The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (470 page)

Enter SHYLOCK

DUKE

Make room, and let him stand before our face.

Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,

That thou but lead'st this fashion of thy malice

To the last hour of act; and then 'tis thought

Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange

Than is thy strange apparent cruelty;

And where thou now exact'st the penalty,

Which is a pound of this poor merchant's flesh,

Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture,

But, touch'd with human gentleness and love,

Forgive a moiety of the principal;

Glancing an eye of pity on his losses,

That have of late so huddled on his back,

Enow to press a royal merchant down

And pluck commiseration of his state

From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,

From stubborn Turks and Tartars, never train'd

To offices of tender courtesy.

We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.

Move aside and make room so he can stand before me.

Shylock, eveyone thinks, and I do, too,

That even though you have carried on in a hateful way

All the way to the end, it is thought that perhaps

You’ll surprise us by showing some mercy and pity

Which would be even more remarkable than the obvious cruelty,

And that while you say you will take your penalty—

Which is a pound of this poor merchant’s flead—

You will not only let that go,

But, moved to kindness and compassion,

You will forgive a portion of the principal,

As you look with pity on his losses

That have so recently weighed down on him—

Enough to drive any merchant down

And that would extract feelings of sympathy

From the unfeeling and stone-hard hearts

Of the most unyielding Turks and Tarters, who were never trained

To offer tenderness or courtesty.

We all expect a kind answer, Jew.

SHYLOCK

I have possess'd your grace of what I purpose;

And by our holy Sabbath have I sworn

To have the due and forfeit of my bond:

If you deny it, let the danger light

Upon your charter and your city's freedom.

You'll ask me, why I rather choose to have

A weight of carrion flesh than to receive

Three thousand ducats: I'll not answer that:

But, say, it is my humour: is it answer'd?

What if my house be troubled with a rat

And I be pleased to give ten thousand ducats

To have it baned? What, are you answer'd yet?

Some men there are love not a gaping pig;

Some, that are mad if they behold a cat;

And others, when the bagpipe sings i' the nose,

Cannot contain their urine: for affection,

Mistress of passion, sways it to the mood

Of what it likes or loathes. Now, for your answer:

As there is no firm reason to be render'd,

Why he cannot abide a gaping pig;

Why he, a harmless necessary cat;

Why he, a woollen bagpipe; but of force

Must yield to such inevitable shame

As to offend, himself being offended;

So can I give no reason, nor I will not,

More than a lodged hate and a certain loathing

I bear Antonio, that I follow thus

A losing suit against him. Are you answer'd?

I have told you that I intend to do

What I swear by Holy Sunday to

Have the penalty due for the forfeit of the loan.

If you deny me that, it will endanger

Your city’s rights and freedoms.

You want to know why I’d rather have

A pound of rotting flesh instead of receiving

Three thousand ducats. I won’t answer that.

Let’s just say it strikes my fancy—is that enough of an answer?

What if my house had a rat in it

And I wanted to pay ten thousand ducats

To have it exterminated? Well, do you have your answer yet?

Some men don’t like a roasted pig with its mouth open,

And others go crazy if they see a cat.

Others, when they get a whiff of the sound of bagpipes,

Cannot help but urinate. Our fancy,

Which is connected to our most powerful feelings, determines

What we like or don’t like. So, for your answer:

Just as there is no good reason to be found

Why one man cannot stand a roasted pig,

And another a harmless and useful cat,

And another, the coarse sound of a bagpipe, but who has

To yield to a shameful act because he himself is offended—

In the same way, I can’t give a reason, and I won’t,

Beyond a deep-rooted hate and a steady loathing

for Antonio. So, I will follow through

On my claim against him. Do you have your answer?

BASSANIO

This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,

To excuse the current of thy cruelty.

That is no answer, you heartless man,

To excuse how cruel you are being.

SHYLOCK

I am not bound to please thee with my answers.

No one said my answers have to please you.

BASSANIO

Do all men kill the things they do not love?

Tell me, do all men kill the things they do not love?

SHYLOCK

Hates any man the thing he would not kill?

