The Merchant of Venice: Act III, Scene i – First Folio
The Merchant of Venice. Act 3, Scene 1. Shylock
(This text is featured in our interview with Saul Rubinek)
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1265 …if it will feede nothing
1266 else, it will feede my reuenge; he hath disgrac’d me, and
1267 hindred me halfe a million, laught at my losses, mockt at
1268 my gaines, scorned my Nation, thwarted my bargaines,
1269 cooled my friends, heated mine enemies, and what’s the
1270 reason? I am a Iewe: Hath not a Iew eyes? hath not a
1271 Iew hands, organs, dementions, sences, affections, passi–
1272 ons, fed with the same foode, hurt with the same wea–
1273 pons, subiect to the same diseases, healed by the same
1274 meanes, warmed and cooled by the same Winter and
1275 Sommmer as a Christian is: if you pricke vs doe we not
1276 bleede? if you tickle vs, doe we not laugh? if you poison
1277 vs doe we not die? and if you wrong vs shall we not re–
1278 uenge? if we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you
1279 in that. If a Iew wrong a Christian, what is his humility,
1280 reuenge? If a Christian wrong a Iew, what should his suf–
1281 ferance be by Christian example, why reuenge? The vil–
1282 lanie you teach me I will execute, and it shall goe hard
1283 but I will better the instruction.