81 satisfaction compensation
82 lights settles
87 cast away lost, shipwrecked
94 fourscore eighty
96 at a sitting in one go
97 divers several
98 break fail to keep the bond/go bankrupt
101 of from
103 Out upon her! expression of frustration and condemnation
104 Leah Shylock’s wife
105 wilderness i.e. large number
106 undone ruined
107 fee purchase, hire, secure
108 officer constable/ bailiff
bespeak engage
before i.e. before the date of Antonio’s bond
110 what whatever
merchandise business dealings
will want
1 tarry wait, delay
2 in choosing if you choose
3 forbear desist, have patience
6 quality way
8 And … thought i.e. a modest young woman can think but not speak what she feels
10 venture take a chance (i.e. with the caskets)
11 forsworn will have broken my promise
12 So that (i.e. forsworn)
So as a result
miss me i.e. choose incorrectly
15 o’erlooked bewitched
17 would i.e. should
18 naughty wicked
19 bars obstacles
20 though … yours i.e. although I am truly yours (by desire), I am not so legitimately
Prove it if it turn out to be
22 peise delay (literally by weighing down)
23 eke eke out, extend
24 stay prevent/dissuade
election choice
26 rack torture instrument that stretched the limbs, used to elicit confessions from those suspected of treason
29 mistrust worry, doubt
30 fear fearful, doubtful about
enjoying with sexual connotations
32 as as between
34 enforcèd compelled
36 confess and live plays on “confess and be hanged” (proverbial)
40 deliverance i.e. from death
41 let me to allow me (to deal with)
44 aloof to one side
46 swan-like end swans were thought to sing as they died
51 flourish trumpet fanfare
53 dulcet sweet
56 presence dignity/noble demeanor
57 Alcides i.e. Hercules, who rescued Hesione from a sea-monster and was rewarded by her father, the king of Troy, with a pair of magnificent horses, rather than the maiden’s love
58 howling grieving
59 stand for represent
60 Dardanian Trojan
61 blearèd visages tear-stained faces
62 issue outcome
63 Live thou if you live
64 fray assault/din
65 fancy love
66 Or either
67 begot conceived
71 the cradle its infancy/the eyes
72 knell funeral bell
75 themselves i.e. like what they seem
76 still always
78 gracious charming
80 sober brow i.e. solemn clergyman
81 approve support
text passage from the Bible
82 grossness flagrant/coarse nature
83 simple small/basic
assumes acquires
84 his its
87 Mars god of war
88 searched probed surgically
livers … milk the liver was thought to be the seat of courage; a coward’s would be pale from lack of blood
89 excrement facial hair
90 redoubted dreaded/revered
beauty … weight cosmetics and hair were bought by the ounce
93 lightest most frivolous/least heavy
94 crispèd tightly curled
95 wanton playful/wild/lascivious
96 fairness beauty/brightness
97 dowry … sepulchre i.e. a wig made of a dead woman’s hair
99 guilèd deceptive
101 Indian i.e. dark-skinned (the Elizabethans preferred fair complexions)
103 gaudy excessively showy/bright
104 Midas Phrygian king whose wish for everything he touched to turn to gold was granted only too literally
105 thee i.e. the silver casket
drudge lackey, because used in business transactions
110 fleet change/pass swiftly
111 As such as
rash-embraced recklessly adopted
114 measure moderation
rain pour (but could be “rein”)
scant limit
116 surfeit overindulge and become ill
118 counterfeit image
demigod i.e. the painter, or creator of this perfect image
119 eyes i.e. the eyes of the portrait
120 Or whether or
balls of mine i.e. my eyeballs
121 severed parted
122 bar barrier (i.e. breath)
126 Faster more tightly
128 it i.e. the first painted eye
129 unfurnished unfinished, unpartnered
130 substance subject (i.e. Portia)
shadow image, reflection
133 continent summation/container
135 Chance as fair guess as fortunately
143 by note i.e. as directed by the scroll
note invoice/account
144 prize contest
148 his for him
151 confirmed, signed, ratified language of commerce
158 account estimate/financial reckoning
159 livings possessions, livelihood
160 account calculation
sum essence/financial amount
161 term in gross express overall, wholesale
162 unpractisèd inexperienced/innocent
170 converted changed (also a legal term for wrongfully appropriating someone else’s property for one’s own use)
But just
176 presage indicate
177 vantage opportunity/superior position
exclaim on accuse/denounce
179 blood blood/passion
180 confusion agitation
powers faculties
184 something i.e. small utterance
blent blended
