No Fear Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 3, Scene 2, Page 3
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Now he goes
With no less presence but with much more love
Than young Alcides, when he did redeem
The virgin tribute paid by howling Troy
To the sea monster. I stand for sacrifice.
The rest aloof are the Dardanian wives,
With blearèd visages come forth to view
The issue of th' exploit.—Go, Hercules!
Live thou, I live. With much, much more dismay
I view the fight than thou that makest the fray.
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Bassanio’s walking to the boxes now. He looks as dignified as Hercules did
when he saved the princess Hesione from the sea monster. But he loves me more than Hercules
loved the princess. I’ll play Hesione, and everyone else will be the bystanders
watching with tear-streaked faces. We’ve all come out to see what will
happen.—Go, Hercules! If you survive, I’ll live. I’m more
anxious watching you fight than you are in the fight itself.
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A song, the whilst BASSANIO comments on the caskets
to himself |
A song plays while BASSANIO mulls over the
boxes. |
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SINGER
(sings)
Tell me where is fancy bred.
Or in the heart or in the head?
How begot, how nourishèd?
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SINGER
(singing)
Tell me where do our desires start,
In the heart or in the head?
How are they created, how sustained?
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ALL
Reply, reply.
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ALL
Answer me, answer me.
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SINGER
(sings)
It is engendered in the eyes,
With gazing fed, and fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies.
Let us all ring fancy’s knell
I’ll begin it.—Ding, dong, bell.
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SINGER
(singing)
Desires start in the eyes,
Sustained by gazing, and desires die
Very young.
Let’s all mourn our dead desires.
I’ll begin—Ding, dong, bell.
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ALL
Ding, dong, bell.
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ALL
Ding, dong, bell.
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