Shunned, hated, despised, insulted, the Jews in the Middle Ages led
a cruel and embittered existence among their Christian brethren. But
beaten down and oppressed as they were in most of the countries of
Europe, they still prospered as far as money matters were concerned,
and, in spite of the demands continually levied on them, they
contrived to amass large hoards of wealth. When the great nobles or
merchant princes of those days got into difficulties, it was to the
Jews they turned for help, and the enormous sums charged as interest
for the loan enabled the Jews to fill their coffers rapidly.
Shylock was one of the richest Jews in Venice, although he lived in a
wretched, penurious style, with only a clownish lad to act as servant.
Shylock had one child, a pretty, flighty daughter called Jessica,
whose nature was very different from her father’s. Jessica was gay,
extravagant, without much heart, and with no respect or affection
for her own race and kindred. She longed to free herself from the
miserly restraint of her father’s house, and to join in the amusements
from which his severity debarred her. Not only this, but she had
become acquainted with a handsome young Venetian called Lorenzo. She
had secretly promised to become his wife, and intended on the first
opportunity to elope with Lorenzo and to give up the Jewish religion.
Shylock hated all Christians, which was scarcely to be wondered at,
considering the way in which he had been treated, but the special
object of his aversion was a certain wealthy merchant named Antonio.
Shylock hated Antonio partly because, whenever they happened to meet,
the merchant treated him with contemptuous scorn, but chiefly because
Antonio lent out money gratis, and so brought down the rate of usury
in Venice. Antonio had also, at different times, released poor people
whom Shylock had imprisoned for debt, and often on the Rialto (which
was the public place in Venice, where the merchants congregated)
Antonio had railed against the grasping avarice of the Jewish
extortioner.
Thus Antonio had wounded Shylock in the two most intense passions of
his life--his pride of race (for in his own way Shylock was a strict
follower of his religion) and his love of money. Shylock brooded over
his wrongs, and if ever the opportunity came when he could gratify his
ancient grudge, he resolved to be bitterly revenged.
He had long to wait, but at last his chance came.
Antonio had a friend called Bassanio, a gallant, high-spirited
gentleman, but one whose open-handed, generous disposition made him
spend more freely than his means allowed. Bassanio was in love with
a beautiful lady called Portia, and had good reason for believing
that he was looked on with an eye of favour. He would gladly have
come forward in earnest as a suitor for her hand, but his somewhat
extravagant mode of living had for the moment exhausted his means, and
it was impossible for him to appear at Belmont, Portia’s house, in the
style befitting a suitor.
Antonio, who was devoted to Bassanio, had often helped him before, and
on this occasion Bassanio turned to him again. Antonio was more than
ready to help, and placed all he possessed at Bassanio’s disposal.
But, unfortunately, at that moment he could not lay his hand on a
large sum of ready money, for all his fortune was on the high seas.
However, he bade Bassanio go forth, and see what his credit could do
in Venice; and he promised to become surety to the uttermost of his
means, in order that Bassanio might be fittingly equipped on his quest
to Belmont.
In his search for money Bassanio came across Shylock, one of the chief
usurers in Venice, and to him he applied for a loan. Shylock did not
at first appear very willing to grant his request.
“Three thousand ducats;--well?” he said in a pondering, deliberate
fashion.
“Ay, sir, for three months,” said Bassanio.
“For three months;--well?”
“For the which, as I told you, Antonio shall be bound.”
“Antonio shall become bound;--well?” echoed Shylock, still in the same
slow voice.
“Can you help me? Will you oblige me? Shall I know your answer?” said
Bassanio rather impatiently.
“Three thousand ducats--for three months--and Antonio bound,” murmured
the Jew reflectively.
“Your answer to that?” demanded Bassanio.
“Antonio is a good man,” mused Shylock.
“Have you heard any imputation to the contrary?”
“Oh, no, no, no, no! My meaning in saying he is a good man is to
have you understand me that he is sufficient. Yet his means are in
supposition. He hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the
Indies. I understand, moreover, on the Rialto, he hath a third at
Mexico, a fourth for England, and other ventures he hath, squandered
abroad. But ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land-rats
and water-rats, land-thieves and water-thieves--I mean, pirates; and
then there is the peril of waters, winds, and rocks. The man is,
notwithstanding, sufficient. I think I may take his bond.”
“Be assured you may,” said Bassanio.
“I _will_ be assured I may,” said Shylock, with a sudden snarl, “and
that I will be assured, I will bethink me. May I speak with Antonio?”
“Here he comes,” said Bassanio; and at that moment Antonio joined them.
The merchant repeated the request that Bassanio had already made, and
pressed Shylock for his answer. Could he oblige them with the loan?
Then for a moment of ungovernable fury Shylock’s long-hoarded venom
broke forth. He reminded Antonio of the pitiless contempt with which
he had always treated him, of the way in which he had publicly heaped
insults and abuse on him.
“It now appears you need my help,” continued Shylock bitterly. “You
come to me and you say, ‘Shylock, we would have money’--_you_ say
so, that spurned me as you would a stranger cur over your threshold!
Money is your suit! What should I say to you? Should I not say, ‘Hath
a dog money? Is it possible a cur can lend three thousand ducats?’ Or
shall I bend low, like a slave, and, with bated breath and whispering
humbleness, say this, ‘Fair sir, you spat on me on Wednesday last; you
spurned me such a day; another time you called me dog; and for these
_courtesies_ I’ll lend you thus much money’?”
[Illustration: “For these _courtesies_ I’ll lend you thus much
money.”]
“I am as like to call you so again, to spit on you again, to spurn
you, too,” burst out Antonio. “If you will lend me this money, do not
lend it as if to a friend, but rather as if to your enemy, from whom,
if he fails to pay, you can with better face exact the penalty.”
Then Shylock suddenly turned round, and became very fawning, and
pretended that his only wish was to be friends with Antonio and have
his love. He would supply his present needs, he said, and not take one
farthing of interest. The only condition he imposed was that Antonio
should go with him to a notary, and there, in merry sport, sign a
bond that if the money were not repaid by a certain day the forfeit
should be a pound of flesh, cut off and taken from what part of the
merchant’s body it pleased Shylock.
“Content, in faith; I’ll seal to such a bond, and say there is much
kindness in the Jew,” said Antonio.
“You shall not seal to such a bond for me,” cried Bassanio, aghast at
the idea of such an agreement.
“Why, do not fear, man,” said Antonio; “I will not forfeit it. Within
the next two months--that’s a month before the forfeit becomes due--I
expect the return of thrice three times this bond.”
And Shylock chimed in, pointing out that even if the bond _did_ become
forfeit, what should he gain by exacting the penalty? A pound of man’s
flesh would be of no use to him--not nearly so profitable as the flesh
of mutton, beef, or goat.
“Yes, Shylock, I will seal this bond,” declared Antonio; and it was
useless for Bassanio to argue further, although his mind misgave him
at such a sinister agreement.