Does any man not want to kill the thing he hates?

BASSANIO

Every offence is not a hate at first.

Not every annoyance is hated at first.

SHYLOCK

What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?

What, would you let a snake bite you twice?

ANTONIO

I pray you, think you question with the Jew:

You may as well go stand upon the beach

And bid the main flood bate his usual height;

You may as well use question with the wolf

Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb;

You may as well forbid the mountain pines

To wag their high tops and to make no noise,

When they are fretten with the gusts of heaven;

You may as well do anything most hard,

As seek to soften that--than which what's harder?--

His Jewish heart: therefore, I do beseech you,

Make no more offers, use no farther means,

But with all brief and plain conveniency

Let me have judgment and the Jew his will.

Please, why are you arguing with the Jew?

You may as well go stand on the beach

And ask the largest waves to decrease in height.

You may as well as the wolf

Why he killed a lamb and made its mother cry.

You may as well tell the pines in the mountains

To stop swaying and to be quiet

When the wind blows and moves through them.

You may as well attempt to do anything just as impossible

Than to try to soften his hard

Jewish heart. I beg you,

Don’t make him any more offers, and do try anything else.

Let’s make this brief and as easy as possible—

Let me have my punishment and give the Jew what he wants.

BASSANIO

For thy three thousand ducats here is six.

Instead of three thousand ducats, here is six.

SHYLOCK

If every ducat is six thousand ducats,

Were in six parts and every part a ducat,

I would not draw them; I would have my bond.

If every ducat were six thousand ducats,

And then six times that,

I would not have them. I will have my payment.

DUKE

How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none?

How can you ever hope for mercy when you give none?

SHYLOCK

What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?

You have among you many a purchased slave,

Which, like your asses and your dogs and mules,

You use in abject and in slavish parts,

Because you bought them: shall I say to you,

Let them be free, marry them to your heirs?

Why sweat they under burthens? let their beds

Be made as soft as yours and let their palates

Be season'd with such viands? You will answer

'The slaves are ours:' so do I answer you:

The pound of flesh, which I demand of him,

Is dearly bought; 'tis mine and I will have it.

If you deny me, fie upon your law!

There is no force in the decrees of Venice.

I stand for judgment: answer; shall I have it?

What punishment should I dread, since I do no wrong?

You have in your possession many slaves you’ve bought

Which—like your donkeys and your dogs and mules—

You use to do despictable things just because they are slaves

And you bought them. What if I said to you,

‘Set them free and let them marry your children,’

And ‘Why are you making them work so hard?’ or ‘Give them beds

As soft as your and please their palates

With the same food you eat?’ You would answer,

‘The slaves are mine.’ And so I answer you the same.

I demand the pound of flesh—

I paid a lot for it. It is mine and I will have it.

If you deny me, your laws will mean nothing!

You will not be able to enforce the rules of Venice.

I’m waiting for my payment. Answer me: will I have it?

DUKE

Upon my power I may dismiss this court,

Unless Bellario, a learned doctor,

Whom I have sent for to determine this,

Come here to-day.

I will dimiss the court for the day

Unless Bellario, a wise expert of the law

Whom I sent for to help make the judgement,

Shows up today.

SALERIO

My lord, here stays without

A messenger with letters from the doctor,

New come from Padua.

Outside there waits

A messanger with letters from the doctor,

Who is arriving from Padua.

DUKE

Bring us the letters; call the messenger.

Bring us the letters and call in the messenger.

BASSANIO

Good cheer, Antonio! What, man, courage yet!

The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all,

Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.

Cheer up, Antonio! Keep up your courage!

The Jew can have my flesh, blood, bones—everything—

Before I let you lose one drop of blood for me.

ANTONIO

I am a tainted wether of the flock,

Meetest for death: the weakest kind of fruit

Drops earliest to the ground; and so let me

You cannot better be employ'd, Bassanio,

Than to live still and write mine epitaph.

I am the diseased sheep in the flock,

Most fit for death. The weakest of the fruit

Falls to the ground first. Let me be the one.

I can’t think of a better purpose, Bassanio,

Than for you to live and write my epitaph.