The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (463 page)

that a bitter widow tried to make her neighbors believe she

cried for the death of her third husband. But it is

true, without any wordiness or going on about

the matter—the good Antonio, the

honest Antonio—Oh, I just wish I had a title worthy enough

to say how he is!—

SALARINO

Come, the full stop.

C’mon, what’s the story?

SALANIO

Ha! what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hath

lost a ship.

What are you saying? The point is, he has

lost a ship.

SALARINO

I would it might prove the end of his losses.

I would hope that is all he loses.

SALANIO

Let me say 'amen' betimes, lest the devil cross my

prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.

Let me say ‘amen’ at once unless the devil should cross the path of my

prayer, for here comes the devil looking like a Jew.

Enter SHYLOCK

How now, Shylock! what news among the merchants?

Hey there, Shylock! What’s the news among the merchants?

SHYLOCK

You know, none so well, none so well as you, of my

daughter's flight.

You knew—nobody knew as well as you—about my

daughter’s plans to flee.

SALARINO

That's certain: I, for my part, knew the tailor

that made the wings she flew withal.

That’s true. I, myself, knew the tailor

who made the wings she flew away on.

SALANIO

And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was

fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all

to leave the dam.

And Shylock, for his part, knew she was ready

to run away—she had that look about her of any child

that is about to leave the home.

SHYLOCK

She is damned for it.

She is damned for it.

SALANIO

That's certain, if the devil may be her judge.

That would be for certain, if it’s the devil judging her.

SHYLOCK

My own flesh and blood to rebel!

My own flesh and blood turned against me!

SALANIO

Out upon it, old carrion! rebels it at these years?

Really? Your flesh turns against you at its age?

SHYLOCK

I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

I mean my daughter is my flesh and blood.

SALARINO

There is more difference between thy flesh and hers

than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods

than there is between red wine and rhenish. But

tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any

loss at sea or no?

There is more difference between your flesh and hers

than between black and white. And more difference between your blood

than there is between red wine and white wine. But

tell us—have you heard whether Antonio has had any

loss at sea or not?

SHYLOCK

There I have another bad match: a bankrupt, a

prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the

Rialto; a beggar, that was used to come so smug upon

the mart; let him look to his bond: he was wont to

call me usurer; let him look to his bond: he was

wont to lend money for a Christian courtesy; let him

look to his bond.

That’s another bad bargain—a bankrupt, a

squanderer, who can hardly show his head on the

Rialoto. A beggar who used to look so smug at

the market. Let him think about his loan. He was so ready to

call me on my excessive interest. Let him think about his loan. He was

willing to lend money interest free, but now let him

think about his own loan.

SALARINO

Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take

his flesh: what's that good for?

Well, to be sure, if he forfeits it you won’t take

his flesh—what good would it be?

SHYLOCK

To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,

it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and

hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,

mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my

bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine

enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath

not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,

dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with

the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject

to the same diseases, healed by the same means,

warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as

a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed?

if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison

us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not

revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will

resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian,

what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian

wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by

Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you

teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I

will better the instruction.

I’ll use it to bait fish. If it will feed nothing else

it will feed my revenge. He disgraces me and

cost me a half million. He laughed at my losses,

mocked my gains, scorned my nation, defeated my

bargins, caused my friends to turn against me, angered my

enemies, and for what? I am a Jew. That’s why. Doesn’t

a Jew have eyes? Doesn’t a Jew have hands, organs,

size, senses, feelings and emotions? We eat the

same food, are wounded by the same weapons, susceptible

to the same diseases, healed by the same methods,

warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, just

like a Christian is? If you prick us, don’t we bleed?

If you tickle us, don’t we laugh? If you poision

us, don’t we die? And if you wrong us, won’t we seek

revenge? If we are like you in every other way, we will

be like you in that way, too. If a Jew wronged a Christian

what is his punishment? Revenge. If a Christian

wrongs a Jew, what should his suffering be by

the example of the Christian? Yes, revenge. The discourtesty you

teach me, I will carry out, and I will do it more extremely

than the way I learned it.

Enter a Servant

Servant

Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house and

desires to speak with you both.

Sirs, my master Antonio is at his house and

he would like to speak to both of you.

SALARINO

We have been up and down to seek him.

We’ve been looking all over for him.

Enter TUBAL

SALANIO

Here comes another of the tribe: a third cannot be

matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

Here comes  another Jew—a third could do

match these first two, unless the devil himself turned Jewish.

Exeunt SALANIO, SALARINO, and Servant

SHYLOCK

How now, Tubal! what news from Genoa? hast thou

found my daughter?

Hello, Tubal! What’s the news from Genoa? Have you

found my daughter?

TUBAL

I often came where I did hear of her, but cannot find her.

I’ve heard talk about her in all the places I’ve been, but I haven’t found her.

SHYLOCK

Why, there, there, there, there! a diamond gone,

cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! 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. I would my daughter

were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear!

would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in

her coffin! No news of them? Why, so: and I know

not what's spent in the search: why, thou loss upon

loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to

find the thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge:

nor no in luck stirring but what lights on my

shoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tears

but of my shedding.

What, this is too much! A diamond gone

that cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse

of being of Jew is something I have never felt

until now. Two thousand ducats lost in that diamond, and other

precious, precious jewels. I wish my daughter

were dead at my feet with the jewels in her ears!

I wish she were in a coffin at my feet, and the ducats were

in the coffin with her! No news of them? I do not even know

what I’m spending trying to find them. Loss after

loss! The thief got away with so much, and it’s taking so much to

find the thief. And there’s no satisfaction, no revenge.

I’ve had no luck except the bad luck I’m having

right now. No one is complaining about it but me. No one is crying

except for my own tears.

TUBAL

Yes, other men have ill luck too: Antonio, as I

heard in Genoa,--

Well, other men are having bad luck, too. Antonio, as I

heard in Genoa—

SHYLOCK

What, what, what? ill luck, ill luck?

What? What? Bad luck? Bad luck?

TUBAL

Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

His ship coming from Tripolis wrecked.

SHYLOCK

I thank God, I thank God. Is't true, is't true?

Oh, thank God! Thank God! Is it true? Is it true?

TUBAL

I spoke with some of the sailors that escaped the wreck.

I spoke with some of the sailors that survived the wreck.

SHYLOCK

I thank thee, good Tubal: good news, good news!

ha, ha! where? in Genoa?

Thank you, Tubal! That’s good news! Good news!

Ha ha! Where did you hear that? In Genoa?

TUBAL

Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, in one

night fourscore ducats.

Your daughter spent a lot of money in Genoa. I heard in one

night she spent eighty ducats.

SHYLOCK

Thou stickest a dagger in me: I shall never see my

gold again: fourscore ducats at a sitting!

fourscore ducats!

Oh, you stick a knife in me! I will never see my

gold again—eighty ducats in one night!

Eighty ducats!

TUBAL

There came divers of Antonio's creditors in my

company to Venice, that swear he cannot choose but break.

Several of Antonio’s creditors who I traveled