The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (460 page)

Why, 'tis an office of discovery, love;

And I should be obscured.

Really, I have to hold a light to my disgrace?

My disguise is, in fact, itself a bit sleazy.

The light will serve to reveal

What really should be kept hidden.

LORENZO

So are you, sweet,

Even in the lovely garnish of a boy.

But come at once;

For the close night doth play the runaway,

And we are stay'd for at Bassanio's feast.

You are still sweet

Even when you are dressed like a boy.

Come on, let’s hurry—

The night is passing

And we are late for Bassanio’s feast.

JESSICA

I will make fast the doors, and gild myself

With some more ducats, and be with you straight.

I will lock the doors and grab

Some more money and be right down.

Exit above

GRATIANO

Now, by my hood, a Gentile and no Jew.

I think she acts more than a Gentile than a Jew.

LORENZO

Beshrew me but I love her heartily;

For she is wise, if I can judge of her,

And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true,

And true she is, as she hath proved herself,

And therefore, like herself, wise, fair and true,

Shall she be placed in my constant soul.

Damn, but I love her like crazy!

She is wise, if I’m observing correctly,

And beautiful, if my eyes see right.

And she is loyal, and has proven that.

And with her being so wise, beautiful and faithful,

She will have a place in my heart forever.

Enter JESSICA, below

What, art thou come? On, gentlemen; away!

Our masquing mates by this time for us stay.

Well, you’ve finally come down? Let’s go, gentlemen!

Our mascarading friends are waiting for us.

Exit with Jessica and Salarino

Enter ANTONIO

ANTONIO

Who's there?

Who’s there?

GRATIANO

Signior Antonio!

Signior Antonio!

ANTONIO

Fie, fie, Gratiano! where are all the rest?

'Tis nine o'clock: our friends all stay for you.

No masque to-night: the wind is come about;

Bassanio presently will go aboard:

I have sent twenty out to seek for you.

Gratiano! Where is everybody?

It’s nine o’clock—our friends are waiting for you.

There won’t be a masquerade tonight. The wind has turned direction,

And Bassianio wants to ship out tonight.

I’ve got twenty men out looking for you.

GRATIANO

I am glad on't: I desire no more delight

Than to be under sail and gone to-night.

I’m glad to hear it. I can’t think of anything more

I’d rather do than to leave tonight.

Exeunt

Flourish of cornets. Enter PORTIA, with the PRINCE OF MOROCCO, and their trains

PORTIA

Go draw aside the curtains and discover

The several caskets to this noble prince.

Now make your choice.

Open the curtains to reveal

The trunks to this noble prince.

Now, make your choice.

MOROCCO

The first, of gold, who this inscription bears,

'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire;'

The second, silver, which this promise carries,

'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves;'

This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt,

'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.'

How shall I know if I do choose the right?

The first one is made of gold and it bear this inscription:

‘Whoever chooses me will get what many men want.’

The second, which is made of silver, bears the promise:

‘Whoever chooses me will get all that he deserves.’

The third, made of dull lead, bears a blunt warning:

‘Whoever chooses me must give and risk all he has.’

How can I know which one to choose?

PORTIA

The one of them contains my picture, prince:

If you choose that, then I am yours withal.

One of them contains my picture, prince.

If you choose that one, then I am yours forever, and so is the picture.

MOROCCO

Some god direct my judgment! Let me see;

I will survey the inscriptions back again.

What says this leaden casket?

'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.'

Must give: for what? for lead? hazard for lead?

This casket threatens. Men that hazard all

Do it in hope of fair advantages:

A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross;

I'll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead.

What says the silver with her virgin hue?

'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.'

As much as he deserves! Pause there, Morocco,

And weigh thy value with an even hand:

If thou be'st rated by thy estimation,

Thou dost deserve enough; and yet enough

May not extend so far as to the lady:

And yet to be afeard of my deserving

Were but a weak disabling of myself.

As much as I deserve! Why, that's the lady:

I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes,

In graces and in qualities of breeding;

But more than these, in love I do deserve.

What if I stray'd no further, but chose here?

Let's see once more this saying graved in gold

'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.'

Why, that's the lady; all the world desires her;

From the four corners of the earth they come,

To kiss this shrine, this mortal-breathing saint:

The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds

Of wide Arabia are as thoroughfares now

For princes to come view fair Portia:

The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head

Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar

To stop the foreign spirits, but they come,

As o'er a brook, to see fair Portia.

One of these three contains her heavenly picture.

Is't like that lead contains her? 'Twere damnation

To think so base a thought: it were too gross

To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave.

Or shall I think in silver she's immured,

Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?

O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem

Was set in worse than gold. They have in England

A coin that bears the figure of an angel

Stamped in gold, but that's insculp'd upon;

But here an angel in a golden bed

Lies all within. Deliver me the key:

Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!

I need a god to help me decide! Let me see—

I will take a look at the inscriptions again.

What’s it say on this lead trunk?

‘Whoever chooses me must give and risk all he has.’

Must give all, for what? Lead? Risk all for lead?

This trunk seems threatening. Men that risk all

Do it in hope of much gain.

A golden mind will not stoop to pick up things that look like garbage.

I’ll then give nothing or risk anything for lead.

What does the silver one that is shining like new say?

‘Whoever chooses me will get all that he deserves.’

As much as he deserves! Stop for a moment and think, Morocco.

And weigh your worth fairly.

If you have a good reputaion,

You deserve enough, but enough

Might not be enough to include this lady.

And yet to be afraid of my own worthiness,

Would be to underestimate myself.

As much as I deserve! Well, I deserve the lady:

By birthright I deserve her, and by my wealth,

By my talents and my fine upbringing,

And even more than all of these, by my love I deserve her.

What if I didn’t consider any further and stopped right here?

Let’s look one more time at what the inscription on the gold one says:

‘Whoever chooses me will get want many men want.’

Why, that’s Portia. Every man in the world desires her.

From all around the world they come to court her,

To kiss this shrine and see this living and breathing saint.

Through the Hyrcanian deserts and the vast wilds

Of Arabia with frequency

Princes travel just to lay eyes on her.

The ocean, with its deep waters

And high waves that lift to the sky do not present a barrier

To stop the foreigners—they still come,

As if simply crossing a brook, to see beautiful Portia.

One of these three trunks contains her beautiful picture.

Is it the lead trunk that contains her picture? It would be a sin

To even think such a low thought. It would be too gross

To put her image in that grave-like trunk.

Should I think her picture is closed inside the silver trunk,

Being ten times less in value than the gold?

Oh, that’s a sinful thought! A rich gem such as she

Should never be placed in anything less than gold. In England they have

A coin that bears the likeness of an angel

Stamped in gold, that’s a carving.

In this case, an angel in a golden bed

Lies inside. Give me the key:

I make my choice, and will see what happens!

PORTIA

There, take it, prince; and if my form lie there,

Then I am yours.

Here, take the key, prince, and if my picture is inside,

Then I am yours.

He unlocks the golden casket

MOROCCO

O hell! what have we here?

A carrion Death, within whose empty eye

There is a written scroll! I'll read the writing.

Damn! What is this?

A skull. And placed in its empty eye

Is a piece of paper with writing on it. I’ll read it.

Reads

All that glitters is not gold;

Often have you heard that told:

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold:

Gilded tombs do worms enfold.

Had you been as wise as bold,