in The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice) — Shakespeare, William
Metadata
Play
The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice)
Author
Shakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)
1600
First performance
1596
Decade
1600s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)
Salanio. | Solanio. | Sol. | Sola. | Solan.
Words
424
Characters
2207
Typicality
0.34 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A68727
BritDrama no.
1047
Cluster
Cluster 11 — Tosspots & tavern railers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Believe me sir, had I such venture forth, The better partly of my affections would Be with my Hope's abroad. I should be still Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind, Piring in Maps for ports, and peers and roads: And every object that might make me fear Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt Would make me sad. 'Tis vile unless it may be quaintly ordered, And better in my mind not undertook. Now what news on the Ryalto? I would she were as lying a gossip in that, as ever knapt Ginger, or made her neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband: but it is true, without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain high way of talk, that the good Anthonio, the honest Anthonio; o that I had a title good enough to keep his name company. Would, what sayest thou, why the end is, he hath lost a ship. Let me say amen betimes, least the devil cross my prai er, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew. How now Shylocke, what news among the Merchant's? Here comes another of the Tribe, a third cannot be matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew. Exeunt Gentlemen. And so will I. I never herd a passion so confused, So strange, outrageous, and so variable as the dog Jew did utter in the streets, My daughter, o my ducats, o my daughter, Fled with a Christian, o my Christian ducats, Justice, the law my ducats, and my daughter, A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter, and Jewels, two stones, two rich and precious stones, Stolen by my daughter: justice; find the girl, she hath the stones upon her, and the ducats. You were best to tell Anthonio what you hear, Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him. I think he only loves the world for him, I pray thee let us go and find him out and quicken his embraced heaviness with some delight or other. It is the most impenetrable cur that ever kept with men. The villain Jew with outcries raised the Duke, who went with him to search Bassanio; ship. Let good Anthonio look he keep his day or he shall pay for this. Out upon it old carrion, rebels it at these years. And Shylocke for his own partly knew the bird was flidge, and then it is the complexion of them all to leave the dam.
Plot summary
Plot — The Merchant of Venice (The Jew of Venice)
Bassanio plans to woo the heiress Portia, hoping that, if successful, her wealth will get him out of debt. His friend and principal creditor, the melancholy merchant Antonio, agrees to finance the venture, but all his money is tied up in commercial activity. He seeks a loan from the Jew Shylock, who himself raises the money by borrowing from his co-religionist Tubal. ===== PAGE 342 ===== 342 |. 1047. The Merchant of Venice Shylock is resentful of Antonio’s attacks on him for taking interest on loans, but frames a ‘merry bond’ which will entitle him only to a pound of Antonio’s flesh should the money not be repaid on the due date. Lancelot Gobbo leaves Shylock’s service and is hired by Bassanio, who is planning a going-away feast. Lancelot brings a letter from Shylock’s daughter Jessica to Lorenzo, whom she wishes to marry. Shylock is invited to the supper, and, while he is away, Lorenzo helps Jessica to escape from her father’s house; afterwards, it is unclear whether Shylock is more distressed by the loss of his daughter or the money she took with her. Bassanio leaves for Belmont, accompanied by Gratiano. Portia’s marital prospects are regulated by the will of her dead father: her suitors must choose which of three caskets contains her picture, and she may only wed the suitor who gets it right, while suitors who get it wrong must remain unmarried ever after. The Prince of Morocco chooses the golden casket, signifying a much-desired object, but gets only a death’s head. The Prince of Aragon chooses silver, signifying the suitor’s desert, and gets a fool’s head. Bassanio chooses lead, signifying that the suitor must risk everything, and gets Portia. She gives him a ring, which he promises never to remove. oo Rumours circulate in Venice that Antonio is ruined by the loss of all his ships. Unable to pay his debt to the vindictive Shylock, he writes to Belmont for Bassanio’s help. Lorenzo also comes to Belmont with Jessica, and, leaving her household in their care, Portia. secretly follows her new husband to Venice. Having acquired a disguise and a testimonial from a lawyer kinsman, she takes part in the hearing of Antonio’s case before the Duke. Shylock refuses either to accept the repayment of his money or to be merciful; but Portia points out that the bond entitles him to take no blood with his pound of flesh. Having plotted to kill a Venetian citizen, his life and goods are forfeit, but he is spared, on condition that he becomes a Christian and makes over…