{"id":27866,"date":"2023-03-03T01:46:22","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T20:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/icsesolutions.com\/?p=27866"},"modified":"2023-03-04T09:51:29","modified_gmt":"2023-03-04T04:21:29","slug":"merchant-of-venice-act-5-scene-1-translation-meaning-annotations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icsesolutions.com\/merchant-of-venice-act-5-scene-1-translation-meaning-annotations\/","title":{"rendered":"Merchant of Venice Act 5, Scene 1 Translation Meaning Annotations"},"content":{"rendered":"
English<\/a>Maths<\/a>Physics<\/a>Chemistry<\/a>Biology<\/a><\/p>\n ICSE Solutions<\/a>Selina ICSE Solutions<\/a>ML Aggarwal Solutions<\/a><\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span> LORENZO :<\/strong> The moon shines bright: in such a night as this, when the sweet wind gently kissed the trees, and they made no noise, in such a night, Troilus I think climbed the walls of Troy, and sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents, where Cressida lay that night.<\/p>\n JESSICA :<\/strong> In such a night Thisbe fearfully tripped over the dew, and saw the lion\u2019s shadow before the lion itself, and ran away dismayed.<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Troilus, methinks, mounted the Trojan walls, and sigh\u2019d his soul toward the Grecian tents, where Cressid lay that night :<\/strong> the characters mentioned here, Troilus and Cressida, were later immortalised by Shakespeare in the drama bearing their names. This refers to a tale of ancient Troy. Troilus was a son of Priam. Cressida, whom he loved, had been taken to the camp of the Greeks, who were besieging Troy. So Troilus is depicted as sadly walking on the walls of Troy, and looking towards the tents of the Greeks, where she is. Shakespeare\u2019s object is to assemble in the minds of the audience several events of romantic beauty from old classical legend, and thus to create the impression that they are now looking on such a night of moonlit beauty as existed in all those images. In such a night, did Thisbe fearfully o\u2019ertrip the dew, and saw the lion\u2019s shadow ere himself, and ran dismay\u2019d away :<\/strong> Pyramus and Thisbe were lovers in ancient Babylon. They had made an appointment to meet each other at night, beside a certain tomb. Thisbe arrived first to keep the appointment, and saw a lion waiting there. She fled in terror, leaving her cloak on the ground behind her. The lion took the cloak in his mouth, thereby leaving stains of blood on it. So when Pyramus arrived, he concluded that she had been devoured, and slew himself. Then Thisbe returned and discovered her lover\u2019s dead body, and also committed suicide. Probably it was from Gower that Shakespeare derived this story, though Chaucer also has it. o’ertrip : to trip over, or to run across with light steps. The \u201cdew\u201d signifies \u201cthe dew-covered grass\u201d, ere himself: before she saw Pyramus.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> In such a night Dido stood with a willow in her hand On the wild banks of the sea, and sent her love to return to Carthage.<\/p>\n JESSICA :<\/strong> In such a night Medea gathered the enchanted herbs that renewed old Aeson.<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> In such a night Jessica stole away from the wealthy Jew, and ran from Venice with a poor love as far as Belmont.<\/p>\n JESSICA :<\/strong> In such a night Young Lorenzo swore he loved her well, Stealing her soul with many vows of love,\u2014 and never a true one.<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> In such a night Pretty Jessica, like a little witch, Lied about her love, and he forgave her.<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In such a night, stood Dido, with a willow in her hand, upon the wild sea-banks, and waft her love to come again to Carthage :<\/strong> the story of the love of Aeneas and Dido is told by Virgil in the Aeneid. Aeneas was the great Trojan warrior who founded the city of Rome. During his voyages, he landed in Carthage, where he gained the love of Queen Dido. After several months of dalliance with her, he sailed away and left her broken – hearted. After a short period of extreme grief, she killed herself. Shakespeare says that it must have been on a beautiful full moon night like the present that Dido walked sadly by the shore of the wild sea, with a willow in the hand, the symbol of deserted love. Vainly she beckoned (wafted) to him to come back to Carthage. In such a night medea gather\u2019d the enchanted herbs that did renew old Aeson :<\/strong> we have heard of the classical hero, Jason, in this play. Medea was his wife and she is said to have experimented in enchantment. She gathered herbs of magical properties by night, and administered them to her aged father-in-law, Aeson, in an effort to restore his youth, steal :<\/strong> steal away. Lorenzo may be referring to the manner in which Jessica had appropriated her father\u2019s property, unthrift :<\/strong> unthrifty; good-for-nothing. Jessica speaks playfully here, stealing her soul :<\/strong> capturing her love, like a little shrew :<\/strong> the shrew is a small field mouse, which is noted for its ferocity and fighting powers. Then the term came to be used to denote a scolding, or abusive woman, as is described in Shakespeare\u2019s play, The Taming of the Shrew. Lorenzo\u2019s words are spoken in affectionate jest, did pretty Jessica, like a little shrew slander her love :<\/strong> did repeat untruths against her lover. Lorenzo is referring to Jessica\u2019s remarks in lines 19-20, where Jessica had playfully accused him of making false promises of love to her.