The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (472 page)

Yes, I’m willing to give it to him right here in the court.

Yes, even twice the amount, and if that is not enough

I will sign a contract to pay it ten times over,

And will give up my hands, my head, my heart:

If that is not enough, it would seem

You are just truly evil. I beg you,

Just once take the law into your authority—

Do a great right by doing a little wrong,

And keep this devil from getting what he wants.

PORTIA

It must not be; there is no power in Venice

Can alter a decree established:

'Twill be recorded for a precedent,

And many an error by the same example

Will rush into the state: it cannot be.

No, that can’t be. There is no power in Venice

That can alter a law once it is established.

It will be recorded as a precedent

And many errors will occur by example

As others rush in after it: it cannot be.

SHYLOCK

A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!

O wise young judge, how I do honour thee!

A fine judge has come to judge! Yes, a Daniel!

Oh, wise young judge—I do applaude you!

PORTIA

I pray you, let me look upon the bond.

Please, let me look at the contract.

SHYLOCK

Here 'tis, most reverend doctor, here it is.

Here it is, most respected expert, here it is.

PORTIA

Shylock, there's thrice thy money offer'd thee.

Shylock, they are offering you three times the amount you lent.

SHYLOCK

An oath, an oath, I have an oath in heaven:

Shall I lay perjury upon my soul?

No, not for Venice.

But I made an oath! I made an oath by heaven!

Should I have a false oath upon my soul?

No, not for Venice.

PORTIA

Why, this bond is forfeit;

And lawfully by this the Jew may claim

A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off

Nearest the merchant's heart. Be merciful:

Take thrice thy money; bid me tear the bond.

Well, this contract is forfeited.

And, by law, this Jew may claim

A pound of flesh to be cut off by him

Nearest the merchant’s heart. But I’m asking you to show mercy:

Take three times the money, and let me tear up the contract.

SHYLOCK

When it is paid according to the tenor.

It doth appear you are a worthy judge;

You know the law, your exposition

Hath been most sound: I charge you by the law,

Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar,

Proceed to judgment: by my soul I swear

There is no power in the tongue of man

To alter me: I stay here on my bond.

It can be torn up when it is paid according to its content.

You do appear to be a worthy judge.

You know the law well, and your argument

Has been very solid. I command you by the law—

Of which you are a well-deserving support of—

To make your judgement. By my soul I swear

The is nothing anyone can say

That will change my mind. I wait here for my payment.

ANTONIO

Most heartily I do beseech the court

To give the judgment.

Please, I beg the court

To give the judgement.

PORTIA

Why then, thus it is:

You must prepare your bosom for his knife.

Well then, so it is:

You must perpare your chest for his knife.

SHYLOCK

O noble judge! O excellent young man!

Oh, noble judge! Oh, excellent young man!

PORTIA

For the intent and purpose of the law

Hath full relation to the penalty,

Which here appeareth due upon the bond.

The law fully supports

The penalty

Which is written in the contract.

SHYLOCK

'Tis very true: O wise and upright judge!

How much more elder art thou than thy looks!

It’s very true! Oh wise and upright judge!

You seem much older thatn you look!

PORTIA

Therefore lay bare your bosom.

So, you must lay bare your chest.

SHYLOCK

Ay, his breast:

So says the bond: doth it not, noble judge?

'Nearest his heart:' those are the very words.

Yes, his chest:

That’s what the contract says, doesn’t it, good judge?

‘Nearest his heart.’ Those are the words.

PORTIA

It is so. Are there balance here to weigh

The flesh?

That is right. Is there a balance here to weight

The flesh?

SHYLOCK

I have them ready.

I have it ready.

PORTIA

Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge,

To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.

Get a surgeon, Shylock, that you will pay

To attend to his wounds and keep him from bleeding to death.

SHYLOCK

Is it so nominated in the bond?

Does it say that in the contract?

PORTIA

It is not so express'd: but what of that?

