerissa has to swear the truth,

Whether till the next night she had rather stay,

Is whether she would rather wait a day

Or go to bed now, being two hours to day:

Or go to bed now; dawn’s two hours away;

But were the day come, I should wish it dark,

But if the day arrives, I hope it’s dark

That I were couching with the doctor's clerk.

So I can cuddle with the doctor’s clerk.

Well, while I live I'll fear no other thing

Whilst I’m alive, I’ll fear no other thing

So sore as keeping safe Nerissa's ring.

As much as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring.

[Exeunt]