The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 281
The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head
Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar
To stop the foreign spirits, but they come,
As o'er a brook, to see fair Portia.
One of these three contains her heavenly picture.
Is't like that lead contains her? 'Twere damnation
To think so base a thought: it were too gross
To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave.
Or shall I think in silver she's immured,
Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?
O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem
Was set in worse than gold. They have in England
A coin that bears the figure of an angel
Stamped in gold, but that's insculp'd upon;
But here an angel in a golden bed
Lies all within. Deliver me the key:
Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!
I need a god to help me decide! Let me see—
I will take a look at the inscriptions again.
What’s it say on this lead trunk?
‘Whoever chooses me must give and risk all he has.’
Must give all, for what? Lead? Risk all for lead?
This trunk seems threatening. Men that risk all
Do it in hope of much gain.
A golden mind will not stoop to pick up things that look like garbage.
I’ll then give nothing or risk anything for lead.
What does the silver one that is shining like new say?
‘Whoever chooses me will get all that he deserves.’
As much as he deserves! Stop for a moment and think, Morocco.
And weigh your worth fairly.
If you have a good reputaion,
You deserve enough, but enough
Might not be enough to include this lady.
And yet to be afraid of my own worthiness,
Would be to underestimate myself.
As much as I deserve! Well, I deserve the lady:
By birthright I deserve her, and by my wealth,
By my talents and my fine upbringing,
And even more than all of these, by my love I deserve her.
What if I didn’t consider any further and stopped right here?
Let’s look one more time at what the inscription on the gold one says:
‘Whoever chooses me will get want many men want.’
Why, that’s Portia. Every man in the world desires her.
From all around the world they come to court her,
To kiss this shrine and see this living and breathing saint.
Through the Hyrcanian deserts and the vast wilds
Of Arabia with frequency
Princes travel just to lay eyes on her.
The ocean, with its deep waters
And high waves that lift to the sky do not present a barrier
To stop the foreigners—they still come,
As if simply crossing a brook, to see beautiful Portia.
One of these three trunks contains her beautiful picture.
Is it the lead trunk that contains her picture? It would be a sin
To even think such a low thought. It would be too gross
To put her image in that grave-like trunk.
Should I think her picture is closed inside the silver trunk,
Being ten times less in value than the gold?
Oh, that’s a sinful thought! A rich gem such as she
Should never be placed in anything less than gold. In England they have
A coin that bears the likeness of an angel
Stamped in gold, that’s a carving.
In this case, an angel in a golden bed
Lies inside. Give me the key:
I make my choice, and will see what happens!
PORTIA
There, take it, prince; and if my form lie there,
Then I am yours.
Here, take the key, prince, and if my picture is inside,
Then I am yours.
He unlocks the golden casket
MOROCCO
O hell! what have we here?
A carrion Death, within whose empty eye
There is a written scroll! I'll read the writing.
Damn! What is this?
A skull. And placed in its empty eye
Is a piece of paper with writing on it. I’ll read it.
Reads
All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold.
Cold, indeed; and labour lost:
Then, farewell, heat, and welcome, frost!
Portia, adieu. I have too grieved a heart
To take a tedious leave: thus losers part.
All that glitters is not gold,
You’ve heard that said often.
Many men have sold their souls
Just to find a golden surface.
Graves with gold headstones hold worms.
If you have been as wise as you were bold,
With an old man’s wisdom despite your youth,
You wouldn’t be reading this now.
Farewell—you made the wrong guess.
Wrong, for sure, and your work is for nothing.
So, goodbye, desire, and welcome, hopelessness!
Portia, goodbye. My heart is too sad
too stay any longer. As a loser, I’m leaving.
Exit with his train. Flourish of cornets
PORTIA
A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go.
Let all of his complexion choose me so.
Good riddance. Draw the curtains and leave.
I hope everyone dark like him chooses the same way.
