| “So may the outward shows be least themselves:The world is still deceived with ornament.” | Speaker: Bassanio To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: talking to Portia at her house before Bassanio is to choose a casket; is looking at the gold casketLarger Significance: appearance vs. reality; concealing the truth/bad things with other objects to make it seem more appealing; |
| “…though justice be thy plea, consider this:That in the course of justice none of usShould see salvation. We do pray for mercy,And that same prayer doth teach us all to render the deeds of mercy.” | Speaker: Portia as Balthazar To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Shylock in the courtroom; trying to convince shylock to show mercyLarger Significance: justice vs. mercy; only god’s mercy can give salvation; you can only be forgiven if you forgive Antonio who has trespassed you |
| “I pray you give me leave to go from hence.I am not well. Send the deed after meAnd I will sign it.” | Speaker: Shylock To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: talking to Balthazar (Portia), the Duke, and everyone else in the courtroom after Shylock has agreed to convert to Christianity and put Jessica/Lorenzo into his willLarger Significance: choices/lack of choices; justice vs. mercy; Shylock does not have a choice really to whether or not he can remain a Jew if he wants to stay alive; he got justice, but not the kind he wanted |
| “Till thou canst rail the seal from off my bond,Thou but offend’st thy lungs to speak so loud.Repair thy wit, good youth, or it will fallTo cureless ruin. I stand here for law.” | Speaker: Shylock To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: talking to Gratiano in the courtroom after everyone is trying to get Shylock to change his mind about the bondLarger Significance: justice vs. mercy; Shylock demands justice (the law) and refuses to back down from his bond; unless you can change the bond, you should be quiet |
| “The quality of mercy is not strain’d,It droppeth as the gentle rain from heavenUpon the place beneath: it is twice blest;It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:’Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomesThe throned monarch better than his crown;” | Speaker: Portia as Balthazar To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: talking to Shylock in the court room about why he should show mercyLarger Significance: justice vs. mercy; mercy cannot be forced; mercy is an attribute of God; shylock should show mercy for Antonio because of what you get in return |
| “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?” | Speaker: ShylockTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Salarino after discussing where julia might be and antonio’s shipsLarger Significance: prejudice/intolerance; anti-semitism effect; part of the most famous quotation from MOV; shows the humanity of between jews as being equal to christians |
| “Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,That thou but leadest this fashion of thy maliceTo the last hour of act, and then, ’tis thought,Thou’lt show thy mercy and remorse more strangeThan is thy strange apparent cruelty;” | Speaker: DukeTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Shylock in the courtroom where the duke is trying to get shylock to show mercy because of how much Antonio has lostLarger Significance: mercy vs. justice; shylock refuses to show mercy regardless of how many different characters try to get him to do so |
| “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.An evil soul producing holy witnessIs like a villain with a smiling cheek,A goodly apple rotten at the heart.O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!” | Speaker: Antonio To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: in an aside to Bassanio; shylock had just cited the bible trying to prove that he is doing God’s workLarger Significance: appearance vs. reality; people that are evil try to make themselves appear good; appearances can be deceiving |
| “Let him alone:I’ll follow him no more with bootless prayers.He seeks my life; his reason well I know:” | Speaker: AntonioTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: talking to Solanio about Shylock about the bond – Antonio is trying to get him to change his mind but Shylock insists that he has his bondLarger Significance: choices and lack of choices shows Antonio’s fatalistic character; he thinks that his prayers are useless because of shylock’s stubbornness. |
| ” One half of me is yours, the other half yours-Mine own, I would say – but if mine, then yours,And so all yours.” | Speaker: PortiaTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Bassanio right before he is about to choose the casket in which she wants to delayLarger Significance: love and money; she loves bassanio and says that he is her other half that whatever is hers, is also his regardless of her selfishness; love and money by sharing possessions with her love |
| ” I shall be saved by my husband; he hath made me aChristian.” | Speaker: JessicaTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Lancelet when they are taking care of Portia’s place about how Lancelet thinks Jessica is screwed because she is Shylock’s daughterLarger Significance: anti-semitism effect; about how Lancelet thinks Jessica is screwed because she is Shylock’s daughter but Jessica thinks that marrying Lorenzo (a christian) will save her from her Jewish father |
| “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” | Speaker: PortiaTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Nerissa/Lorenzo after talking about how people who aren’t moved by music are evilLarger Significance: value and worth; means that goodness is relative and that goodness shines because there is evil and darkness |
| “Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not takehis flesh: what’s that good for?” | Speaker: SalarinoTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to shylock about antonio’s ships after discussing the whereabouts of shylock’s daughterLarger Significance: justice vs. mercy; triggers shylock’s i am speech; talks about how is antonio doesn’t succeed, that taking his flesh is cruel and useless |
| ” Let not that doctor e’er come near my house!Since he hath got the jewel that I loved,And that which you did swear to keep for me,I will become as liberal as you:” | Speaker: Portia To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Bassanio after he had explained why he gave his ring away Larger Significance: love and money; talking about how she doesn’t want the person who bassanio gave the ring to, to come near her; she will be come very “generous” (sleep with that person) |
| “All that glisters is not gold;Often have you heard that told:Many a man his life hath soldBut my outside to behold:Gilded tombs do worms enfold.” | Speaker: Prince of Morocco reading scrollTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: prince is reading from scroll found in incorrect casket talking to Portia and his trainLarger Significance: appearance vs. reality the scroll warns the prince not to judge based on appearance while portia is very quick to be racist when addressing the prince’s appearance; ironic |
| “But, since I am a dog, beware my fangs” | Speaker: Shylock To Whom They Are Speaking/Context: speaking to Antonio, arguing about whether or not Shylock will have his bond, Antonio wants him to give it up but Shylock is determined to get justiceLarger Significance: anti-semitism effect; twists antonio’s words of calling Shylock a dog to saying that antonio needs to watch out |
| “In christening shalt thou have two godfathers.Had I been judge, thou shouldst have had ten more,To bring thee to the gallows, not the font.” | Speaker: GratianoTo Whom They Are Speaking/Context: Speaking to Shylock at the court about what to do with the bet → decides Shylock needs to convert to ChristianityLarger Significance: justice vs. mercy; shows Gratiano’s hate for Shylock, he wished that the 12 jurors sentenced Shylock to death (2 godfathers + 10 other jurors) |
Merchant of Venice Quote Identification
July 23, 2019