THE DUKE OF VENICE

    THE PRINCE OF MOROCCO,
           suitor to Portia

    THE PRINCE OF ARRAGON,
           suitor to Portia

    ANTONIO,
           a merchant of Venice

    BASSANIO,
           his friend,
         suitor to Portia

    SOLANIO,
            friend to Antonio and Bassanio

    SALERIO,
            friend to Antonio and Bassanio

    GRATIANO,
            friend to Antonio and Bassanio

    LORENZO,
           in love with Jessica

    SHYLOCK,
           a rich Jew

    TUBAL,
           a Jew,
         his friend

    LAUNCELOT GOBBO,
           a clown,
         servant to Shylock

    OLD GOBBO,
           father to Launcelot

    LEONARDO,
           servant to Bassanio

    BALTHASAR,
           servant to Portia

    STEPHANO,
            servant to Portia

    PORTIA,
           a rich heiress

    NERISSA,
           her waiting-maid

    JESSICA,
           daughter to Shylock

    Magnificoes of Venice,
           Officers of
               the Court of Justice,
         Gaoler,
           Servants,
         and other Attendants

    Scene:
        Venice,
           and PORTIA'S house at Belmont
 
  ACT I. SCENE I. Venice. A
       street

    Enter ANTONIO,
           SALERIO,
         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 born,
             I am to learn;
            And such a want-wit sadness
                makes of me
                 That I
                      have much ado
                          to know myself.

    SALERIO.

    Your mind
        is tossing on the ocean;
           There where your argosies,
           with portly sail- Like signiors
               and rich burghers
             on the flood,
         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 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,
         Would make me sad.

    SALERIO.

    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 hour-glass run
         But I
            should think of shallows
                   and of flats,
           And see
               my wealthy Andrew dock'd
             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,
         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
              To think on this,
           and shall I
              lack the thought
             That such a thing bechanc'd
                would make me sad?

    But tell not me;
        I know Antonio
            Is sad
                  to think upon his merchandise.