A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 3 of The Merchant of Venice from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
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Translated Text |
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Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Shylock, the Jew, and Solanio, and Antonio, SHYLOCK ANTONIO Hear me yet, good Shylock— SHYLOCK ANTONIO I pray thee, hear me speak— SHYLOCK He exits. SOLANIO ANTONIO Let him alone. SOLANIO I am sure the Duke ANTONIO They exit. | On a street in Venice, Shylock presses the jailer to go after Antonio. Antonio keeps trying to plead his case, but Shylock doesn't want to hear it. He says that Antonio called him a dog, and now he's determined to live up to that reputation. Antonio better watch out for his bite. Shylock demands justice from the Duke and the jailer, then leaves in a huff. Solanio says Shylock is a cur, which is (yup) a dog, but Antonio says he understands why Shylock is so upset. He used to undercut his business all the time. (All that spitting on him probably didn't help, either.) Antonio has concluded there's nothing he can do. The law is on Shylock's side. This has been so stressful, by the way, that Antonio has lost weight. He's not even sure he has a pound of flesh to give at this point. Oh well. He just hopes that Bassanio finds time to visit before Antonio dies. |