The Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2
William Shakespeare
Track 21 on The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2 Lyrics
SCENE II. The same. A street.
Enter PORTIA and NERISSA
PORTIA
Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed
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.
Enter PORTIA and NERISSA
PORTIA
Inquire the Jew's house out, give him this deed
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 outface them, and outswear them too.
[Aloud]
Away! make haste: thou knowist where I will tarry.
NERISSA
Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
Exeunt
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 outface them, and outswear them too.
[Aloud]
Away! make haste: thou knowist where I will tarry.
NERISSA
Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
Exeunt
About
Genius Annotation
Gratiano gives Bassanio’s ring to the disguised Portia. She asks him to direct her clerk (Nerissa in disguise) to Shylock’s house to deliver the deed of confiscation that Shylock must sign. Continuing their prank, Nerissa tells Portia that she’ll persuade Gratiano to give her his ring as well.
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- 21.The Merchant of Venice Act 4 Scene 2
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