illustration, may be found in the Introduction, VII., in the story of Roderigo Lopez. Lopez protested in court that he had previously made a false confession "to save himself from racking." Such a protest might well shake the confidence of thinking men in the rack as a means of getting at the truth. Compare lines 32, 33. 30 life: i.e. life together, coexistence. 44 For the most beautiful embodiment of the old notion that swans sing just before death, see Tennyson's poem, The Dying Swan. 45 Regard the fourth foot as an anapest; but it is probable that the almost vanished in the speaking of the line. 46 For the treatment of er, see Introduction, IV. h. 1. Compare line 57. 54 presence dignity of bearing. 56 The virgin tribute. Hesione was to be sacrificed to a seamonster, but was rescued by Hercules, for the sake of the horses which her father, King Laomedon of Troy, had promised him as a reward. Hence Portia attributes to Bassanio "much more love." Find the whole story in any classical dictionary. 63 fancy love, in its lighter sense; liking. Compare Tennyson, Locksley Hall: "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." 73 Bassanio has been "commenting on the caskets to himself." Now "he begins abruptly; the first part of the argument has passed in his mind." - DR. JOHNSON. 74 still. See Act I, sc. i, line 17. 83 cowards to be here given as a monosyllable. 87 excrement: outgrowth; hence, beard. Shakespeare elsewhere uses the word for beard or hair. Compare Winter's Tale, Act IV, sc. iv, line 733. "Autolycus. Let me pocket up my pedlar's excrement. (Takes off his false beard.)” 88 beauty here specifically beauty of complexion. 91 See note on Act II, sc. vi, line 42. Here the play is between lightness (of weight) and lightness (of character), levity. 94 Upon surmounting. What Bassanio means by supposed fairness appears in line 89. 97 guiled: full of guile, treacherous. 99 an Indian beauty. This expression has puzzled the commentators; yet the simplest interpretation of it is the most satisfactory. "An Indian beauty" would be no beauty at all to Shakespeare, so that the phrase is in itself an instance of oxymoron; and, signifying something unbeautiful, it is also antithetical to beauteous in the previous line. See note on Act I, sc. ii, line 114; and notice that beauty, line 88, is synonymous with fairness, line 94. Read lines 97-100 quickly, but with a full sense of their meaning, strongly emphasizing Indian; call up at the same time the image of "the beauteous scarf" drawn aside, and the dark face appearing and all difficulty will vanish. 101 Read t'entrap. Shakespeare sometimes allows an extra syllable before a pause, as here in "wisest." 102 Hard food for Midas. Any classical dictionary will tell the story of King Midas and the golden touch; but the best commentary on this line is Hawthorne's playful version of that story in The Wonder-Book. 109 rash-embraced. See note on Act II, sc. viii, line 52. Is the final ed here sounded? 113 In measure rein thy joy.. What is the metaphor? Some of the old editions read rain; how would you explain that reading? 115 It is probably the pause which fills the time of a second syllable in the third foot. 120 sugar breath. See note on "livery," Act II, sc. i, line 2. 123 See note on line 101. 125 This line satisfies the ear if read in the ordinary way, with the emphasis on made, one thus becoming the unaccented eleventh syllable. But the emphasis ought rather, from what follows, to fall on one. Abbott explains that in having the v is softened, and the word pronounced as a monosyllable; and Furness comments on the corresponding treatment of v in Scotch dialect. Whether this rule is to be followed by a modern reader, or the last foot is to be given as an anapest, is, as in cases previously encountered, a question of taste. 127 unfurnish'd, i.e. unprovided with a fellow; unfellowed. The i in this word may be rendered very lightly. Notice the use of how far for "as far as," in correspondence with so. continent: container. 131 141 by note: according to the written instruction. 145 The second i in spirit must be lightly touched. 158 livings: possessions. 160 sum of something. This is the reading of the Quartos; the Folios have "sum of nothing." Dr. Furness thinks that in either case there should be a pause after "of," perhaps indicated by a dash; Portia hesitates a moment. It would be interesting to discuss the difference of meaning between the two readings, and the distinct feeling which underlies each. 163 The reading here given is not that of the Globe text, which has "happier than this." The editor has preferred to follow the later Folios and Rowe. 165 Collier was the first to suggest that "is" in this line, occurring in all the early editions, may be a misprint for in. He was followed by Rolfe and Hudson, and the change approved by Furness. The Globe editors retain “is.” but now just now. In 171, even now, but now has the slightly different force, "at this very moment." 