The Merchant of Venice, Act 3, Scene 1

Now, what news on the Rialto?

So, what news on the Rialto?

Why, yet it lives there unchecked that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrack’d on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place, a very dangerous flat and fatal, where the carcasses of many a tall ship lie buried, as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word.

Well, the story still goes around there uncontradicted that Antonio has had a ship with a rich cargo wrecked in the English Channel; the Goodwins, I think they call the place, a very dangerous sandbank and deadly, where the hulls of many a fine tall ship lie buried, so they say, if my gossiping friend Rumour is a woman who keeps her word.

I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapped 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 highway of talk, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio,—O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!—

I wish she were as much of a liar in this as any gossip who ever nibbled ginger or made her neighbours believe she was weeping for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any rambling digressions or wandering off the plain high road of conversation, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio—oh, that I had a title fine enough to go with his name!—

Come, the full stop.

Come on, get to the full stop.

Ha, what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.

Ha, what are you saying? Well, the conclusion is, he has lost a ship.

I would it might prove the end of his losses.

I hope that turns out to be the end of his losses.

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" quickly, before the devil interferes with my prayer, because here he comes in the shape of a Jew.

How now, Shylock, what news among the merchants?

Well now, Shylock, what news among the merchants?

You knew, none so well, none so well as you, of my daughter’s flight.

You knew—nobody so well, nobody so well as you—about my daughter's running away.

That’s certain, I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings she flew withal.

That's certainly so. I, for my part, knew the tailor who made the wings she flew off with.

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 the bird had its feathers; and then it is in the nature of all of them to leave the mother.

She is damn’d for it.

She is damned for it.

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

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

My own flesh and blood to rebel!

My own flesh and blood, to rebel!

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

Shame on it, you old piece of rotting meat! Does it rebel at your age?

I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood.

I say my daughter is my flesh and my blood.

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 stone and ivory, more between your two bloods than there is between red wine and white Rhine wine. But tell us, have you heard whether Antonio has had any loss at sea or not?

There I have another bad match, a bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto, a beggar that 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 cur’sy; let him look to his bond.

There I have another bad deal: a bankrupt, a spendthrift, who hardly dares show his face on the Rialto, a beggar who used to come strutting so sleek into the marketplace. Let him watch out for his bond. He used to call me a moneylender; let him watch out for his bond. He used to lend money out of Christian kindness; let him watch out for his bond.

Why, I am sure if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh! What’s that good for?

Come now, I'm sure that if he defaults you won't take his flesh! What is that good for?

To bait fish withal; if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgrac’d me and hind’red me half a million, laugh’d at my losses, mock’d 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 villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

To bait fish with. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He has humiliated me and cost me half a million, laughed at my losses, sneered at my profits, insulted my people, ruined my deals, turned my friends cold, stirred up my enemies. And what is his reason? I am a Jew. Does a Jew not have eyes? Does a Jew not have hands, bodily parts, proportions, senses, feelings, passions? Fed with the same food, wounded by the same weapons, liable to the same diseases, cured by the same treatments, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, don't we bleed? If you tickle us, don't we laugh? If you poison us, don't we die? And if you wrong us, shall we not take revenge? If we are like you in everything else, we will be like you in that too. If a Jew wrongs a Christian, what is the Christian's meekness? Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should the Jew's patience be, following the Christian's example? Why, revenge! The wickedness you teach me I will carry out, and it will be surprising if I don't improve on the lesson.

Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and desires to speak with you both.

Gentlemen, my master Antonio is at his house, and he wants to speak with you both.

We have been up and down to seek him.

We have been all over the place looking for him.

Here comes another of the tribe; a third cannot be match’d, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

Here comes another one of the tribe. A third to match them can't be found, unless the devil himself becomes a Jew.

How now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? Hast thou found my daughter?

Well now, Tubal, what news from Genoa? Have you found my daughter?

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

I often came to places where I heard news of her, but I can't find her.

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 ill luck stirring but what lights o’ my shoulders, no sighs but o’ my breathing, no tears but o’ my shedding.

There it is, there, there, there! A diamond gone that cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell on our people until now; I never felt it until now. Two thousand ducats in that one stone, and other precious, precious jewels. I wish my daughter were lying dead at my feet, with the jewels in her ear; I wish she were in her coffin at my feet, with the ducats in it. No news of them? Why is that? And I don't even know how much has been spent on the search. Why, you—loss on top of loss! The thief gone with so much, and so much spent to find the thief, and no satisfaction, no revenge, and no bad luck going about except what lands on my shoulders, no sighs but the ones I breathe, no tears but the ones I shed.

Yes, other men have ill luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa—

Yes, other men have bad luck too. Antonio, as I heard in Genoa—

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

What, what, what? Bad luck, bad luck?

—hath an argosy cast away coming from Tripolis.

—has had a great merchant ship wrecked on its way from Tripolis.

I thank God! I thank God! Is it true, is it true?

I thank God! I thank God! Is it true, is it true?

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

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

I thank thee, good Tubal. Good news, good news! Ha, ha, heard in Genoa?

Thank you, good Tubal. Good news, good news! Ha, ha—heard in Genoa, was it?

Your daughter spent in Genoa, as I heard, one night, fourscore ducats.

Your daughter spent eighty ducats in one night in Genoa, so I heard.

Thou stick’st a dagger in me. I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at a sitting! Fourscore ducats!

You're sticking a dagger into me. I shall never see my gold again. Eighty ducats in one sitting! Eighty ducats!

There came divers of Antonio’s creditors in my company to Venice that swear he cannot choose but break.

Several of Antonio's creditors travelled with me to Venice, and they swear he can't avoid going bankrupt.

I am very glad of it. I’ll plague him, I’ll torture him. I am glad of it.

I am very glad of it. I'll torment him, I'll torture him. I am glad of it.

One of them showed me a ring that he had of your daughter for a monkey.

One of them showed me a ring he got from your daughter in exchange for a monkey.

Out upon her! Thou torturest me, Tubal. It was my turquoise, I had it of Leah when I was a bachelor. I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkeys.

Curse her! You are torturing me, Tubal. That was my turquoise; I got it from Leah when I was a bachelor. I would not have given it away for a whole wilderness full of monkeys.

But Antonio is certainly undone.

But Antonio is certainly ruined.

Nay, that’s true, that’s very true. Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him a fortnight before. I will have the heart of him if he forfeit, for were he out of Venice I can make what merchandise I will. Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue. Go, good Tubal, at our synagogue, Tubal.

No, that's true, that's very true. Go, Tubal, hire me a law officer; engage him two weeks in advance. I will have his heart if he defaults, because if he were out of Venice I could trade on whatever terms I liked. Go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue. Go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.