Copyright © 2007, 2010 by The Royal Shakespeare Company
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Modern Library, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
MODERN LIBRARY and the TORCHBEARER Design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
“Royal Shakespeare Company,” “RSC,” and the RSC logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Royal Shakespeare Company.
The version of The Merchant of Venice and the corresponding footnotes that appear in this volume were originally published in William Shakespeare: Complete Works, edited by Jonathan Bate and Eric Rasmussen, published in 2007 by Modern Library, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
eISBN: 978-1-58836-874-4
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v3.0
1 sooth truth
4 stuff substance
whereof … born i.e. what is its cause
5 to learn yet to discover
6 want-wit senseless idiot
7 ado trouble
8 tossing on troubled/preoccupied with
9 argosies large merchant ships
portly stately, majestic
sail sails/(act of) sailing
10 signiors sirs/gentlemen
burghers citizens
flood sea
11 pageants spectacles, shows
12 overpeer look down upon
petty traffickers inferior merchant ships
13 curtsy bow or curtsy, perhaps suggested by the bobbing of the smaller ships in the argosies’ wake
do them reverence pay them respect
14 fly speed
woven wings material sails (also suggestive of the wings of a fly)
15 venture risky business enterprise
forth away from home, i.e. on the seas
16 better part greater half
affections emotions/thoughts
17 hopes expectations, prospects
still constantly
18 where sits i.e. which way blows
19 roads harbors
24 ague fever, shaking
26 should i.e. could
27 flats sandbanks
28 Andrew name of a ship
29 Vailing lowering (in submission)
high top top section of the mast
ribs i.e. body of the ship
30 burial burial place
should I was I able to
32 bethink me straight think immediately
33 but merely
gentle noble/harmless
34 stream current
35 waters … silks may play on idea of “watered silk,” a relatively new fabric
36 even just
this this much (i.e. the value of the cargo)
39 bechanced having happened
43 bottom ship’s bottom, hold
44 estate fortunes/circumstances
45 Upon dependent on/risked upon
fortune chance, fate
48 Fie expression of impatience or disgust
52 Janus Roman god with two faces
53 framed formed
54 peep peer through eyes half-closed in laughter
55 bagpiper bagpipes were thought to sound melancholic
56 other others
vinegar aspect sour expression
58 Though even if
Nestor Trojan leader, noted for his wisdom and gravity
Gratiano according to a contemporary Italian dictionary, a name given to a foolish or clownish character in a play
63 prevented forestalled
64 dear valuable
regard consideration
66 embrace welcome
th’occasion the opportunity
68 laugh i.e. meet for some fun
69 strange distant/unfamiliar
70 leisures … yours spare time accommodate yours, i.e. ensure we are available when you are
73 have in mind i.e. think about
76 respect … world concern for worldly affairs/business
77 it enjoyment (especially of material wealth)
buy … care i.e. worry so much about it
78 marvellously extremely
79 hold consider, view
83 old your former/plentiful/familiar, “good old” (puns on the sense of “elderly”)
84 liver thought to be the seat of the passions
85 heart … groans groans were believed to drain blood from the heart
mortifying penitential/deadly
87 grandsire grandfather
cut in alabaster i.e. a statue on a tomb
88 creep … jaundices become yellow from an excess of yellow bile or choler
89 peevish irritable, morose
91 visages faces
92 cream and mantle become covered in a layer of scum (i.e. are calm/expressionless)
standing still/stagnant
93 wilful deliberate
stillness restraint/quietness
entertain maintain
94 dressed … opinion invested with a reputation
95 conceit understanding
96 As … say as if to say
97 ope open
101 damn … fools condemn the hearers for obliging them to call the speakers fools (according to the Bible a damnable offense)
105 fool foolish
gudgeon proverbially gullible fish
107 exhortation earnest speech/entreaty
109 dumb silent
113 grow become
for this gear as a result of this talk/on account of this matter
115 neat’s tongue dried cured ox tongue
vendible saleable/sought-after (for marriage)
