Act 3, Scene 1: Venice. A street

SCENE I. Venice. A street.

    Enter SALANIO and SALARINO

SALANIO

    Now, what news on the Rialto?

SALARINO

    Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd that Antonio hath
    a ship of rich lading wrecked 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.

SALANIO

    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!--

SALARINO

    Come, the full stop.

SALANIO

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

SALARINO

    I would it might prove the end of his losses.

SALANIO

    Let me say 'amen' betimes, lest the devil cross my
    prayer, for here he comes in the likeness of a Jew.

    Enter SHYLOCK
    How now, Shylock! what news among the merchants?

SHYLOCK

    You know, none so well, none so well as you, of my
    daughter's flight.

SALARINO

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

SALANIO

    And Shylock, for his own part, knew the bird was
    fledged; and then it is the complexion of them all
    to leave the dam.

SHYLOCK

    She is damned for it.

SALANIO

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

SHYLOCK

    My own flesh and blood to rebel!

SALANIO

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

SHYLOCK

    I say, my daughter is my flesh and blood.

SALARINO

    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?

SHYLOCK

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

SALARINO

    Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take
    his flesh: what's that good for?

SHYLOCK

    To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else,
    it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and
    hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses,
    mocked 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 villany you
    teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I
    will better the instruction.

    Enter a Servant

Servant

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

SALARINO

    We have been up and down to seek him.

    Enter TUBAL

SALANIO

    Here comes another of the tribe: a third cannot be
    matched, unless the devil himself turn Jew.

    Exeunt SALANIO, SALARINO, and Servant

SHYLOCK

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

TUBAL

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

SHYLOCK

    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 in luck stirring but what lights on my
    shoulders; no sighs but of my breathing; no tears
    but of my shedding.

TUBAL

    Yes, other men have ill luck too: Antonio, as I
    heard in Genoa,--

SHYLOCK

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

TUBAL

    Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

SHYLOCK

    I thank God, I thank God. Is't true, is't true?

TUBAL

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

SHYLOCK

    I thank thee, good Tubal: good news, good news!
    ha, ha! where? in Genoa?

TUBAL

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

SHYLOCK

    Thou stickest a dagger in me: I shall never see my
    gold again: fourscore ducats at a sitting!
    fourscore ducats!

TUBAL

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

SHYLOCK

    I am very glad of it: I'll plague him; I'll torture
    him: I am glad of it.

TUBAL

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

SHYLOCK

    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.

TUBAL

    But Antonio is certainly undone.

SHYLOCK

    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, go, Tubal, and meet me at our synagogue;
    go, good Tubal; at our synagogue, Tubal.

    Exeunt