Chapter: SCENE 3.

Venice. A public place

[Enter BASSANIO and SHYLOCK.]

SHYLOCK.
Three thousand ducats; well?

BASSANIO.
Ay, sir, for three months.

SHYLOCK.
For three months; well?

BASSANIO.
For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.

SHYLOCK.
Antonio shall become bound; well?

BASSANIO.
May you stead me?  Will you pleasure me?  Shall I know your
answer?

SHYLOCK.
Three thousand ducats, for three months, and Antonio bound.

BASSANIO.
Your answer to that.

SHYLOCK.
Antonio is a good man.

BASSANIO.
Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?

SHYLOCK.
Ho, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a good man
is to have you understand me that he is sufficient; yet his means
are in supposition: he hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another
to the Indies; I understand, moreover, upon the Rialto, he hath a
third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he
hath, squandered abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but
men; there be land-rats and water-rats, land-thieves and
water-thieves,--I mean pirates,--and then there is the peril of
waters, winds, and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding,
sufficient. Three thousand ducats- I think I may take his bond.

BASSANIO.
Be assured you may.

SHYLOCK.
I will be assured I may; and, that I may be assured, I
will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio?

BASSANIO.
If it please you to dine with us.

SHYLOCK.
Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which your
prophet, the Nazarite, conjured the devil into. I will buy with
you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so
following; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray
with you. What news on the Rialto? Who is he comes here?

[Enter ANTONIO]

BASSANIO.
This is Signior Antonio.

SHYLOCK.
[Aside] How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian;
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis, and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation; and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe
If I forgive him!

BASSANIO.
Shylock, do you hear?

SHYLOCK.
I am debating of my present store,
And, by the near guess of my memory,
I cannot instantly raise up the gross
Of full three thousand ducats. What of that?
Tubal, a wealthy Hebrew of my tribe,
Will furnish me. But soft! how many months
Do you desire? [To ANTONIO] Rest you fair, good signior;
Your worship was the last man in our mouths.

ANTONIO.
Shylock, albeit I neither lend nor borrow
By taking nor by giving of excess,
Yet, to supply the ripe wants of my friend,
I'll break a custom. [To BASSANIO] Is he yet possess'd
How much ye would?

SHYLOCK.
Ay, ay, three thousand ducats.

ANTONIO.
And for three months.

SHYLOCK.
I had forgot; three months; you told me so.
Well then, your bond; and, let me see.  But hear you,
Methought you said you neither lend nor borrow
Upon advantage.

ANTONIO.
I do never use it.

SHYLOCK.
When Jacob graz'd his uncle Laban's sheep,--
This Jacob from our holy Abram was,
As his wise mother wrought in his behalf,
The third possessor; ay, he was the third,--

ANTONIO.
And what of him?  Did he take interest?

SHYLOCK.
No, not take interest; not, as you would say,
Directly interest; mark what Jacob did.
When Laban and himself were compromis'd
That all the eanlings which were streak'd and pied
Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank,
In end of autumn turned to the rams;
And when the work of generation was
Between these woolly breeders in the act,
The skilful shepherd peel'd me certain wands,
And, in the doing of the deed of kind,
He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes,
Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time
Fall parti-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob's.
This was a way to thrive, and he was blest;
And thrift is blessing, if men steal it not.

ANTONIO.
This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv'd for;
A thing not in his power to bring to pass,
But sway'd and fashion'd by the hand of heaven.
Was this inserted to make interest good?
Or is your gold and silver ewes and rams?

SHYLOCK.
I cannot tell; I make it breed as fast.
But note me, signior.

ANTONIO.
Mark you this, Bassanio,
The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
An evil soul producing holy witness
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart.
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!

SHYLOCK.
Three thousand ducats; 'tis a good round sum.
Three months from twelve; then let me see the rate.

ANTONIO.
Well, Shylock, shall we be beholding to you?

