- |#Shakespearesaysitbetter
- |#Shakespearesaysitbetter
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QUOTES FROM THE BARD
What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Shylock
CONTEXT:
SHYLOCK
Hates any man the thing he would not kill?
BASSANIO
Every offence is not a hate at first.
SHYLOCK
What, wouldst thou have a serpent sting thee twice?
DUTCH:
Laat gij u tweemaal bijten van een slang?
MORE:
CITED IN US LAW:
St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital v. Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, 38 F. Supp. 497, 509 and n. 28 (1999)
Offence=displeasure, mortification (affront)
A hate=cause of hatred (not pre-Shakespearean)
Compleat:
Offence=Affront, belédiging. Proverb: Good breeding is shewn, rather in never giving offence, than in doing obliging things=Een goede opvoeding word beter getoond met niemand te belédigen als met verplichtende dingen te doen.
Topics: emotion and mood, misquoted
The pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought.
PLAY: The Merchant of Venice
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Shylock
CONTEXT:
SHYLOCK
What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong?
You have among you many a purchased slave,
Which—like your asses and your dogs and mules—
You use in abject and in slavish parts
Because you bought them. Shall I say to you,
“Let them be free! Marry them to your heirs!
Why sweat they under burdens? Let their beds
Be made as soft as yours and let their palates
Be seasoned with such viands”? You will answer,
“The slaves are ours.” So do I answer you.
The pound of flesh which I demand of him
Is dearly bought. ‘Tis mine and I will have it.
If you deny me, fie upon your law—
There is no force in the decrees of Venice.
DUTCH:
Zie, dit pond vleesch, dat ik van hem verlang, ’t Is duur gekocht.
MORE:
CITED IN US LAW:
By 1993, “pound of flesh” had been used 120 times in courts without reference to Shakespeare. (See William Domnarski, Shakespeare in the Law)
Gates v. United States 33 Fed. Cl. 9 , 13 (1995);
Leasing Service Corporation v. Justice, 673 F.2d 70, 71 (2d Cir. 198l)(Kaufman,J.);
Eldridge v. Burns, 76 Cal. App.3d 396, 432, 142 Cal. Rptr. 845,868 (1978);
Jones v. Jones, 189 Mise. 186, 70 N.Y.S.2d lll, 112 (N.Y. C1v. Ct.1947).
Fie=Exclamation of contempt or dislike
Force=validity
Viands=Dressed meat, food
Compleat:
Fie (or fy)=Foei
Fy upon it! Fy for shame!=Foei ‘t is een schande!
Topics: emotion and mood, misquoted
Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh
PLAY: The Merchant of Venice
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Portia
CONTEXT:
PORTIA
Tarry a little. There is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood.
The words expressly are “a pound of flesh.”
Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh,
But in the cutting it if thou dost shed
One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are by the laws of Venice confiscate
Unto the state of Venice.
DUTCH:
De schuldbrief hier geeft u geen druppel bloeds; De woorden zijn uitdrukk’lijk: een pond vleesch.
MORE:
CITED IN US LAW:
United States Aviation Underwriters, Inc. v. Fitchburg-Leominster, 42 F.3d 84, 86 (1994);
Jones v. Jones, 189 Misc. 186, 70 N.Y.S.2d 111, 112 (N.Y. Civ. Ct. 1947)(Panken, J.)
Tarry a little=Just one moment
Confiscate=Confiscated
Compleat:
To confiscate=Verbeurd maaken, verbeurd verklaaren
Topics: emotion and mood, misquoted
We turned o’er many books together. He is furnished with my opinion.
PLAY: The Merchant of Venice
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Duke
CONTEXT:
DUKE
With all my heart.—Some three or four of you
Go give him courteous conduct to this place.—
Meantime the court shall hear Bellario’s letter.
[reads]“Your grace shall understand that at the receipt of
your letter I am very sick, but in the instant that your
messenger came, in loving visitation was with me a
young doctor of Rome. His name is Balthazar. I
acquainted him with the cause in controversy between the
Jew and Antonio the merchant. We turned o’er many books
together. He is furnished with my opinion,
which—bettered with his own learning, the greatness
whereof I cannot enough commend—comes with him at my
importunity to fill up your grace’s request in my stead.
I beseech you, let his lack of years be no impediment to
let him lack a reverend estimation, for I never knew so
young a body with so old a head. I leave him to your
gracious acceptance, whose trial shall better publish
his commendation.”
DUTCH:
Wij hebben samen vele rechtsgeleerde werken nageslagen;
hij is volkomen met mijn inzichten bekend
MORE:
Proverb: An old head on young shoulders
Reverend=Testifying veneration, humble
Estimation=Value, worth
Turned o’er=Consulted
Publish=bring to light, show
Commendation=Value
Let=Cause (him to)
Compleat:
Reverent=Eerbiedig
Estimation=Waardeering, schatting
Publish=Openbaarmaken, bekendmaken
Topics: emotion and mood, misquoted
You know the law. Your exposition hath been most sound.
PLAY: The Merchant of Venice
ACT/SCENE: 4.1
SPEAKER: Shylock
CONTEXT:
PORTIA
Why, this bond is forfeit!
And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh to be by him cut off
Nearest the merchant’s heart.— Be merciful.
Take thrice thy money. Bid me tear the bond.
SHYLOCK
When it is paid according to the tenor.
It doth appear you are a worthy judge.
You know the law. Your exposition
Hath been most sound. I charge you by the law,
Whereof you are a well-deserving pillar,
Proceed to judgment. By my soul I swear
There is no power in the tongue of man
To alter me. I stay here on my bond.
DUTCH:
Gij kent de wet, en uw betoog was juist
En bondig; ik bezweer u bij de wet,
Waarvan ge een hechte steunpilaar u toont,
Sla ‘t vonnis nu.
MORE:
CITED IN US LAW:
State of South Dakota v. Allison, 607 N.W. 2d 1, 20, n.4 (S.D. Sup. Ct., 2000) (The court’s position being that the most appropriate course of action was a civil remedy): “Even Shakespeare’s creditor in The Merchant of Venice was denied his pound of flesh nearest the heart.”
According to the tenor=To the letter
Bond=A deed by which one binds oneself to another to make a payment or fulfil a contract
Tenor=Conditions
Exposition=Interpretation, explanation
Compleat:
According to the tenor=Naar uitwyzen des briefs
Enter into a bond=In een verband treeden, zich verbinden
Topics: emotion and mood, misquoted