Quotations about money Flashcards
Antonio says his finances are healthy initially
“Believe me, no. I thank my fortune for it - / My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, / Nor to one place” (1.1.41)
Bassanio admits initially that his finances are terrible
“How much I have disabled mine estate, / By something showing a more swelling port / Than my faint means would grant continuance” (1.1.123)
The first mentioning of Portia is by Bassanio who emphasises her wealth first
“In Belmont is a lady richly left” (1.1.161)
Nerissa mentions Portia’s wealth early on
“if your miseries were in the / same abundance as your good fortunes are” (1.2.3)
Shylock is knowledgeable about money and the financial affairs of Antonio
“He hath an argosy bound to / Tripolis, another to the Indies. I understand moreover, / upon the Rialto, he hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for / England” (1.3.15)
Shylock says he can make his money grow as fast as sheep, implying he is a skilled moneylender
“I make it breed as fast” (1.3.92)
Despite Shylock’s wealth, Launcelot who works for Shylock claims he is starved by him
“I am famished in his service. You may tell every / finger I have with my ribs” (2.2.97)
Bassanio suggests the people in Belmont, presumably who have lots of wealth, act more formally than the less rich people like him and Gratiano
“lest through thy wild behavior / I be misconst’red in the place I go to” (2.2.169)
Lorenzo hears from Jessica of what gold and jewels she owns
“What gold and jewels she is furnished with” (2.4.31)
Shylock knows and seems to care a lot about money, as he even dreams of it
“For I did dream of money bags tonight” (2.5.18)
Shylock is careful and tries to ensure his possessions aren’t stolen
“Fast bind, fast find. / A proverb never stale in thrifty mind” (2.5.52)
Jessica steals a lot of money from Shylock
“I will make fast the doors and gild myself / With some more ducats, and be with you straight” (2.6.49)
The Prince of Morocco states that the entire world wants Portia, implying she has vast amounts of wealth in addition to her other good qualities
“All the world desires her. / From the four corners of the earth they come” (2.7.39)
Shylock seems torn on whether the loss of his money or his daughter is a greater tragedy
“My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter, / Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!” (2.8.15)
Antonio loses a ship full of valuables in the English Channel
“it lives there unchecked that Antonio hath a / ship of rich landing wrecked on the narrow seas” (3.1.2)
Shylock emphasises that Antonio’s debt to him is what gives him the upper hand in the play’s situation
“He was wont to call me usurer; let him look to / his bond” (3.1.38)
Shylock greatly suffers due to the loss of his money, to the point that he even brings up the suffering of Jews in general
“the curse never fell / upon our nation till now! I never felt it till now - Two / thousand ducats in that, and other precious, precious / jewels” (3.1.72)
Tubal mentions that Jessica spent great amounts of money once she had fled
“Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, in one night / fourscore ducats” (3.1.91)
Portia has vast amounts of money and the amount that Antonio owes Shylock seems tiny to her
“What, no more? / Pay him six thousand and deface the bond! / Double six thousand, and then treble that” (3.2.298)
Shylock seems obsessed with getting his pound of flesh from Antonio, to the point that it seems like he doesn’t care about the money he lost or could get
“I’ll have my bond. Speak not against my bond” (3.3.4)
The Duke denying the law could cause legal issues and threaten how Venice makes its money, which prevents him from helping Antonio directly
“if it be denied, / Will much impeach the justice of his state, / Since that the trade and profit of the city” (3.3.28)
Shylock doesn’t want money in the trial, but only his pound of flesh from Antonio
“If every ducat in six thousand ducats / Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, / I would not draw them. I would have my bond” (4.1.85)
Bassanio is willing to give up a lot of money to save Antonio, though this is likely because he has the money from Portia
“I will be bound to pay it ten times o’er” (4.1.209)
At the end of the play, Antonio learns that some of his ships did come safely to harbour after all, and that his finances are somewhat saved
“For here I read for certain that my ships / Are safely come to road” (5.1.287)