Exeunt
Enter SALARINO and SALANIO
SALARINO
Why, man, I saw Bassanio under sail:
With him is Gratiano gone along;
And in their ship I am sure Lorenzo is not.
Well, I saw Bassanio sail away
And Gratiano went along with him
I’m sure Lorenzo is not on their ship.
SALANIO
The villain Jew with outcries raised the duke,
Who went with him to search Bassanio's ship.
That lowlife Jew complained to the duke
Who went with him to search Bassanio’s ship.
SALARINO
He came too late, the ship was under sail:
But there the duke was given to understand
That in a gondola were seen together
Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica:
Besides, Antonio certified the duke
They were not with Bassanio in his ship.
He was too late—the ship was already under sail.
When he got there, the duke heard someone say
That a gondola had been spotted
With Lorenzo and his lover Jessica in it.
Besides that, Antonio assured the duke
That Lorenzo and Jessica were not on Bassanio’s ship.
SALANIO
I never heard a passion so confused,
So strange, outrageous, and so variable,
As the dog Jew did utter in the streets:
'My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!
Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats!
Justice! the law! my ducats, and my daughter!
A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats,
Of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter!
And jewels, two stones, two rich and precious stones,
Stolen by my daughter! Justice! find the girl;
She hath the stones upon her, and the ducats.'
I’ve never heard such a confused o
utburst—
So startling, unexpected and all over the place
As the way the dog Jew cried out in the streets.
‘My daughter! My ducats! My daughter!
Ran away with a Christian! My Christian ducats!
Justice! The law! My ducats and my daughter!
A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats,
Of double ducats, stolen from me by my daughter!
And jewels, two jewels, two rich and precious jewels,
Stolen by my daughter! Justice! Find the girl.
She has my jewels and the ducats.’
SALARINO
Why, all the boys in Venice follow him,
Crying, his stones, his daughter, and his ducats.
All the boys in Venice are following him,
Crying ‘his stones, his daughter and his ducats.’
SALANIO
Let good Antonio look he keep his day,
Or he shall pay for this.
Antonio had better be sure to pay the loan on time,
Or he will pay for this.
SALARINO
Marry, well remember'd.
I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday,
Who told me, in the narrow seas that part
The French and English, there miscarried
A vessel of our country richly fraught:
I thought upon Antonio when he told me;
And wish'd in silence that it were not his.
Yes, that’s a good thing to remember.
I was talking with a Frenchman yesterday
Who told me that in the narrow sea between
France and England, there was a wreck
Of a ship from our country full of treasure.
I thought about Antonio when I heard this
And silently prayed it was not his ship.
SALANIO
You were best to tell Antonio what you hear;
Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him.
You should probably tell Antonio what you heard,
But do it gently so as not to upset him.
SALARINO
A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.
I saw Bassanio and Antonio part:
Bassanio told him he would make some speed
Of his return: he answer'd, 'Do not so;
Slubber not business for my sake, Bassanio
But stay the very riping of the time;
And for the Jew's bond which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in your mind of love:
Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts
To courtship and such fair ostents of love
As shall conveniently become you there:'
And even there, his eye being big with tears,
Turning his face, he put his hand behind him,
And with affection wondrous sensible
He wrung Bassanio's hand; and so they parted.
There’s not a kinder man on this earth.
I saw Bassanio and Antonio saying goodbye:
Bassanio told him he would hurry
Back and Antonio answered, ‘Don’t
Rush your business for my sake, Bassanio
But stay as long as you need to stay.
As for the loan that I owe the Jew—
Don’t even think about it.
Be happy and put your mind
To wooing your love and the displays of love
As will help you to win her while you are there.’
And then, with tears in his eyes,
He looked away, but he offered his hand
And with extraordinary affection
He shook Bassanio’s hand and they parted.
SALANIO
I think he only loves the world for him.
I pray thee, let us go and find him out
And quicken his embraced heaviness
With some delight or other.
I think he only loves the world because of Bassanio.
