The Annotated Shakespeare series enables readers to fully understand and enjoy the plays of the world’s greatest dramatist   In this lively comedy of love and money in sixteenth-century Venice, Bassanio wants to impress the wealthy heiress Portia but lacks the necessary funds. He turns to his merchant friend, Antonio, who is forced to borrow from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. When Antonio’s business falters, repayment becomes impossible—and by the terms of the loan agreement, Shylock is able to demand a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Portia cleverly intervenes, and all ends well (except of course for Shylock).   This fully annotated version of Merchant of Venice makes the play completely accessible to readers in the twenty-first century. Eminent linguist and translator Burton Raffel offers generous help with vocabulary, pronunciation, and prosody and provides alternative readings of phrases and lines. His on-page annotations give readers all the tools they need to comprehend the play and begin to explore its many possible interpretations. Selected by the Association of American University Presses as an Outstanding Book for Public and Secondary School Libraries, 2007 Burton Raffel (1928–2015) was Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities emeritus and professor of English emeritus at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Among his many edited and translated publications are Poems and Prose from the Old English, Cligès, Lancelot, Perceval, Erec and Enide , and Yvain . Harold Bloom (1930–2019) was Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University and Berg Professor of English at New York University. His many books include The Western Canon, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human , and Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds . The Merchant of Venice By William Shakespeare Yale University Press Copyright © 2006 Burton Raffel All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-300-11564-2 Contents About This Book................................................ixIntroduction...................................................xviiSome Essentials of the Shakespearean Stage.....................xxxiiiThe Merchant of Venice.........................................1An Essay by Harold Bloom.......................................151Further Reading................................................159Finding List...................................................165 Chapter One CHARACTERS (DRAMATIS PERSONAE) The Duke of Venice The Prince of Morocco (Portia's suitor) The Prince of Arragon (Portia's suitor) Antonio (a merchant of Venice) Bassanio (Antonio's friend, Portia's suitor) Solanio, Salarino, Gratiano (friends of Antonio and Bassanio) Lorenzo (in love with Jessica) Shylock (a rich Jew) Tubal (Shylock's friend) Lancelot Gobbo (a clown,Shylock's servant) Old Gobbo (Lancelot's father) Leonardo (Bassanio's servant) Salerio (Venetian court attendant) Balthasar, Stephano (Portia's servants) Portia (an heiress) Nerissa (Portia's personal attendant) Jessica (Shylock's daughter) Venetian Nobles, Officers of the Court of Justice, Jailer, Servants, and Attendants Act 1 SCENE 1 Venice, a street ENTER Antonio, Salarino, and Solanio 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 borne, I am to learn. And such a want-wit sadness makes of me, 5 That I have much ado to know myself. Salarino Your mind is tossing on the ocean, There where your argosies with portly sail Like signiors and rich burghers on the flood, 10 Or as it were the pageants of the sea, Do overpeer the petty traffickers That curtsy to them, do them reverence, As they fly by them with their woven wings. Solanio Believe me sir, had I such venture forth, The better part of my affections would 15 Be with my hopes abroad. I should be still Plucking the grass to know where sits the wind, Peering in maps for ports, and piers, and roads. And every object that might make me fear Misfortune to my ventures, out of doubt 20 Would make me sad. Salarino My wind cooling my broth Would blow me to an ague, when I thought What harm a wind too great might do at sea. I should not see the sandy hourglass run But I should think of shallows, and of flats, 25 And see my wealthy "Andrew" docks in sand, Vailing her high top lower than her ribs To kiss her burial. Should I go to church And see the holy edifice of stone, And not bethink me straight of dangerous rocks, 30 Which touching but my gentle vessel's side Would scatter all her spices on the stream, Enrobe the roaring waters with my silks, And (in a word) but even now worth this, And now worth nothing. Shall I have the thought 35 To think on this, and shall I lack the thought That such a thing bechanced would make me sad? But tell not me, I know Antonio Is sad to think upon his merchandise. Antonio Believe me no, I thank m