The Merchant of Venice: Act 4 Flashcards
A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy.
Duke to Antonio
I have heard
Your grace hath ta’en great pains to qualify
His rigorous course.
Antonio to Duke
But since he stands obdurate And that no lawful means can carry me Out of his envy’s reach, I do oppose My patience to his fury, and am armed To suffer with a quietness of spirit The very tyranny and rage of his.
Antonio to Duke
’tis thought
Thou’lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty,
Duke to Shylock
And where thou now exacts the penalty—
Which is a pound of this poor merchant’s flesh—
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture
But—touched with human gentleness and love,—
Duke to Shylock
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.
Duke to Shylock
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.
Shylock to Duke
You’ll ask me why I rather choose to have
A weight of carrion flesh than to receive
Three thousand ducats.
Shylock to Duke
Some men there are love not a gaping pig,
Some that are mad if they behold a cat,
Shylock to Duke
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 answered?
Shylock to Duke
This is no answer, thou unfeeling man,
Bassanio to Shylock
I am not bound to please thee with my answers.
Shylock to Bassanio
Do all men kill the things they do not love?
Bassanio to Shylock
What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
Shylock to Bassanio
You may as well use question with the wolf
Why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb.
Antonio to Bassanio
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.
Antonio to Bassanio
For thy three thousand ducats here is six.
Bassanio to Shylock
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.
Shylock to Bassanio
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 burdens? Let their beds
Be made as soft as yours and let their palates
Be seasoned 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—
Shylock to Bassanio
A messenger with letters from the doctor,
New come from Padua.
Salerio to Duke
The Jew shall have my flesh, blood, bones and all,
Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood.
Bassiano to Antonio
I am a tainted wether of the flock,
Meetest for death.
Antonio to Bassanio
Of a strange nature is the suit you follow,
Yet in such rule that the Venetian law
Cannot impugn you as you do proceed.—
Portia to Shylock
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:
Portia to Shylock
But mercy is above this sceptered sway. It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings. It is an attribute to God himself. And earthly power doth then show likest God’s When mercy seasons justice.
Portia to Shylock
Though justice be thy plea, consider this—
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation.
Portia to Shylock
I crave the law,
The penalty, and forfeit of my bond.
Shylock to Portia
It must not be. There is no power in Venice
Can alter a decree establishèd.
Portia to Shylock
A Daniel come to judgment, yea, a Daniel!—
O wise young judge, how I do honor thee!
Shylock to 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
Portia to Shylcok
Most heartily I do beseech the court
To give the judgment.
Antonio to Duke
Why then, thus it is:
You must prepare your bosom for his knife.
Portia to Antonio
Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge,
Portia to Shylock
Antonio, I am married to a wife
Which is as dear to me as life itself.
Bassanio to Antonio
I would lose all—ay, sacrifice them all
Here to this devil—to deliver you.
Bassanio to Antonio
Tarry a little. There is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood.
Portia to Shylock
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.
Portia to Shylock
Thyself shalt see the act.
For as thou urgest justice, be assured
Portia to Shylock
Soft!
The Jew shall have all justice.
Portia to Bassanio
Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh. If thou takest more
Or less than a just pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance
Or the division of the twentieth part
Of one poor scruple—nay, if the scale do turn
But in the estimation of a hair,
Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate.
Portia to Shylock
Give me my principal, and let me go.
Shylock to Portia
He hath refused it in the open court.
He shall have merely justice and his bond.
Portia to Shylock
If it be proved against an alien
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,
The party ‘gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods. The other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state,
Portia to Shylock
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio’s.
Duke to Shylock
You take my house when you do take the prop
That doth sustain my house. You take my life
When you do take the means whereby I live.
Shylock to Duke
I am content, so he will let me have
The other half in use to render it
Upon his death unto the gentleman
That lately stole his daughter.
Antonio to Duke
Three thousand ducats due unto the Jew
We freely cope your courteous pains withal.
Bassanio to Portia
He is well paid that is well satisfied.
And I, delivering you, am satisfied,
And therein do account myself well paid.
Portia to Bassanio
Take some remembrance of us as a tribute,
Not as a fee
Bassanio to Portia
And for your love, I’ll take this ring from you.
Do not draw back your hand. I’ll take no more,
And you in love shall not deny me this.
Portia to Bassanio
This ring, good sir—alas, it is a trifle.
I will not shame myself to give you this.
Bassanio to Portia
My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring.
Let his deservings and my love withal
Be valued against your wife’s commandment.
Antonio to Bassanio