How about we go and find him
And try to lift his sadness
and find a way to cheer him up.
SALARINO
Do we so.
Let’s do that.
Exeunt
Enter NERISSA with a Servitor
NERISSA
Quick, quick, I pray thee; draw the curtain straight:
The Prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath,
And comes to his election presently.
Hurry, hurry—draw the curtains right away!
The Prince of Arragon has sworn in,
and he’s coming to make his choice soon.
Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRAGON, PORTIA, and their trains
PORTIA
Behold, there stand the caskets, noble prince:
If you choose that wherein I am contain'd,
Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemnized:
But if you fail, without more speech, my lord,
You must be gone from hence immediately.
Look there—those are the trunks, noble prince.
If you choose the one with my picture in it,
We will be married right away.
But if you fail, you must not say anything more,
And must leave from here immediately.
ARRAGON
I am enjoin'd by oath to observe three things:
First, never to unfold to any one
Which casket 'twas I chose; next, if I fail
Of the right casket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage: Lastly,
If I do fail in fortune of my choice,
Immediately to leave you and be gone.
I am under oath to do three things:
First, I must never tell anyone
Which trunk it was that I chose. Next, if I fail
To pick the right trunk, I must never in my life
Ask a woman to marry me. And last,
If I don’t make tht right choice,
I must leave immediately.
PORTIA
To these injunctions every one doth swear
That comes to hazard for my worthless self.
Everone has to swear to the same orders
Who come to take a chance to win me as a prize.
ARRAGON
And so have I address'd me. Fortune now
To my heart's hope! Gold; silver; and base lead.
'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.'
You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard.
What says the golden chest? ha! let me see:
'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.'
What many men desire! that 'many' may be meant
By the fool multitude, that choose by show,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pries not to the interior, but, like the martlet,
Builds in the weather on the outward wall,
Even in the force and road of casualty.
I will not choose what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.
Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house;
Tell me once more what title thou dost bear:
'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves:'
And well said too; for who shall go about
To cozen fortune and be honourable
Without the stamp of merit? Let none presume
To wear an undeserved dignity.
O, that estates, degrees and offices
Were not derived corruptly, and that clear honour
Were purchased by the merit of the wearer!
How many then should cover that stand bare!
How many be commanded that command!
How much low peasantry would then be glean'd
From the true seed of honour! and how much honour
Pick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times
To be new-varnish'd! Well, but
to my choice:
'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.'
I will assume desert. Give me a key for this,
And instantly unlock my fortunes here.
And now I’m ready. May good luck
Reward my heart’s hope! Gold, silver and lead.
‘Whoever chooses me must give and risk all that he has.’
You’d have to be more beautiful for me to give it all or risk.
Let’s see what the golden trunk says. Well! Let me see:
‘Whoever chooses me will get what many men want.’
What many men want! By ‘many men’ it means
The foolish masses who chose by what looks good,
And not by figuring out what is there beyond the looks.
That kind of thinking doesn’t look at what’s inside, but—like a martin—
Builds its nests exposed on the outside walls,
Despite possible violence and destruction.
I will not choose what many men want,
Because I will not jump on the bandwagon
And go along with what the uncivilized masses want.
Well, I’m guessing it is the silver trunk.
Let see again what its inscription says.
‘Whoever choses me will get all that he deserves.’
That’s well said, for who would expect
To gain riches and be upright
Without deserving it? No one should assume
They should get what they don’t deserve.
If high rank, degrees and offices
Were not gained by corruption, but earned with honer
By the person who gains them!
How many men would have a position that now do not!
How many would be commanded that now command!
How many upper ranks would be shown to be peasants
It rank were based on good name. And how many dignified
Would be picked from the discarded who’ve been tossed aside
To become newly decked out! Well, anyway—regarding my choice:
‘Whoever chooses me will get all that he deserves.’
I will assume I am deserving. Give me the key for this trunk
and I will unlock it to find my fate.
He opens the silver casket
PORTIA