185 wild wilderness (i.e. confused sound, hubbub)
save except
186 expressed articulated, comprehensible
188 be bold presume, feel certainty
190 That who
194 wish none require no more/want to detract from any of my joy
196 faith (love) promise
197 Even exactly
198 so provided
201 maid waiting-woman
202 intermission delay/respite (in loving)
204 stood depended
205 falls turns out
207 roof i.e. of the mouth
208 last endure (puns on at last)
213 so provided
215 faith in truth/fidelity
217 play … boy bet who has the first son
218 stake down put the money down in advance
219 sport game/sex
stake down i.e. with a non-erect penis
220 infidel i.e. Jessica
223 youth newness
new interest recently acquired authority
225 very true
235 Commends him sends his regards
236 ope open
240 estate circumstances
241 cheer welcome
yond yonder, that
243 royal kingly, magnificent
247 shrewd ominous/grievous
250 constitution mood
251 constant consistent, stable
252 leave your permission
half yourself i.e. as his wife; the witnessed betrothal was nearly as binding as marriage
262 Rating reckoning, estimating
264 state estate, wealth
266 engaged pledged
267 mere total
269 as like
272 hit success
274 Barbary Barbary Coast, North Africa
275 dreadful fear-inspiring
276 merchant-marring capable of damaging a merchant ship
278 should appear i.e. appears
279 present ready
discharge pay
280 He i.e. Shylock
282 confound destroy
284 impeach call into question
freedom civil liberty
286 magnificoes foremost noblemen in Venice
287 port dignity/social standing
persuaded entreated
288 envious malicious
plea legal claim
289 forfeiture penalty
291 Chus a name found in Genesis 10:6, spelled “Cush”
296 hard with badly for
299 best-conditioned best-natured
300 courtesies good services
306 deface obliterate
318 hence (go) from here
319 cheer appearance/welcome
320 dear expensively (sense then shifts to “deeply”)
323 estate condition/status
326 Notwithstanding nevertheless
use your pleasure enjoy yourself/do what you wish
328 Dispatch settle
332 ’twixt us twain between us two
1 look see
2 gratis for no interest
10 naughty wicked
fond foolish
11 abroad out of the jail/outside
15 dull-eyed easily deceived/stupid
20 kept dwelt
22 bootless pointless
25 made moan complained, lamented (about debts to Shylock)
28 grant allow
hold stand firm
30 commodity (commercial) privileges
strangers outsiders (including Jews)
33 Since that since
35 bated me diminished me/made me lose weight
2 conceit understanding
3 godlike amity divine friendship
5 to whom i.e. Antonio
6 relief financial aid
7 lover friend
9 customary … you ordinary generosity would make you
12 waste spend/while away
14 needs of necessity
like similar, comparable
15 lineaments characteristics/physical features
17 bosom lover intimate friend
20 semblance image
my soul i.e. Bassanio
25 husbandry domestic administration
manage management
33 deny refuse
imposition command
38 people i.e. household servants
47 honest-true truthful and reliable
50 render give
52 look what whatever
53 imagined all imaginable
54 traject crossing place/ferry
common public
55 trades i.e. crosses
62 habit clothing
63 accomplishèd equipped
64 that we lack i.e. penises (they will be disguised as men)
hold offer and maintain
65 accoutred dressed
67 braver bolder/more splendid
grace elegance/attitude
68 between … voice i.e. with an adolescent boy’s reedy breaking voice
69 mincing dainty
70 frays fights
71 quaint ingenious
74 do withal help it
76 puny petty/inexperienced
78 Above more than
79 raw unrefined
Jacks fellows
81 turn to become (Portia puns on the sense of “become sexually available to”)
84 device plan
87 measure cover/count out
2 promise assure
fear you fear for you
3 plain honest
agitation agitated thoughts (possible malapropism for “cogitation”)
6 bastard mixed/illegitimate
neither nevertheless
8 got begot, conceived
13 Scylla … Charybdis Odysseus had to navigate between these two dangerous points (the monster Scylla and whirlpool Charybdis)
fall into with sexual connotations
14 gone ruined
15 I … husband “the unbelieving wife is made acceptable to God by being united to her Christian husband” (1 Corinthians 7:14)
17 We … enow there were enough of us Christians
18 by alongside/off
19 raise … hogs because Christians eat pork (unlike Jews)
21 money any price
25 get … corners i.e. for sex
27 are have fallen
32 getting … belly making the negro pregnant
Moor African (woman)
34 much of concern
more than reason greater than is reasonable (i.e. pregnant); more puns on Moor
