English

Belmont. PORTIA'S house Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE of MOROCCO, a tawny Moor all in white, and three or four FOLLOWERS accordingly, with PORTIA, NERISSA, and train PRINCE OF MOROCCO

Act 1, Scene 3

[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.     [5]

BASSANIO: May you stead me? will you pleasure me? shall I

know your answer?

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

• Read more about ACT I - Scene II
• 3 views

[Enter Antonio, Solanio, and Salerio]

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.

SALERIO

Your mind is tossing on the ocean;

There, where your argosies with portly sail, 

THE DUKE OF VENICE
THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO, suitor to Portia
THE PRINCE OF ARRAGON, suitor to Portia
ANTONIO, a merchant of Venice
BASSANIO, his friend, suitor to Portia

The Merchant of Venice is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous 'pound of flesh' speech. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and most famous character.