169 176 vantage: ground of advantage. Bassanio's loss of the ring will place Portia in a position where she will have the right to exclaim. 201 Theobald's punctuation has here been adopted as the most reasonable. Connected with it is his definition of intermission as "standing idle; a pause, or discontinuance of action." "It is no more my way to stand idle, than it is yours." The Globe editors follow some of the early texts in printing, “I loved for intermission." What interpretation of the next line does this demand? On intermission see Introduction, IV. h. 2. 214 Printed as prose in the Globe; but perhaps it is a line of For marriage, see note on Act II, sc. ix, line 13. The rendering of the line would be similar to that of 215. verse. 215 "Two extra syllables are sometimes allowed, if unemphatic, ABBOTT, Enter Lorenzo, Jessica, and Salanio. This is the most important departure of the present edition from the Globe text. All early editions read SALERIO, to which the First Quarto adds "a messenger from Venice." But it has already been pointed out (first note on Act I, sc. i) that there is an almost hopeless confusion in the Folios and Quartos between Salarino and Salanio; and once at least (Act III, sc. iii) "Salerio" appears in the Second and Third Quartos, where unquestionably either Salanio or Salarino is intended. Knight considered it throughout a misprint for Salanio; and argued that there is no necessity for introducing a new character, and that dramatic propriety is violated by the introduction at this point. With this opinion Dyce agreed. Writing for a company of actors so few in number it does not seem likely that a prudent playwright... would, without excellent reason, add to the number of the Dramatis Personæ. If, however, a new character must be introduced late in the play, that playwright is, indeed, poverty-stricken in nomenclature, who, to avoid confusion, can think of no name sharply different from any with which the audience is already familiar." - FURNESS. "Salerio" seems to the present editor an accidental intruder, created by careless compositors. 220 very true. What is its derivation? 66 228 Following the methods that have been suggested in other cases, how would you read this irregular line? Try also lines 239 and 263. 236 A royal merchant was one who transacted business for a sovereign. Probably Gratiano, in the exuberance of his feelings, uses royal in the double sense. 240 shrewd biting, sharp. The general definition, "having the characteristics of a shrew," will cover most cases of this adjective, if it be remembered that shrew means (1) a tiny, biting, mouse-like creature; and hence, (2) a sharp-tongued, scolding person. We have, then, as derived adjective meanings, "keen, cunning, malicious, hurtful," and also, 243 "ill-tempered." Lastly, the adjective has at times a force derived from the verb shrew, "accursed." See note on beshrew, Act II, sc. vi, line 52. How must contents be accented? constitution. How many syllables are there in this word? 244 constant: firm, steady. 246 See note on 215. 256 state: estate. 259 mere: absolute, unqualified. 269 What difference from modern grammatical usage appears in this line? 271 He must be emphasized, to make the antecedent evident. 275 impeach the freedom of the state: deny that the state is free, i.e. that it grants equal rights before the law to those of alien race. 276 twenty. See note on Act II, sc. vi, line 66. The student may make a list of examples, occurring in this play, of the peculiar use of twenty. 277 magnificoes: the chief men of Venice. To what familiar word is this apparently allied? 290 For condition'd see note on Act I, sc. ii, line 114; for the whole expression, note on Act II, sc. i, line 46. 293 Supply a preposition before any. 298, 299 For scansion, see Introduction, IV. h. 2. 309 cheer: countenance, aspect. 310 "Since a man's life has been staked for you (and you have been purchased for me at that great cost), I will love you all the more." 314, 315 "Tween you and I seems to have been a regular Elizabethan idiom.". - ABBOTT. ACT III. SCENE III 9 naughty. Used in a graver sense than at present; as fre quently in the King James's Bible. 9 fond: foolishly indulgent. I |