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n JESSICA :<\/strong> I would out-night you, if no one was coming, but, listen, I hear the footsteps of a man. LORENZO :<\/strong> Who comes so quickly in silence of the night?<\/p>\n MESSENGER :<\/strong> A friend.<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> A friend! What friend? Your name, please, friend?<\/p>\n MESSENGER :<\/strong> Stephano is my name, and I bring word that my mistress will be here at Belmont before the break of day; she wanders about by holy crosses, where she kneels and prays for happy marriage hours.<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Who comes with her?<\/p>\n MESSENGER :<\/strong> No one but a holy hermit and her maid. Please, is my master returned yet?<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> He has not, and we have not heard from him. But let\u2019s go in, please, Jessica, and let\u2019s prepare some welcome for the mistress of the house with strict observance of the formalities. Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I would out-night you :<\/strong> Jessica says, \u201cI would beat you in this game of making speeches about nights,\u201d or perhaps \u201cI would have the last word though it meant staying here all night.\u201d footing :<\/strong> footsteps; tread, she doth stray about by holy crosses :<\/strong> Portia is spending some time in religious exercises in various sacred places. The cross is the symbol of the Christian religion, and usually marks a sacred place or shrine. One or two editors have adduced this as evidence of Portia\u2019s religious character. But we know that Bassanio is in great haste to return of Belmont at top speed, and yet Portia contrives to arrive before him. So we may accept this information of Stephano\u2019s as a polite fiction to satisfy the curiosity of the servants as to their mistress\u2019s whereabouts, wedlock hours :<\/strong> married life, none, but a holy hermit, and her maid :<\/strong> Portia is bringing a holy man back with her. She has halted by some wayside shrine, and brought back with her the attendant priest. A hermit signifies a solitary holy man, and not one from a religious house where many are assembled, he is not, nor we have not heard from him :<\/strong> this is an example of Shakespeare\u2019s use of the double negative nor not. The custom was that a negative repeated in this manner made the meaning more emphatic, ceremoniously :<\/strong> attentively; with due care.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Hey, hey! Whoa, ha, hey! Hey, hey!<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Who calls?<\/p>\n LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Hey! Did you see Master Lorenzo? Master Lorenzo! Hey, hey!<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Leave hey – ing, man. I\u2019m here!<\/p>\n LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Hey! Where? where?<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Here!<\/p>\n LAUNCELOT :<\/strong> Tell him there\u2019s a letter arrived from my master with his horn full of good news; my master will be here before morning.<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Sola :<\/strong> is said to be an imitation of the sound of a posthorn, that is, the horn which a post or messenger blew to let people know he was coming, hollaing :<\/strong> calling out. tell him there\u2019s a post come from my master, with his horn full of good news :<\/strong> a post was a messenger, and he blew his horn to announce his arrival. But there is another well-known phrase \u201chorn of plenty\u201d, because of the good news he brings.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Sweet soul, let\u2019s go in, and wait there for them to come. And yet, it doesn\u2019t matter; why should we go in? My friend Stephano, let them know, please, within the house, that your mistress is at hand, and bring your music outside. How sweet the moonlight sleeps on this bank! We will sit here and let the sounds of music creep into our ears; soft stillness and the night compliment the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica: look how the sky is covered thick with layers of bright gold; even the smallest star that you see sings like an angel as it moves, still singing like a choir to the young-eyed cherubs; such harmony is in immortal souls; but, while this muddy earth of decay buries us, we can\u2019t hear it. Come, hey! And wake the goddess of love with a hymn; Pierce your mistress\u2019 ear with sweetest touches, and bring her home with music.<\/p>\n JESSICA :<\/strong> I am never happy when I hear sweet music<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Expect :<\/strong> await, signify :<\/strong> make known the fact. let the sounds- of music :<\/strong> let beautiful music steal gently upon us. soft stillness, and the night, become the touches of sweet harmony :<\/strong> peaceful quietness and night-time are very suitable for the notes of sweet music, there\u2019s not the smallest orb which thou behold\u2019st, but in his motion like an angel sings :<\/strong> the ancients had a peculiar conception of the stars and heavenly bodies. They believed that every star and planet produced in its motion a peculiar musical note, and the combination of all composed \u201cthe grand harmony of the universe\u201d. The cherubs, or angels, are depicted as listening to this music of the stars, and responding to it. This same conception of the music from the heavenly bodies is referred to elsewhere by Shakespeare, quiring :<\/strong> singing like a choir, or organised body of singers, young eyed :<\/strong> possessing the bright eyes of youth. Such harmony is in immortal souls; But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it :<\/strong> Lorenzo states here that our souls are immortal, and also produce divine music. But as long as the dull human body (muddy vesture of decay) encloses the soul, we are unable to hear this, come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn :<\/strong> Diana was the goddess of the moon. So to sing a hymn, or a solemn song, by night, might be said to awaken her. pierce :<\/strong> penetrate.