35 less … for i.e. Lancelet does not think much of the woman’s morals (possibly he gets confused in his attempt to play on Moor/more/less)
honest chaste
38 grace virtue, quality
40 them i.e. the servants (but Lancelet takes the sense of “diners”)
41 stomachs appetites
42 wit-snapper wisecracker
44 ‘cover’ lay the table (Lancelet goes on to play on the sense of “cover one’s head with a hat”)
46 my duty i.e. as a servant, who would remove his hat in the presence of superiors
47 quarrelling with occasion i.e. taking the opportunity for quibbling
50 fellows fellow servants
52 For as for
table i.e. food
53 covered i.e. on a covered serving dish
54 humours and conceits whims and fancies
55 discretion judgment
suited adapted as appropriate
58 A many many
stand … place have higher positions of employment
59 Garnished provided with a good supply of words/dressed
60 Defy the matter confuse the meaning
cheerest thou are you feeling
63 Past all expressing beyond words
meet suitable
68 In reason it stands to reason
70 lay bet, stake
72 Pawned pledged
rude unrefined
73 fellow equal
74 Even just
75 of in
78 stomach appetite/inclination
81 digest consider/endure/swallow
82 set you forth praise you/serve you up
3 answer face/defend yourself against
6 From of
dram tiny amount
8 qualify diminish, moderate
9 stands obdurate remains inflexible
11 envy’s malice’s
14 tyranny cruelty
17 our the royal plural
19 but … fashion only persist in this form/contrivance
20 last … act i.e. eleventh hour, final moment
21 remorse pity
strange surprisingly
22 strange unnatural/foreign
25 loose revoke, abandon
27 moiety portion/half
30 royal merchant merchant prince
32 brassy bosoms hard hearts
33 Turks and Tartars both considered pitiless infidels
35 gentle puns on “gentile”
36 possessed notified
38 due debt
39 danger damage
40 charter deed of privilege
42 carrion loathsome/putrefying
44 humour mood, inclination
answered explained satisfactorily
47 baned poisoned
48 love who love
50 i’th’nose with a nasal twang
51 affection inclination
55 he one person
gaping i.e. roasted with its mouth open
56 Why he another person
necessary useful (for catching rats and mice)
61 lodged deep-rooted
certain definite, fixed
62 follow pursue
63 losing i.e. involving loss (for Antonio)
65 current course, flow
71 think realize
73 main flood sea at high tide
bate lessen
74 use question dispute
77 wag sway
78 fretted chafed
79 hard difficult (puns on the sense of “tough, firm”)
80 than more than
83 conveniency convenience
88 draw collect/receive
89 rend’ring yielding/giving back
90 no wrong i.e. nothing illegal
93 parts actions/duties
98 viands food (as you eat)
104 stand for represent/uphold
109 stays without waits outside
116 tainted diseased
wether sheep (specifically, castrated ram)
117 Meetest most fitting
126 keen sharp/eager
127 hangman’s i.e. executioner’s
keenness sharpness/eagerness/ severity
130 inexecrable unmovable/accursed
131 thy life the fact that you are alive
accused chastised
133 Pythagoras ancient Greek philosopher whose doctrine supported the transmigration of souls
135 currish mean-spirited/snarling (like a dog)
137 fell savage
fleet leave, fly off
138 unhallowed unholy
dam mother
141 rail rant
142 but offend’st merely harm
143 Repair restore
148 hard close
155 in loving visitation on a friendly visit
159 furnished equipped
161 importunity urging
163 reverend respected, worthy
165 whose trial the testing of whom
166 publish make known
commendation recommendation/praise
172 difference dispute
173 present question current argument
174 throughly thoroughly
180 rule proper discipline
181 impugn call into question
182 danger (power to) harm
184 confess acknowledge
188 strained forced, artificial; also perhaps filtered/distilled (setting up rain imagery)
190 is twice blest bestows a double blessing
194 shows represents
196 dread reverence/awe
197 sceptred sway royal government
200 likest most like
201 seasons modifies
203 justice i.e. God’s justice (if He did not show mercy to humankind)
205 render perform in return
210 My … head! possible echo of the crowd’s acceptance of responsibility for Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:25)
212 discharge pay
213 tender offer
217 must appear will be evident
218 bears down truth overwhelms integrity
219 Wrest once for once, forcibly subject
224 for as
precedent i.e. on which future lawsuits can be based
227 Daniel in the Apocryphal story, Daniel judges Susannah correctly, despite his youth and the false witness of the Elders