Merchant of Venice Quotes

Quote 1: "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,"Act 1, Scene 1, lines 29-33

Quote 2: "His reasons are as two grains of wheat hid in, two bushels of chaff: you shall seek all day ere you find them, and when you have them they are not worth the search." Act 1, Scene 1, lines 115-8

Quote 3: "he, of all the men that my foolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving of a fair lady." Act 1, Scene 2, lines 129-31

Quote 4: "ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land-rats and water-rats, land-thieves and water-thieves,--I mean pirates,--and then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks." Act 1, Scene 3, lines 22-5

Quote 5: "The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek, a goodly apple rotten at the heart." Act 1, Scene 3, lines 99-102

Quote 6: "an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body pleaseth me." Act 1, Scene 3, lines 150-3

Quote 7: "Bring me the fairest creature northward born, where Phoebus' fire scarce thaws the icicles, and let us make incision for your love to prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine" Act 2, Scene 1, lines 4-7

Quote 8: "If Hercules and Lichas play at dice which is the better man, the greater throw may turn by fortune from the weaker hand." Act 2, Scene 1, lines 32-4

Quote 9: "I am famished in his service; you may tell every finger I have with my ribs." Act 2, Scene 2, lines 112-4

Quote 10: "Mistress, look out at window, for all this. There will come a Christian by will be worth a Jewess' eye." Act 2, Scene 5, lines 40-3

Quote 11: "Farewell, and if my fortune be not crost, I have a father, you a daughter, lost." Act 2, Scene 5, lines 56-7

Quote 12: "For she is wise, if I can judge of her. And fair she is, if that mine eyes be true. And true she is, as she hath proved herself, and therefore, like herself, wise, fair, and true, shall she be placed in my constant soul." Act 2, Scene 6, lines 53-7

Quote 13: "The first, of gold, who this inscription bears, 'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.' The second, silver, which this promise carries, 'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves.' This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, 'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath." Act 2, Scene 7, lines 4-9

Quote 14: "A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains, go. Let all of his complexion choose me so." Act 2, Scene 7, lines 78-9

Quote 15: "The ancient saying is no heresy, hanging and wiving goes by destiny." Act 2, Scene 9, lines 82-3

Quote 16: "To bait fish withal It will feed noth-
ing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced
me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my
losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation,
thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated
mine enemies. And what's his reason? I am a
Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed
with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same
means, warmed and cooled by the same winter
and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we
not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you
poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall
we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we
will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong
a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If
a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance
be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The vil-
lainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard
but I will better the instruction." Act 3, Scene 1, lines 55-76

Quote 17: "You that choose not by the view, chance as fair, and choose as true! Since this fortune falls to you, be content and seek no new. If you be well pleased with this, and hold your fortune for your bliss, turn you where your lady is and claim her with a loving kiss." Act 3, Scene 2, lines 132-9

Quote 18: "Portia: Well see our husbands before they think of us. Nerissa: Shall they see us? Portia: They shall, Nerissa, but in such a habit that they shall think we are accomplished with what we lack." Act 3, Scene 4, lines 57-62

Quote 19: "This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs." Act 3, Scene 5, lines 25-6

Quote 20: "And then 'tis thought thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange than is thy strange apparent cruelty," Act 4, Scene 1, lines 20-2

Quote 21: "Some men there are love not a gaping pig, some that are mad if they behold a cat, and others when the bagpipe sings i' the nose cannot contain their urine." Act 4, Scene 1, lines 47-50

Quote 22: "Bassanio: Every offense is not a hate at first.
Shylock: What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
Antonio: I pray you, think you question with the Jew.
You may as well go stand on the beach
and bid the main flood bate his usual height,
you may as well use question with the wolf
why he hath made the ewe bleat for the lamb,
you may as well forbid the mountain pines
to wag their high tops and to make no noise
when they are fretten with the gusts of heaven,
you may as well do anything most hard
as seek to soften that - than which what's harder? -
his Jewish heart. Therefore, I do beseech you
make no more offers, use no further means,
but with all brief and plain conveniency
let me have judgement and the Jew his will." Act 4, Scene 1, lines 68-83

Quote 23: "Shylock: Ay, 'his breast': So says the bond - doth it not, noble judge?-
'Nearest his heart.' Those are the very words.
Portia: It is so. Are there balance here to weigh the flesh?
Shylock: I have them ready.
Portia: Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge,
to stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death.
Shylock: Is it so nominated in the bond?
Portia: It is not so expressed; but what of that?
'twere good you do so much for charity.
Shylock: I cannot find it; 'tis not in the bond." Act 4, Scene 1, lines 253-262

Quote 24: "I have a wife who, I protest, I love. I would she were in heaven so she could entreat some power to change this currish Jew. Nerissa: 'Tis well that you offer it behind her back. The wish would make else an unquiet house." Act 4, Scene 1, lines 290-4

Quote 25: "If it be proven against an alien that by direct or indirect attempts he seek the life of any citizen, the party 'gainst the which he doth contrive shall seize one half his goods. The other half comes to the privy coffer of the state. And the offender's life lies in the mercy of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice." Act 4, Scene 1, lines 349-356

Quote 26: "My mind was never yet more mercenary." Act 4, Scene 1, line 418

Quote 27: "Why, I were best to cut my left hand off and swear I lost the ring defending it." Act 5, Scene 1, lines 176-7

Quote 28: "I once did lend my body for his wealth, which, but for him that had your husband's ring, had quite miscarried. I dare be bound again, my soul upon the forfeit, that your lord will never more break his faith advisedly." Act 5, Scene 1, lines 249-253

Quote 29: "Let it be so. The first inter'gatory that my Nerissa shall be sworn on is whether till the next night she had rather stay, or go to bed now, being two hours to day. But were the day come, I should wish it dark, that I were crouching with the Doctor's clerk. Well, while I live I'll fear no other thing so sore as keeping safe Nerissa's ring." Act 5, Scene 1, lines 300-7