The Merchant of Venice: Act 2, Scene 5

    comedy

    The same. Before SHYLOCK'S house.

    Scene Summary

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    Shylock, going out to dine with Bassanio, leaves Jessica in charge of the house. He is uneasy and tells her to lock the doors and not look out at the street masquers. Jessica says goodbye, knowing she will be gone when he returns.

    Enter SHYLOCK and LAUNCELOT
    SHYLOCK
    Well, thou shalt see, thy eyes shall be thy judge,
    The difference of old Shylock and Bassanio:--
    What, Jessica!--thou shalt not gormandise,
    As thou hast done with me:--What, Jessica!--
    And sleep and snore, and rend apparel out;--
    Why, Jessica, I say!
    LAUNCELOT
    Why, Jessica!
    SHYLOCK
    Who bids thee call? I do not bid thee call.
    LAUNCELOT
    Your worship was wont to tell me that
    I could do nothing without bidding.
    Enter Jessica
    JESSICA
    Call you? what is your will?
    SHYLOCK
    I am bid forth to supper, Jessica:
    There are my keys. But wherefore should I go?
    I am not bid for love; they flatter me:
    But yet I'll go in hate, to feed upon
    The prodigal Christian. Jessica, my girl,
    Look to my house. I am right loath to go:
    There is some ill a-brewing towards my rest,
    For I did dream of money-bags to-night.
    LAUNCELOT
    I beseech you, sir, go: my young master doth expect
    your reproach.
    SHYLOCK
    So do I his.
    LAUNCELOT
    An they have conspired together, I will not say you
    shall see a masque; but if you do, then it was not
    for nothing that my nose fell a-bleeding on
    Black-Monday last at six o'clock i' the morning,
    falling out that year on Ash-Wednesday was four
    year, in the afternoon.
    SHYLOCK
    What, are there masques? Hear you me, Jessica:
    Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum
    And the vile squealing of the wry-neck'd fife,
    Clamber not you up to the casements then,
    Nor thrust your head into the public street
    To gaze on Christian fools with varnish'd faces,
    But stop my house's ears, I mean my casements:
    Let not the sound of shallow foppery enter
    My sober house. By Jacob's staff, I swear,
    I have no mind of feasting forth to-night:
    But I will go. Go you before me, sirrah;
    Say I will come.
    LAUNCELOT
    I will go before, sir. Mistress, look out at
    window, for all this, There will come a Christian
    boy, will be worth a Jewess' eye.
    Exit
    SHYLOCK
    What says that fool of Hagar's offspring, ha?
    JESSICA
    His words were 'Farewell mistress;' nothing else.
    SHYLOCK
    The patch is kind enough, but a huge feeder;
    Snail-slow in profit, and he sleeps by day
    More than the wild-cat: drones hive not with me;
    Therefore I part with him, and part with him
    To one that would have him help to waste
    His borrow'd purse. Well, Jessica, go in;
    Perhaps I will return immediately:
    Do as I bid you; shut doors after you:
    Fast bind, fast find;
    A proverb never stale in thrifty mind.
    Exit
    JESSICA
    Farewell; and if my fortune be not crost,
    I have a father, you a daughter, lost.
    Exit