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> The reason is your spirits are observant; because only look at a wild and wanton herd, or race of youthful and unhandled colts, pushing crazy limits, bellowing and neighing loudly which is the hot condition of their blood; if they only hear maybe a trumpet sound, or any air of music touches their ears, you will see them make a mutual stop, their savage eyes turned to a calm gaze by the sweet power of music: so the poet Pretended that Orpheus drew trees, stones, and floods; only music for the time changes his nature from not so wooden, hard, and full of rage. The man that has no music in him, or is not moved by harmony of sweet sounds, is fit for treason, plots, and stealing; the movement of his spirit is as dull as night, and his affections are as dark as the place between earth and hell. Don\u2019t trust such a man. Listen to the music. PORTIA :<\/strong> That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! A good deed in a naughty world shines like that.<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Race :<\/strong> a particular breed or strain. Here it seems to mean just the same as \u201cherd\u201d, unhandled colts :<\/strong> young horses which have not been \u201cbroken\u201d or trained, hot condition of their blood :<\/strong> their own natural wild condition, mutual stand :<\/strong> come to a standstill all together, modest :<\/strong> quiet mild, the poet, did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods :<\/strong> Orpheus was a famed musician of classical tradition. It was said that his skill was so wonderful that trees, stones, and other inanimate objects could be moved from place to place by the power of his music, and streams could be made to change their courses. The particular poet referred to as imagining (feigning) this is probably Ovid, stockish :<\/strong> the phrase \u201cstokes and stones\u201d is usually employed to denote the inanimate things of nature. \u201cStock\u201d is the same as \u201cstick\u201d or dead wood. The general sense of the world is \u201cunfeeling or devoid of life\u201d, full of rage :<\/strong> savage, with concord of sweet sounds :<\/strong> by the harmonious sounds of sweet music. Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils :<\/strong> \u201ccapable of treachery, scheming, and dishonesty.\u201d Treason in Shakespeare\u2019s time meant a political offence involving disloyalty to the State, stratagems :<\/strong> usually means a diplomatic or crafty action; the word is here used with a sense of baseness, which it need not necessarily possess, the motions of his spirit are dull as night :<\/strong> his thoughts and feelings are black as night, and his affections dark as Erebus :<\/strong> \u201cand his likes and dislikes as dark as Hell.\u201d Erebus was an abode of utter darkness, supposed by the classical peoples to exist in the under-world, and corresponding to our conception of Hell, naughty :<\/strong> worthless; wicked.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n NERISSA :<\/strong> When the moon was shining, we did not see the candle.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> The greater light dims the lesser one like that. A substitute shines as brightly as a king Until a king is back, and then the substitute\u2019s condition drains away, as an inland brook does into the river of waters. Music! Listen!<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n So doth the greater glory dim the less, a substitute shines brightly as a king, Unto the king be by; and then his state, Empties itself, as doth an inland brook, Into the main of waters. Music! hark! :<\/strong> this, like numerous other passages in the final scene, show the unusual extent to which Shakespeare allows his characters to indulge in general moralising on life. He is carefully constructing the final atmosphere in which the play is to conclude. There is almost an attempt to convey a moral lesson, or point out a meaning to be derived from the incidents of the first four Acts, an intention practically unknown elsewhere in Shakespeare. The lines show Portia\u2019s reflective nature, and give a final conception of her intellectual powers, a substitute :<\/strong> a person who has been acting temporarily in the place of another, his state :<\/strong> the glory and the splendour of the temporary king, inland brook :<\/strong> a stream flowing from the interior of the country.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n NERISSA :<\/strong> It is your music, madam, from the house.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> Nothing is good, I see, without respect: I think it sounds much sweeter at night than by day.<\/p>\n NERISSA :<\/strong> Silence bestows that virtue on it, madam.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> The crow sings as sweetly as the lark when either is waited on, and I think the nightingale, if she sang by day, when every goose is cackling, would be considered no better a musician than the wren. How many things are fit for use by the seasons to their right praise and true perfection! Peace, hey! The moon sleeps with her lover, and does not want to be awakened!