SHYLOCK.
Signior Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys and my usances;
Still have I borne it with a patient shrug,
For suff'rance is the badge of all our tribe;
You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,
And spet upon my Jewish gaberdine,
And all for use of that which is mine own.
Well then, it now appears you need my help;
Go to, then; you come to me, and you say
'Shylock, we would have moneys.' You say so:
You that did void your rheum upon my beard,
And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
Over your threshold; moneys is your suit.
What should I say to you? Should I not say
'Hath a dog money? Is it possible
A cur can lend three thousand ducats?' Or
Shall I bend low and, in a bondman's key,
With bated breath and whisp'ring humbleness,
Say this:--
'Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurn'd me such a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies
I'll lend you thus much moneys?'

ANTONIO.
I am as like to call thee so again,
To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too.
If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
As to thy friends,--for when did friendship take
A breed for barren metal of his friend?--
But lend it rather to thine enemy;
Who if he break thou mayst with better face
Exact the penalty.

SHYLOCK.
Why, look you, how you storm!
I would be friends with you, and have your love,
Forget the shames that you have stain'd me with,
Supply your present wants, and take no doit
Of usance for my moneys, and you'll not hear me:
This is kind I offer.

BASSANIO.
This were kindness.

SHYLOCK.
This kindness will I show.
Go with me to a notary, seal me there
Your single bond; and, in a merry sport,
If you repay me not on such a day,
In such a place, such sum or sums as are
Express'd in the condition, let the forfeit
Be nominated for an equal pound
Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken
In what part of your body pleaseth me.

ANTONIO.
Content, in faith; I'll seal to such a bond,
And say there is much kindness in the Jew.

BASSANIO.
You shall not seal to such a bond for me;
I'll rather dwell in my necessity.

ANTONIO.
Why, fear not, man; I will not forfeit it;
Within these two months, that's a month before
This bond expires, I do expect return
Of thrice three times the value of this bond.

SHYLOCK.
O father Abram, what these Christians are,
Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
The thoughts of others. Pray you, tell me this;
If he should break his day, what should I gain
By the exaction of the forfeiture?
A pound of man's flesh, taken from a man,
Is not so estimable, profitable neither,
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
To buy his favour, I extend this friendship;
If he will take it, so; if not, adieu;
And, for my love, I pray you wrong me not.

ANTONIO.
Yes, Shylock, I will seal unto this bond.

SHYLOCK.
Then meet me forthwith at the notary's;
Give him direction for this merry bond,
And I will go and purse the ducats straight,
See to my house, left in the fearful guard
Of an unthrifty knave, and presently
I'll be with you.

ANTONIO.
Hie thee, gentle Jew.

[Exit SHYLOCK]

This Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind.

BASSANIO.
I like not fair terms and a villain's mind.

ANTONIO.
Come on; in this there can be no dismay;
My ships come home a month before the day.

[Exeunt]