116 Is … now? Did that (talk) mean anything?
118 reasons reasonings, opinions
119 ere before
122 same i.e. one
126 disabled devalued
127 something somewhat
swelling port extravagant lifestyle
128 faint inadequate
grant continuance allow maintenance (of)
129 make moan complain
abridged deprived
130 noble rate high style of living
care concern
131 come … from i.e. repay
132 time (young) age/time spent
prodigal excessive, lavish
133 gaged pledged/entangled
135 warranty authorization
136 unburden reveal
140 Within … honour i.e. honorable
142 occasions needs
143 shaft arrow
144 his … flight the same type of arrow
145 advisèd careful
146 forth out
adventuring risking
147 urge bring forward
proof test/example
148 innocence sincerity
151 self same
153 or either
154 hazard i.e. that which was risked subsequently
155 rest remain
156 spend but only waste
157 wind … circumstance ingratiate yourself by speaking in an elaborate, roundabout way
158 out of without
159 making … uttermost questioning my offer of all the help I can give
160 made waste spent/wasted
161 but only
163 pressed enlisted
164 richly left with a large inheritance (left by her father)
166 Sometimes formerly, at one time
168 nothing undervalued To worth no less than
169 Cato Roman politician of the second century BC
Brutus Roman politician of the first century BC, married to Portia
173 golden fleece in Greek mythology the valued prize sought for by Jason
174 seat rural estate
strand the shore of Colchos (Colchis), where the fleece was found
&nbs
p; 178 presages that predicts
thrift profit/advantage
179 questionless without question
181 commodity goods
182 present immediate, ready
183 Try find out
184 racked stretched
185 furnish thee equip you to go
186 presently at once (to)
188 of my trust on my credit as a merchant
sake i.e. friendship’s sake
waiting woman companion and confidante; she is a genteel character, not a servant
1 troth faith
3 would be would have real reason to be (weary)
5 aught anything
surfeit feed to excess
7 mean middle
Superfluity overindulgence
comes sooner by sooner gains
8 competency sufficiency/modest means
9 sentences maxims
pronounced delivered
13 divine clergyman
16 blood passions (i.e. not reason)
hot temper passionate, impulsive temperament
17 cold decree i.e. sensible advice
18 meshes nets, traps
19 in fashion the (right) way
20 would want
21 will desire
22 will testament/inclination
25 lottery game of chance
27 who whoever
his meaning i.e. the chest he intended
28 rightly correctly (sense then shifts to “truly”)
31 overname list
33 level at point to/guess at
34 Neapolitan inhabitants of Naples were famed for their horsemanship
35 colt foolish/lustful youth (puns on the sense of “young horse”)
36 appropriation addition/special feature
37 parts abilities
38 played false was unfaithful
smith blacksmith
39 County Count
Palatine possessing royal privileges over his region
40 who if one
An if
41 choose i.e. do as you like
42 prove prove to be
weeping philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, a reclusive and melancholy philosopher of 500 BC
43 unmannerly impolite/immoderate
sadness gravity/melancholy
44 death’s-head skull
47 How what
by about
Le Bon the good (French)
50 better bad i.e. worse
51 He … man he copies characteristics of everyone else but lacks his own identity
52 throstle thrush
straight straightaway
a capering to dancing
55 if even if
59 say i.e. speak (puns on Nerissa’s meaning, “think about”)
61 come … swear i.e. testify
62 poor … the i.e. very little
proper man’s picture the image of an attractive man
63 dumb show mime
64 suited dressed
doublet close-fitting jacket
65 round hose short breeches, puffed out at the hips
bonnet hat
69 borrowed received
71 surety guarantor
sealed under pledged (literally, set his seal)
another i.e. a further box of the ear
73 Saxony former principality of Germany
77 beast may pun on best
An if
fall befall, happen
78 make shift arrange, manage
80 you should you would
83 Rhenish wine German white wine
contrary incorrect
if even if
84 without on the outside
86 sponge i.e. excessive drinker
88 determinations resolutions
90 suit courtship
sort way
91 imposition command
92 Sibylla Cumaean prophetess whom Apollo granted as many years of life as there were grains in her handful of sand
93 Diana Roman goddess of chastity
94 parcel company
99 Montferrat Italian dukedom
102 foolish inexperienced
105 four strangers foreign suitors (in fact, six have been mentioned)
106 forerunner messenger
111 condition disposition
112 complexion … devil traditionally black
shrive me hear my confession, absolve me
113 wive marry
Sirrah sir (used to an inferior)
