Read The Merchant of Venice Online
Authors: William Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice (31 page)
168
nothing undervalued To
worth no less than
169
Cato
Roman politician of the second century BC
Brutus
Roman politician of the first century BC, married to
Portia
173
golden fleece
in Greek mythology the valued prize sought for by
Jason
174
seat
rural estate
strand
the shore of
Colchos
(Colchis), where the fleece was found
178
presages
that predicts
thrift
profit/advantage
179
questionless
without question
181
commodity
goods
182
present
immediate, ready
183
Try
find out
184
racked
stretched
185
furnish thee
equip you to go
186
presently
at once (to)
188
of my trust
on my credit as a merchant
sake
i.e. friendship’s sake
waiting woman
companion and confidante; she is a genteel character, not a servant
1
troth
faith
3
would be
would have real reason to be (weary)
5
aught
anything
surfeit
feed to excess
7
mean
middle
Superfluity
overindulgence
comes sooner by
sooner gains
8
competency
sufficiency/modest means
9
sentences
maxims
pronounced
delivered
13
divine
clergyman
16
blood
passions (i.e. not reason)
hot temper
passionate, impulsive temperament
17
cold decree
i.e. sensible advice
18
meshes
nets, traps
19
in fashion
the (right) way
20
would
want
21
will
desire
22
will
testament/inclination
25
lottery
game of chance
27
who
whoever
his meaning
i.e. the chest he intended
28
rightly
correctly (sense then shifts to “truly”)
31
overname
list
33
level at
point to/guess at
34
Neapolitan
inhabitants of Naples were famed for their horsemanship
35
colt
foolish/lustful youth (puns on the sense of “young horse”)
36
appropriation
addition/special feature
37
parts
abilities
38
played false
was unfaithful
smith
blacksmith
39
County
Count
Palatine
possessing royal privileges over his region
40
who
if one
An
if
41
choose
i.e. do as you like
42
prove
prove to be
weeping philosopher
Heraclitus of Ephesus, a reclusive and melancholy philosopher of 500 BC
43
unmannerly
impolite/immoderate
sadness
gravity/melancholy
44
death’s-head
skull
47
How
what
by
about
Le Bon
the good (French)
50
better bad
i.e. worse
51
He … man
he copies characteristics of everyone else but lacks his own identity
52
throstle
thrush
straight
straightaway
a capering
to dancing
55
if
even if
59
say
i.e. speak (puns on Nerissa’s meaning, “think about”)
61
come … swear
i.e. testify
62
poor … the
i.e. very little
proper man’s picture
the image of an attractive man
63
dumb show
mime
64
suited
dressed
doublet
close-fitting jacket
65
round hose
short breeches, puffed out at the hips
bonnet
hat
69
borrowed
received
71
surety
guarantor
sealed under
pledged (literally, set his seal)
another
i.e. a further
box of the ear
73
Saxony
former principality of Germany
77
beast
may pun on
best
An
if
fall
befall, happen
78
make shift
arrange, manage
80
you should
you would
83
Rhenish wine
German white wine
contrary
incorrect
if
even if
84
without
on the outside
86
sponge
i.e. excessive drinker
88
determinations
resolutions
90
suit
courtship
sort
way
91
imposition
command
92
Sibylla
Cumaean prophetess whom Apollo granted as many years of life as there were grains in her handful of sand
93
Diana
Roman goddess of chastity
94
parcel
company
99
Montferrat
Italian dukedom
102
foolish
inexperienced
105
four strangers
foreign suitors (in fact, six have been mentioned)
106
forerunner
messenger
111
condition
disposition
112
complexion … devil
traditionally black
shrive me
hear my confession, absolve me
113
wive
marry
Sirrah
sir (used to an inferior)
Shylock
perhaps from the Hebrew
Shallach
(“cormorant”), or from “Shiloh” (Genesis 49:10, although the word means “messiah”); possible connotations of wary secrecy and hoarding (shy lock)
1
ducats
gold coins
5
bound
bound in obligation to repay
7
stead
assist
pleasure
oblige
13
imputation
accusation
15
sufficient
of adequate means
16
supposition
uncertainty
17
Tripolis
Tripoli, North African port (now in Libya)
Indies
East Indies
18
Rialto
merchants’ exchange in Venice; also bridge over the Grand Canal
19
squandered
scattered/sent recklessly
21
pirates
puns on
rats
23
notwithstanding
nevertheless
26
assured
shifts sense to “guaranteed against risks”
27
bethink me
consider it
29
habitation
i.e. the body of a pig
30
Nazarite
someone from Nazareth, i.e. Jesus
32
following
forth
36
publican
tax collector
38
low simplicity
humble naïveté/foolishness
39
gratis
for nothing (i.e. without charging interest)
40
usance
lending money at interest
41
upon the hip
at a disadvantage (wrestling term)
42
fat
until fat
43
our sacred nation
i.e. the Jewish people
rails
rants/is abusive (about)
44
there … congregate
i.e. on the Rialto
45
thrift
profit
46
tribe
i.e. one of the twelve tribes of Israel, from which all Jews were descended
49
debating … store
considering my supply of ready money
51
gross
total
53
Tubal
name found in Genesis 10:2
54
furnish
supply
soft
wait a moment
55
Rest you fair
form of greeting (“may you remain well”)
56
Your … mouths
i.e. we were just talking about you
58
excess
i.e. interest
59
ripe wants
pressing needs
60
possessed
notified of
61
would
want
65
bond
contract/pledge
67
advantage
interest
68
use
employ (puns on the sense of “interest”)
69
Jacob … sheep
with his mother’s help, Jacob tricked his father into making him heir; fleeing his brother Esau’s wrath, he went to work for his
uncle Laban
(Genesis 27 and 30)
70
from
descended from
Abram
Abraham
71
wrought
brought about, arranged
72
third possessor
i.e. of the birthright (after Abraham and Isaac)
75
Mark
pay attention to
76
were compromised
had reached agreement
77
eanlings
newborn lambs
pied
spotted with another color
78
fall as
become
hire
wages
rank
lustful/in heat
80
generation
procreation
82
peeled … wands
stripped the bark off particular sticks
83
in … kind
while the sheep were engaged in their natural act (i.e. breeding)
84
stuck … ewes
refers to the idea that what the mother sees during conception influences the appearance of the offspring
fulsome
lustful
85
eaning
lambing
86
Fall
drop, give birth to
87
thrive
profit
89
venture
enterprise
served
served God
91
fashioned
arranged, created
92
inserted
introduced, brought up
good
i.e. justifiable
100
goodly
wholesome-looking
104
beholding
indebted
106
rated
berated, reproached (puns on
rate
)
109
sufferance
endurance
111
gaberdine
loose cloak or coat