No Fear Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice
Get this No Fear to go!
Act 4, Scene 2
Original Text | Modern Text | |
Enter PORTIA and NERISSA, both
disguised |
PORTIA and NERISSA enter, both
still in disguise. | |
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PORTIA
Inquire the Jew’s house out. Give him this deed,
And let him sign it. We’ll away tonight,
And be a day before our husbands home.
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.
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PORTIA
Find out where the Jew’s house is. Give him this deed and have him sign it.
We’ll leave tonight and be home a day before our husbands get back. Lorenzo will be
happy with what we’ve done.
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Enter GRATIANO
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GRATIANO enters. | |
5 |
GRATIANO
(giving PORTIA
BASSANIO’s ring)
Fair sir, you are well o'erta'en.
My Lord Bassanio upon more advice
Hath sent you here this ring, and doth entreat
Your company at dinner.
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GRATIANO
(he gives PORTIA
BASSANIO’s ring) Sir, you’re lucky I caught
up with you. Bassanio thought about it some more and sent this ring to you. He would like to
invite you to dinner.
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10 |
PORTIA
That cannot be.
His ring I do accept most thankfully.
And so I pray you tell him. Furthermore,
I pray you show my youth old Shylock’s house.
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PORTIA
I can’t have dinner with him. Please tell him I accept his ring with thanks.
And could you please take my servant to old Shylock’s house?
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GRATIANO
That will I do.
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GRATIANO
I’ll do that.
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15 |
NERISSA
(to PORTIA)
Sir, I would speak with you.
(aside to PORTIA)
I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring,
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever.
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NERISSA
(to PORTIA) Sir, may I
speak with you? (speaking so that only
PORTIAcan hear) I’ll see if I can get my
husband’s ring, which I made him swear to keep forever.
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20 |
PORTIA
(aside to NERISSA)
Thou mayst, I warrant. We shall have old swearing
That they did give the rings away to men.
But we’ll outface them, and outswear them too.—
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PORTIA
(to NERISSA) I bet
you’ll be able to. They’ll swear they gave the rings to men. But
we’ll deny it and outswear them too.—
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