Shylock perhaps from the Hebrew Shallach (“cormorant”), or from “Shiloh” (Genesis 49:10, although the word means “messiah”); possible connotations of wary secrecy and hoarding (shy lock)
1 ducats gold coins
5 bound bound in obligation to repay
7 stead assist
pleasure oblige
13 imputation accusation
15 sufficient of adequate means
16 supposition uncertainty
17 Tripolis Tripoli, North African port (now in Libya)
Indies East Indies
18 Rialto merchants’ exchange in Venice; also bridge over the Grand Canal
19 squandered scattered/sent recklessly
21 pirates puns on rats
23 notwithstanding nevertheless
26 assured shifts sense to “guaranteed against risks”
27 bethink me consider it
29 habitation i.e. the body of a pig
30 Nazarite someone from Nazareth, i.e. Jesus
32 following forth
36 publican tax collector
38 low simplicity humble naïveté/foolishness
39 gratis for nothing (i.e. without charging interest)
40 usance lending money at interest
41 upon the hip at a disadvantage (wrestling term)
42 fat until fat
43 our sacred nation i.e. the Jewish people
rails rants/is abusive (about)
44 there … congregate i.e. on the Rialto
45 thrift profit
46 tribe i.e. one of the twelve tribes of Israel, from which all Jews were descended
49 debating … store considering my supply of ready money
51 gross total
53 Tubal name found in Genesis 10:2
54 furnish supply
soft wait a moment
55 Rest you fair form of greeting (“may you remain well”)
56 Your … mouths i.e. we were just talking about you
58 excess i.e. interest
59 ripe wants pressing needs
60 possessed notified of
61 would want
65 bond contract/pledge
67 advantage interest
68 use employ (puns on the sense of “interest”)
69 Jacob … sheep with his mother’s help, Jacob tricked his father into making him heir; fleeing his brother Esau’s wrath, he went to work for his uncle Laban (Genesis 27 and 30)
70 from descended from
Abram Abraham
71 wrought brought about, arranged
72 third possessor i.e. of the birthright (after Abraham and Isaac)
75 Mark pay attention to
76 were compromised had reached agreement
77 eanlings newborn lambs
pied spotted with another color
78 fall as become
hire wages
rank lustful/in heat
80 generation procreation
82 peeled … wands stripped the bark off particular sticks
83 in … kind while the sheep were engaged in their natural act (i.e. breeding)
84 stuck … ewes refers to the idea that what the mother sees during conception influences the appearance of the offspring
fulsome lustful
85 eaning lambing
86 Fall drop, give birth to
87 thrive profit
89 venture enterprise
served served God
91 fashioned arranged, created
92
inserted introduced, brought up
good i.e. justifiable
100 goodly wholesome-looking
104 beholding indebted
106 rated berated, reproached (puns on rate)
109 sufferance endurance
111 gaberdine loose cloak or coat
112 use employment (puns on sense of “financial interest”)
114 Go to expression of impatient dismissal
116 void discharge, empty
rheum spittle
117 foot kick
spurn despise/reject/strike
stranger cur unknown dog
118 suit request
122 bondman’s key serf’s tone
123 bated subdued
128 like likely
132 A … metal an unnatural increase of money—i.e. interest
barren unable to reproduce naturally
of from
134 break i.e. fail to repay the sum
better more willing
139 doit small coin (i.e. tiny amount)
141 kind kindness/natural behavior
142 were would be (indeed)
144 notary person authorized to draw up contracts
145 single particular/bond that specifies that a sum of money must be paid on an appointed day
148 condition contract
149 nominated for named as
equal exact
155 dwell remain/exist
necessity need
161 suspect i.e. to doubt
163 break his day miss the appointed date (for repayment)
164 exaction enforcement
166 estimable valuable
169 so so be it
172 forthwith at once
173 direction instruction
174 purse bag up
175 See attend
fearful fear-inducing
176 unthrifty profligate/careless
knave scoundrel/servant
presently soon
178 Hie hurry
gentle courteous (may pun on “gentile”)
179 kind agreeable/generous/natural
tawny dark-skinned/of yellowish-brown skin
Moor person of either African or Middle Eastern origin
Flourish fanfare
2 livery uniform/badge
burnished shining like polished metal
3 near bred closely related
5 Phoebus Roman sun god
6 make incision i.e. to let blood
7 reddest suggestive of courage and vigor
8 aspect face
9 feared frightened
10 clime land
11 hue color/appearance
14 nice scrupulous/whimsical
direction guidance
17 scanted limited
18 hedged protected/confined
wit wisdom
19 His as his
20 then would then have
fair i.e. fair a chance (puns on the sense of “fair-skinned/attractive”)
22 For of gaining/hoping for
25 scimitar short, curved sword
26 Sophy ruler (shah) of Persia
27 fields battles
of from/against