Act 4, Scene 2 - The Merchant of Venice | Classic Literature
The same. A street.
Enter Portia and Nerissa .
Portia
Inquire the Jew’s house out, give him this deeda formal legal document recording an agreement or gift
And let him sign it: we’ll away to-night
And be a day before our husbands home:
This deed will be well welcome to Lorenzo.
Enter Gratiano .
Gratiano
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.
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.
Gratiano
That will I do.
Nerissa
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.
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 outfaceface someone down through bold insistence them, and outswear them too.
Aloud. Away! make haste: thou know’st where I will tarrystay or wait .
Nerissa
Come, good sir, will you show me to this house? Exeunt.
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Previously Act 4, Scene 1: In court, Portia appears as a doctor of laws with Nerissa disguised as a clerk, and saves Antonio by ruling that Shylock may take exactly a pound of flesh but no blood. Shylock then faces a law against an alien seeking a citizen's life, and accepts conversion and a settlement for Lorenzo and Jessica as conditions imposed with the Duke's pardon. After Portia asks Bassanio for his marriage ring as a reward, Antonio persuades him to send it after her with Gratiano.
Who's who so far Antonio Antonio escapes the bond's penalty, makes Shylock's relief conditional on conversion and provision for Lorenzo and Jessica, and urges Bassanio to give the doctor his wife's ring. S Salarino Salarino tries to explain Antonio's sadness by imagining the loss of his merchant ships, then suggests that he is in love. S Salanio Salanio tells Antonio that having wealth at sea would make him anxious about the weather and the safety of his investments. Bassanio Bassanio offers money and declares he would sacrifice even his wife to save Antonio, then sends the disguised Portia his ring after initially refusing because of his marriage vow. Lorenzo Lorenzo calls Jessica his wife, rebukes Launcelot's evasive wordplay and jokes that he matches Portia's worth as a spouse. Gratiano Gratiano abuses Shylock throughout the trial, repeats his praise of the judge to mock his defeat and is sent to deliver Bassanio's ring to the disguised Portia. Portia Portia appears as the doctor of laws recommended under the name Balthasar, saves Antonio through a strict reading of the bond and law, and asks Bassanio for his marriage ring. Nerissa Nerissa appears disguised as a lawyer's clerk, delivers Bellario's letter and rebukes Gratiano's wish that his wife were in heaven without revealing herself. PS Portia's servant Portia's servant announces a Venetian messenger with rich gifts from an approaching lord and praises the messenger's promise as an ambassador of love. Shylock Shylock loses his claim to Antonio's flesh and, with his life dependent on the Duke's pardon, agrees to become a Christian and settle his estate on Lorenzo and Jessica after his death. The Prince of Morocco The Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket because he thinks it worthy of Portia, finds a death's head and a warning against outward show, and leaves in grief. Launcelot Gobbo Launcelot teases Jessica about damnation and conversion, then answers Lorenzo's accusation that he has made a Moorish woman pregnant with a pun. Old Gobbo Old Gobbo is Launcelot's nearly blind father, who fails to recognise his son at first and then helps him ask Bassanio for employment. L Leonardo Leonardo is Bassanio's follower, whom Bassanio urges to finish buying and arranging things for his feast and return quickly. Jessica Jessica calls Lorenzo her husband, says he has made her a Christian and answers Launcelot's claim that her parentage condemns her. The Prince of Arragon The Prince of Arragon rejects the gold casket as the crowd's choice, assumes he deserves Portia and chooses silver, only to find a fool's portrait and leave unsuccessful. AS Antonio's servant Antonio's servant summons Salarino and Salanio to speak with his master at home. Tubal Tubal returns from searching for Jessica with reports of her spending and Antonio's losses, and Shylock asks him to engage an officer. S Salerio Salerio is a messenger from Venice who brings Antonio's letter to Bassanio at Belmont and reports Shylock's insistence on the bond. G The gaoler The gaoler accompanies Antonio outside at his request and is rebuked by Shylock for allowing it. B Balthasar Balthasar is Portia's servant, whom she sends to carry a letter to Doctor Bellario in Padua and bring notes and garments to the Venice ferry. The Duke The Duke presides over Antonio's trial, admits the disguised Portia on Bellario's recommendation and pardons Shylock's life while threatening to withdraw that pardon unless he accepts Antonio's conditions. C The clerk The clerk reads Bellario's letter recommending a young doctor named Balthasar to act in his place. Words to know
deed a formal legal document recording an agreement or gift
outface face someone down through bold insistence
tarry stay or wait
Act 4, Scene 2 in brief Alone with Nerissa in the street, Portia directs her to Shylock's house with the deed and says they will reach home before their husbands. Her remark that Lorenzo will welcome the document links the legal settlement to the household at Belmont. Gratiano catches up with Bassanio's ring and an invitation to dinner, confirming that Bassanio has parted with the pledge he had promised to keep. Portia accepts the ring but refuses the invitation and asks Gratiano to guide her disguised companion to Shylock's house. In an aside to Portia, Nerissa reveals that she too gave her husband a ring with a promise to keep it, and announces her intention to try to obtain it. Portia's answering aside anticipates arguments over the rings and exposes to the audience a plan Gratiano does not hear, keeping the wives in control of the disguise.
Key quotes I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring,
Which I did make him swear to keep for ever. Why it matters Nerissa's private plan repeats the test Portia has already set Bassanio. The audience learns about her intention while Gratiano still takes her for a male clerk.Love, marriage and wealth Bonds, law and obligation Appearance and reality Choice and control
We shall have old swearing
That they did give the rings away to men;
But we’ll outface them, and outswear them too. Why it matters Portia turns the difference between the husbands' belief and the wives' knowledge into a planned argument. The repeated language of swearing connects comic persuasion with the promises attached to the rings.Love, marriage and wealth Bonds, law and obligation Appearance and reality Choice and control
Themes in this chapter Love, marriage and wealth Bonds, law and obligation Appearance and reality Choice and control Money, credit and risk
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Contents ×
Dramatis Personae 1 min Act 1
Act 1, Scene 1 6 min Act 1, Scene 2 5 min Act 1, Scene 3 6 min Act 2
Act 2, Scene 1 2 min Act 2, Scene 2 7 min Act 2, Scene 3 1 min Act 2, Scene 4 1 min Act 2, Scene 5 2 min Act 2, Scene 6 2 min Act 2, Scene 7 3 min Act 2, Scene 8 2 min Act 2, Scene 9 3 min Act 3
Act 3, Scene 1 5 min Act 3, Scene 2 11 min Act 3, Scene 3 1 min Act 3, Scene 4 3 min Act 3, Scene 5 3 min Act 4
Act 4, Scene 1 16 min Act 4, Scene 2 1 min Act 5
Act 5, Scene 1 11 min Text settings ×
Picked up where you left off Start of chapter