'Twere good you do so much for charity.

It is not written in it, but so what?

It would be good for you to show the charity.

SHYLOCK

I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond.

I cannot find it—it is not in the contract.

PORTIA

You, merchant, have you any thing to say?

You, merchant, do you have anything to say?

ANTONIO

But little: I am arm'd and well prepared.

Give me your hand, Bassanio: fare you well!

Grieve not that I am fallen to this for you;

For herein Fortune shows herself more kind

Than is her custom: it is still her use

To let the wretched man outlive his wealth,

To view with hollow eye and wrinkled brow

An age of poverty; from which lingering penance

Of such misery doth she cut me off.

Commend me to your honourable wife:

Tell her the process of Antonio's end;

Say how I loved you, speak me fair in death;

And, when the tale is told, bid her be judge

Whether Bassanio had not once a love.

Repent but you that you shall lose your friend,

And he repents not that he pays your debt;

For if the Jew do cut but deep enough,

I'll pay it presently with all my heart.

I don’t have much to say. I am ready and prepared.

Give me your hand, Bassanio: goodbye!

Don’t be sad that I have fallen like this for you

Because Fortune is showing herself to be kinder

Than is her custom. She usually lets

The man who has fallen low to outlive his wealth,

And to view with an empty eye and a wrinkled forehead

The poverty that has set in, but as far as the lingering suffering

and misery—Fortune has ended it.

Speak well of me to your honorable wife.

Tell her what happened to bring about my end,

And tell her I loved you, and speak well of me after I am gone.

And when the story is told, allow her to be the judge

Of whether Bassinio once has a friend.

Only  feel sorry that you will lose your friend,

And know he doesn’t feel sorry to pay your debt.

If the Jew cuts deep enough

I will soon pay for it with all of my heart.

BASSANIO

Antonio, I am married to a wife

Which is as dear to me as life itself;

But life itself, my wife, and all the world,

Are not with me esteem'd above thy life:

I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all

Here to this devil, to deliver you.

Antonio, I have a wife

Who is as dear to me as life itself.

But life itself, my wife, and all the world

Are not more important than your life.

I would lose it all—yes—sacrifice them all

To this devil, if I could save you.

PORTIA

Your wife would give you little thanks for that,

If she were by, to hear you make the offer.

Your wife might not be hapy to hear that,

If she were here to hear you make that offer.

GRATIANO

I have a wife, whom, I protest, I love:

I would she were in heaven, so she could

Entreat some power to change this currish Jew.

I have a wife whom I love very much.

If she were in heaven, she could

Ask some heavenly power to change the mind of this dog Jew.

NERISSA

'Tis well you offer it behind her back;

The wish would make else an unquiet house.

It’s good you offer it behind her back.

This wish would make for an argument at home.

SHYLOCK

These be the Christian husbands. I have a daughter;

Would any of the stock of Barrabas

Had been her husband rather than a Christian!

That’s what you get with Christian husbands. I have a daughter.

I’d rather any descendent of Barrabas

Would have been her husband instead of a Christian!

Aside

We trifle time: I pray thee, pursue sentence.

We waste time. Please, carry on with the sentence.

PORTIA

A pound of that same merchant's flesh is thine:

The court awards it, and the law doth give it.

A pound of this merchant’s flesh is yours—

The court awards it, and the law will give it to you.

SHYLOCK

Most rightful judge!

You are a just judge!

PORTIA

And you must cut this flesh from off his breast:

The law allows it, and the court awards it.

And you must cut this flesh off of his chest.

The law allows for it, and the court awards it.

SHYLOCK

Most learned judge! A sentence! Come, prepare!

You are an educatied judge! A sentence! Come on, let’s get ready!

PORTIA

Tarry a little; there is something else.

This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood;

The words expressly are 'a pound of flesh:'

Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh;

But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed

One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods

Are, by the laws of Venice, confiscate

Unto the state of Venice.

Wait a minute. There is something else.