Merchant of Venice Act 4, Scene 2 Modern English Translation Meaning Annotations – ICSE Class 10 & 9 English
EnglishMathsPhysicsChemistryBiology
ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions
Original Text
Act IV Scene II
Modern English Reading
Act IV Scene II
PORTIA : Find the Jew’s house, give him this deed, and let him sign it; we’ll leave tonight, and be a day ahead of our husbands coming home. This deed will be very welcome to Lorenzo.
Enter Gratiano
GRATIANO : Good sir, you are well caught. My Lord Bassanio, listening to more advice, has sent you this ring here, and asks your company at dinner.
PORTIA : I can’t do that: I accept his ring most thankfully; and please tell him so; further more, please show my youth to old Shylock’s house.
GRATIANO : That I will do.
NERISSA : Sir, I wish to speak with you. I’ll see if I can get my husband’s ring, which I made him swear to keep forever.
PORTIA : You may, I guarantee it. We shall have old swearing that they gave the rings away to men; but we’ll confront them, and out swear them too. Away! Hurry: you know where I’ll wait for you.
NERISSA : Come, good sir, will you show me to this house?
Exeunt.
Word Meaning With Annotation
Upon more advice : on second thoughts; after reconsideration. Thou may’st, i warrant : you will be able to, I am sure, old swearing “a great amount of swearing and protesting from them.” The word old is used colloquially to denote almost anything whatever, but we’ll outface them, and outswear them too : but we will put a bolder face on the matter than they do; and we shall protest louder still that, etc.
For More Resources