LORENZO’S MONOLOGUE - LINE-BY-LINE PARAPHRASE

Original: Sweet soul, let’s in, and there expect their coming.
Modern: Dear one, let’s go inside and wait for them there.

Original: And yet no matter: why should we go in?
Modern: But actually, it doesn’t matter—why should we go inside?

Original: My friend Stephano, signify, I pray you,
Modern: My friend Stephano, please go tell them,

Original: Within the house, your mistress is at hand;
Modern: Inside the house, that your lady has arrived;

Original: And bring your music forth into the air.
Modern: And bring the musicians outside into the open air.

Original: How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Modern: How beautifully the moonlight rests on this grassy slope!

Original: Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
Modern: We’ll sit here and let the sounds of music

Original: Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night
Modern: Flow gently into our ears—the quiet calm and the nighttime

Original: Become the touches of sweet harmony.
Modern: Are the perfect setting for beautiful music.

Original: Sit, Jessica. Look how the floor of heaven
Modern: Sit down, Jessica. Look at how the sky

Original: Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold:
Modern: Is densely decorated with bright golden disks of stars—

Original: There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’st
Modern: There isn’t even the tiniest star that you see

Original: But in his motion like an angel sings,
Modern: That doesn’t sing like an angel as it moves,

Original: Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;
Modern: Constantly singing in harmony with the bright-eyed cherubs;

Original: Such harmony is in immortal souls;
Modern: This same kind of harmony exists in our immortal souls,

Original: But whilst this muddy vesture of decay
Modern: But while these earthly bodies that will decay

Original: Doth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.
Modern: Trap our souls inside them, we can’t hear that heavenly music.

Original: Come, ho! and wake Diana with a hymn!
Modern: Come on, everyone! Let’s wake the moon goddess with a song!

Original: With sweetest touches pierce your mistress’ ear,
Modern: With your sweetest playing, reach your lady’s ears,

Original: And draw her home with music.
Modern: And use the music to bring her home.

LORENZO’S SECOND SPEECH:

Original: The reason is, your spirits are attentive:
Modern: The reason is that your soul is paying close attention—

Original: For do but note a wild and wanton herd,
Modern: Just observe a wild and unruly herd of animals,

Original: Or race of youthful and unhandled colts,
Modern: Or a group of young, untamed colts,

Original: Fetching mad bounds, bellowing and neighing loud,
Modern: Making crazy leaps, roaring and neighing loudly,

Original: Which is the hot condition of their blood;
Modern: Which is their hot-blooded, energetic nature;

Original: If they but hear perchance a trumpet sound,
Modern: If they happen to hear a trumpet playing,

Original: Or any air of music touch their ears,
Modern: Or any kind of melody reaches their ears,

Original: You shall perceive them make a mutual stand,
Modern: You’ll notice they all stop together at once,

Original: Their savage eyes turn’d to a modest gaze
Modern: Their wild eyes becoming calm and gentle

Original: By the sweet power of music: therefore the poet
Modern: Because of music’s sweet power—that’s why the ancient poet

Original: Did feign that Orpheus drew trees, stones and floods;
Modern: Imagined that Orpheus could move trees, rocks, and rivers with his music;

Original: Since nought so stockish, hard and full of rage,
Modern: Because there’s nothing so lifeless, hard, and full of anger

Original: But music for the time doth change his nature.
Modern: That music can’t temporarily change its nature.

Original: The man that hath no music in himself,
Modern: The man who has no appreciation for music in his soul,

Original: Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,
Modern: And isn’t moved by the harmony of beautiful sounds,

Original: Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
Modern: Is capable of betrayal, deception, and violence;

Original: The motions of his spirit are dull as night
Modern: His inner feelings are as lifeless as the dark night,

Original: And his affections dark as Erebus:
Modern: And his emotions are as dark as the deepest hell—

Original: Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.
Modern: Never trust a man like that. Now listen to the music.

In Act V, Scene 1 of “The Merchant of Venice,” the action shifts to Belmont at night, where Lorenzo and Jessica share romantic banter comparing themselves to famous lovers from classical mythology. Their poetic exchange is interrupted by the arrival of Stephano, who announces that Portia will return before dawn, followed by Launcelot Gobbo, who brings news that Bassanio’s party is also approaching. Lorenzo calls for music to welcome Portia home, and he and Jessica discuss the power of music and harmony while waiting in the moonlit garden.

Portia and Nerissa arrive home and see the candlelight from their house, followed shortly by Bassanio, Antonio, and Gratiano. The latter part of the scene becomes dominated by a comic dispute between Gratiano and Nerissa over the ring he promised never to remove but gave away to the lawyer’s clerk (actually Nerissa in disguise). Portia joins in, revealing that Bassanio similarly gave away his ring to the young doctor of laws (Portia herself in disguise). Both women tease and scold their husbands for breaking their vows, while Antonio vouches for Bassanio’s good character. Portia finally resolves the tension by revealing the truth of her and Nerissa’s disguises and returning the rings. She also brings welcome news: Antonio’s ships have safely arrived in port. The play concludes with Lorenzo learning he will inherit Shylock’s wealth upon Shylock’s death, and the couples prepare to retire and share the full story of the evening’s events.

The Merchant of Venice centers on Bassanio, a young Venetian gentleman who needs money to court the wealthy heiress Portia in Belmont. His friend Antonio, a merchant, agrees to help but has no ready cash since his ships are at sea. Antonio borrows 3,000 ducats from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, with the unusual condition that if the loan isn’t repaid within three months, Shylock may take a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Meanwhile, Shylock’s daughter Jessica elopes with the Christian Lorenzo, taking her father’s money and jewels.

In Belmont, Portia’s deceased father has decreed that her suitors must choose correctly among three caskets—gold, silver, and lead—to win her hand. The Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Arragon both choose incorrectly and depart. When Bassanio arrives and selects the lead casket, he wins Portia, while his friend Gratiano wins her maid Nerissa. Their celebrations are interrupted by news that Antonio’s ships have been lost and Shylock demands his pound of flesh.

Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as a lawyer and clerk and travel to Venice for Antonio’s trial. In court, Portia grants Shylock his legal right to the flesh but warns he may take no blood and must cut exactly one pound—an impossible task. Defeated, Shylock loses his bond and, under Venetian law, must forfeit half his wealth and convert to Christianity. The disguised Portia requests Bassanio’s wedding ring as payment, which he reluctantly gives. Back in Belmont, Portia playfully scolds her husband for giving away his ring before revealing her disguise. The play concludes with news that Antonio’s ships have safely returned, restoring his fortune.