 Back on the mean streets of Venice, Bassanio wheels and deals with Shylock, a Jewish merchant. Bassanio wants 3,000 ducats, or gold coins, on Antonio's credit, with the stipulation that he'll pay them back in three months. Shylock notes that Antonio is likely good for the money, but still, all the man's cash is tied up in potential ventures--none of it actually exists yet. Shylock gives us a brief look into Antonio's diverse financial portfolio: he's got a ship bound to Tripoli and another to the Indies. In the marketplace, Shylock has heard of even more ships backed by Antonio: a third for Mexico, a fourth for England, and several others. Though all this sailing about seems rather risky, Shylock says he'll lend the money, but would like to speak to Antonio first. Willing to comply, Bassanio invites him to dinner with himself and Antonio. But Shylock isn't having any of it, as it will likely be a Christian dinner with pork, which isn't kosher. Shylock also says he's not hot about the idea of hanging out with Christians. He says he'll trade with Christians, talk and walk with Christians, but he has to draw a line somewhere, and he's drawn it at eating, drinking, and praying with them. Antonio then enters the scene. Shylock has a nasty little aside during which he admits that he hates Antonio "for he is a Christian." More than anything else, however, Shylock says he hates Antonio for what he does in the marketplace. Antonio lends out money free of interest, which is unfair competition for the lenders who aren't willing to do so. We interrupt this program for a history snack about the Elizabethan attitude toward money-lending. The Church believed that interest should never be charged when one Christian loaned money to another Christian. The idea comes from Deuteronomy 23:19-23: "You shall not lend upon interest to your brother, interest on money, interest on victuals, interest on anything that is lent for interest. To a foreigner, you may lend upon interest, but to your brother, you shall not lend upon interest." Christians were allowed, however, to borrow money from foreigners. Since Jews were classified as "foreigners" in England, they were encouraged to set up banks when they arrived in the country. Now back to the play. Shylock says he'd like to catch Antonio at a disadvantage so he can get even with him--not only for undercutting him in trade, but also for the nasty things Antonio has said about Shylock. Shylock talks money with Antonio and Bassanio. He says he can lend the 3,000 ducats; though he doesn't have that sum on hand, he can borrow some from his fellow Jewish friend Tubal. Thus he can meet Bassanio's need for the aforementioned three months. Antonio, who until now has avoided borrowing or lending where interest is involved, justifies his change of heart by stating he'll do anything to help Bassanio--even join the interest game he's so often scorned. Shylock doesn't drop Antonio's seeming hypocrisy so easily. He points out that Antonio is always saying he doesn't believe in charging or paying interest. Shylock then tells a little story taken from the Bible about Jacob's dealings with his Uncle Laban. Jacob was caretaker of his uncle's sheep, and when it came time for mating season, Laban agreed that all the baby lambs with spots would belong to Jacob. When the sheep were ready to mate, Jacob showed them sticks or branches that were spotted, which caused the ewes to have spotted baby sheep. All the spotted sheep were Jacob's, as promised. Shylock says this is evidence that it isn't a sin to be thrifty--in fact, profit is a blessed thing, so long as you don't steal to get it. Antonio insists the spotted-sheep outcome was more about the will of heaven than Jacob's crafty thrift. He mocks Shylock's attempts to use the Bible as justification for charging interest, and ultimately tells Bassanio that all he's learned from this experience is that even the "devil" can cite Scripture to his purposes. While Antonio has been ranting, Shylock has been busy calculating the interest on the sum he's about to lend. However, hearing Antonio's last remark, he is quickly incited to anger . Shylock points out that in the Rialto , Antonio has spit on him, called him a dog, and insulted him publicly for his practice of lending with interest. Shylock asks if he's supposed to just forget about Antonio's abuse now that the guy needs some extra cash and wants to borrow money. Antonio doesn't defend himself against these nasty charges. He admits it's true he spat and cursed at Shylock. In fact, he'll probably do it again. He says that Shylock's loan isn't a loan between friends--there doesn't need to be any amity between them. This is just a business transaction, so if he breaks the deal, he'll accept responsibility for it and pay the penalty. After Antonio's mini-flip-out, Shylock's all, "Take it easy, amigo. We can be friends, and I'll forget all those times you were a rotten jerk." I'll lend you what you're asking for, and better still, I won't charge you an extra cent in interest. I'll even play a fun game with you, where we both go to the notary right now and sign a document saying that if you don't pay me what you owe on such and such a date, in such and such a place, then I can have a pound of flesh off your body from wherever I choose." Antonio thinks this is a good idea. In spite of Bassanio's insistence that it isn't really necessary for Antonio to risk his flesh, Antonio is confident. He thinks he'll have the money in two months, a whole month before the debt is even due. Shylock also does a good job of easing Bassanio's fear--he asks what on earth he could gain by having a pound of Antonio's flesh. Clearly, Shylock says, he's only adding the "pound of flesh" caveat for funzies. This being said, the men agree to meet at the notary. Shylock will hand over the money. Antonio notes, "The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind." But Bassanio still thinks there's something wicked going on--in his mind, they're accepting a deal from a crooked guy, which is never a good idea, especially in Venice.

