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The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

Antonio guarantees his friend Bassanio's loan from the moneylender Shylock; the bond names a pound of Antonio's flesh as forfeit. Bassanio woos Portia, who shows up disguised as a lawyer to argue the trial. The most morally complicated comedy in the canon, still alive in every reading.

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Chapters
  1. Chapter 1Act 1, Scene 1 — Venice. A street
  2. Chapter 2Act 1, Scene 2 — Belmont. A room in Portia’s house
  3. Chapter 3Act 1, Scene 3 — Venice. A public place
  4. Chapter 4Act 2, Scene 1 — Belmont. A room in Portia’s house
  5. Chapter 5Act 2, Scene 2 — Venice. A street
  6. Chapter 6Act 2, Scene 3 — The same. A room in Shylock’s house
  7. Chapter 7Act 2, Scene 4 — The same. A street
  8. Chapter 8Act 2, Scene 5 — The same. Before Shylock’s house
  9. Chapter 9Act 2, Scene 6 — The same
  10. Chapter 10Act 2, Scene 7 — Belmont. A room in Portia’s house
  11. Chapter 11Act 2, Scene 8 — Venice. A street
  12. Chapter 12Act 2, Scene 9 — Belmont. A room in Portia’s house
  13. Chapter 13Act 3, Scene 1 — Venice. A street
  14. Chapter 14Act 3, Scene 2 — Belmont. A room in Portia’s house
  15. Chapter 15Act 3, Scene 3 — Venice. A street
  16. Chapter 16Act 3, Scene 4 — Belmont. A room in Portia’s house
  17. Chapter 17Act 3, Scene 5 — The same. A garden
  18. Chapter 18Act 4, Scene 1 — Venice. A court of justice
  19. Chapter 19Act 4, Scene 2 — The same. A street
  20. Chapter 20Act 5, Scene 1 — Belmont. The avenue to Portia’s house

Act 1, Scene 1 — Venice. A street

Enter Antonio, Salarino and Solanio.

ANTONIO. In sooth I know not why I am so sad, It wearies me, you say it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What stuff ’tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn. And such a want-wit sadness makes of me, That I have much ado to know myself.

SALARINO. Your mind is tossing on the ocean, There where your argosies, with portly sail Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood, Or as it were the pageants of the sea, Do overpeer the petty traffickers That curtsy to them, do them reverence, As they fly by them with their woven wings.

SOLANIO. Believe me, sir, had I such venture forth, The better part of my affections would Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind, Peering in maps for ports, and piers and roads; And every object that might make me fear Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt Would make me sad.

SALARINO. My wind cooling my broth Would blow me to an ague when I thought What harm a wind too great might do at sea. I should not see the sandy hour-glass run But I should think of shallows and of flats, And see my wealthy Andrew dock’d in sand, Vailing her high top lower than her ribs To kiss her burial. Should I go to church And see the holy edifice of stone And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks, Which, touching but my gentle vessel’s side, Would scatter all her spices on the stream, Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks, And, in a word, but even now worth this, And now worth nothing? Shall I have the thought To think on this, and shall I lack the thought That such a thing bechanc’d would make me sad? But tell not me, I know Antonio Is sad to think upon his merchandise.

ANTONIO. Believe me, no. I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this present year. Therefore my merchandise makes me not sad.

SALARINO. Why then you are in love.

ANTONIO. Fie, fie!

SALARINO. Not in love neither? Then let us say you are sad Because you are not merry; and ’twere as easy For you to laugh and leap and say you are merry Because you are not sad. Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath fram’d strange fellows in her time: Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, And laugh like parrots at a bagpiper. And other of such vinegar aspect That they’ll not show their teeth in way of smile Though Nestor swear the jest be laughable.

Enter Bassanio, Lorenzo and Gratiano.

SOLANIO. Here comes Bassanio, your most noble kinsman, Gratiano, and Lorenzo. Fare ye well. We leave you now with better company.

SALARINO. I would have stay’d till I had made you merry, If worthier friends had not prevented me.

ANTONIO. Your worth is very dear in my regard. I take it your own business calls on you, And you embrace th’ occasion to depart.

SALARINO. Good morrow, my good lords.

BASSANIO. Good signiors both, when shall we laugh? Say, when? You grow exceeding strange. Must it be so?

SALARINO. We’ll make our leisures to attend on yours.

[_Exeunt Salarino and Solanio._]

LORENZO. My Lord Bassanio, since you have found Antonio, We two will leave you, but at dinner-time I pray you have in mind where we must meet.

BASSANIO. I will not fail you.

GRATIANO. You look not well, Signior Antonio, You have too much respect upon the world. They lose it that do buy it with much care. Believe me, you are marvellously chang’d.

ANTONIO. I hold the world but as the...