<\/p>\n Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Nothing is good, I see, without respect :<\/strong> nothing is good only because of its own value; it is affected, influenced by and dependent on circumstances and environment, methinks :<\/strong> I think; it seems to me. The crow doth sing as sweetly as the lark, when neither is attended :<\/strong> this is a statement which will be disputed by any observer of English bird life. The crow in England has a harsh unmusical note, not differing greatly from the Indian crow. The lark has a singularly sweet song. The crow lives in flocks, and a flock of crows all \u201ccawing\u201d at once is not musical by any means whereas the lark certainly commands our undivided attention by always singing alone, and at a great height in the air. Shakespeare, however, says that the chief charm of the lark\u2019s song is that it is always heard alone, while crows are not appreciated because they are always heard in flocks. The nightingale, if she should sing by day, when every goose is cackling, would be thought, no better a musician than the wren :<\/strong> this is a repetition of the same thought, but again is an over-statement. The nightingale certainly attracts more attention, since the song of the bird is usually heard all alone in the dusk of evening, when other birds have retired for the night. But the song of the nightingale is singularly musical under any circumstances, while the notes of the wren possess no great charm in themselves. Moreover the nightingale does often sing by day, though Shakespeare does not seem to know this, every goose :<\/strong> every common bird, cackling :<\/strong> uttering harsh notes, by season season\u2019d are :<\/strong> are improved in every way by being performed at a suitable time or place. Such artificial arrangement of words as this we term \u201cepigrammatic.\u201d the moon sleeps with Endymion, And would not be awak\u2019d :<\/strong> this is another reference to an old- classical legend. Endymion was a beautiful youth who was loved by the moon. When he slept at night, the moon kissed him by pouring down her silvery light. So the phrase \u201cthe moon sleeps with Endymion\u201d became a poetical expression meaning \u201cit is night and the moon is shining\u201d. But Portia takes \u201csleeps\u201d in its literal sense, and says, \u201cSilence there! the moon and her beloved Endymion are asleep and she does not wish to be disturbed by your music.\u201d<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> That is the voice, or I am much mistaken, of Portia.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo, by my bad voice. .<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Dear lady, welcome home.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> We have been praying for our husbands\u2019 welfare, which are moving along quickly, we hope, the better for our words. Have they returned?<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Madam, not yet; but there is come a messenger ahead of them, to show that they are coming.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> Go in, Nerissa: give orders to my servants that they take no notice at all of our being absent from here; nor you, Lorenzo; Jessica, nor you.<\/p>\n LORENZO :<\/strong> Your husband is near; I hear his trumpet. We are no tattle tales, madam; don\u2019t be afraid of us.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> I think this night is only sick daylight; It looks a little paler; it\u2019s a day Like a cloudy day. Word Meaning With Annotation<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo, By the bad voice :<\/strong> Portia\u2019s humour. The cuckoo in England has an unmistakable note; even a blind man could not confuse it with any other bird, which speed, we hope, the better for our words :<\/strong> \u201cWhom, we hope, will be benefited by our prayer.\u201d The word speed is from the Old English verb spedan, which meant \u201cto prosper\u201d or \u201cto benefit by\u201d. The meaning has now come to denote fastness or quickness, but the old meaning will be found in such a phrase as \u201cGod speed you !\u201d or, \u201cMay God make you prosperous!\u201d, that they take no note at all :<\/strong> that they appear to know nothing at all of. tucket :<\/strong> a series of notes on a trumpet, tell-tales :<\/strong> informers; people who tell tales of each other. this night, methinks, is but the daylight sick :<\/strong> it is such a clear night that Portia says it is rather like a dim or sickly kind of daylight than the darkness we expect at night time.<\/p>\n Original Text<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Modern English Reading<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n BASSANIO :<\/strong> We should hold day with the direct opposite, if you would walk in absence of the sun.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> Let me give light, but let me not be light, because a light wife makes a heavy husband, and never let Bassanio be heavy for me: But God bless all! Welcome home, my lord.<\/p>\n BASSANIO :<\/strong> I thank you, madam; give welcome to my friend: This is the man, this is Antonio, to whom I am so infinitely indebted.<\/p>\n PORTIA :<\/strong> You should be much indebted to him in all senses, because, as I hear, he was much indebted for you.<\/p>\n
\nAct V Scene I<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nAct V Scene I<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nEnter Messenger [Stephano],<\/p>\n
\n[Enter Launcelot]<\/p>\n
\nEnter Portia and Nerissa.<\/p>\n
\nEnter Bassanio, Antonio, Gratiano, and their followers.<\/p>\n