Yes, truly, for look you, the sins of the father are to be laid upon
the children, therefore, I promise you, I fear you. I was always plain
with you, and so now I speak my agitation of the matter. Therefore be
of good cheer, for truly I think you are damn’d. There is but one hope
in it that can do you any good, and that is but a kind of bastard hope
neither.
Yes, really. Look, the sins of the father are supposed to fall on the children, so I'm telling you straight, I'm afraid for you. I've always been honest with you, and so now I'm being straight about this matter too. So take heart—well, actually, don't, because I really think you're damned. But there's one hope that might help you, though it's a weird kind of hope.
Yeah, so here's the thing—kids are supposed to pay for their parents' sins, right? I'm being straight with you because I've always been straight with you. I think you're pretty much damned, honestly. But wait, there is one thing that might save you—weird hope, but it's something.
look ur damned kids always get stuck with parent stuff but there's one weird hope maybe that helps
And what hope is that, I pray thee?
And what is that hope?
Okay, so what's this hope you're talking about?
what hope??
Marry, you may partly hope that your father got you not, that you are
not the Jew’s daughter.
Well, you can hope that your father didn't father you—that you're not actually the Jew's daughter.
You can hope your dad isn't actually your dad—that you're not really the daughter of the Jewish guy.
maybe ur dad isn't ur dad maybe u aren't a jew's daughter that's ur hope lol
That were a kind of bastard hope indeed; so the sins of my mother
should be visited upon me.
That would be a strange hope indeed—but then my mother's sins would fall on me instead.
That's some really messed-up hope though—then I'd just be damned through my mother instead.
ok so ur saying i trade father's sins for mother's sins great deal lol
Truly then I fear you are damn’d both by father and mother; thus when I
shun Scylla your father, I fall into Charybdis your mother. Well, you
are gone both ways.
Then I'm afraid you're damned by both your father and mother. When I try to avoid your father like Scylla, I hit your mother like Charybdis—you're damned either way.
So you're damned no matter what, through both parents. There's no way out—one way or another you're stuck.
ur damned both ways no escape both parents got u
I shall be saved by my husband. He hath made me a Christian.
I'll be saved by my husband. He's made me a Christian.
My husband's going to save me. He converted me to Christianity.
my husband saves me he made me christian
Truly the more to blame he, we were Christians enow before, e’en as
many as could well live one by another. This making of Christians will
raise the price of hogs; if we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not
shortly have a rasher on the coals for money.
He's all the more to blame for it. We had enough Christians before—as many as could get along. This business of making more Christians will push up the price of pigs. If everyone becomes a pork-eater, soon we won't be able to afford a slice of bacon for any amount of money.
That's worse of him, actually. We already had plenty of Christians. They all got along fine. But if he keeps making Christians out of Jews, the price of pork is going to go through the roof. If everyone eats pork, bacon's going to be impossible to afford.
more christians = more pork eaters pork prices gonna skyrocket bacon will be unaffordable
I’ll tell my husband, Launcelet, what you say. Here he comes.
I'll tell my husband, Launcelet, what you just said. Here he comes.
I'm telling my husband what you just said, Launcelet. Oh, and here he comes now.
im telling ur husband here he is
Launcelet Gobbo's wordplay scenes — 2-2, 3-5, and scattered interventions elsewhere — function as pressure valves in a play that is otherwise building toward a life-or-death courtroom confrontation. His joke theology in 3-5 (you're damned, pork will get expensive) touches the play's rawest themes — Jewish identity, conversion, religious belonging — and makes them laugh-able, which simultaneously discharges some tension and produces a kind of discomfort: should we be laughing at this? The clown is also the character who most directly articulates what the Christian characters believe about Jews but won't say plainly: Jessica is damned by lineage, and no conversion fixes that. He says it as a joke. The play lets it land.
I shall grow jealous of you shortly, Launcelet, if you thus get my wife
into corners!
I'll soon be jealous, Launcelet, if you keep pulling my wife into corners like that!
Launcelet, if you keep dragging my wife off into corners, I'm going to get jealous!
stop pulling my wife into corners or i'll get jealous
Nay, you need not fear us, Lorenzo. Launcelet and I are out. He tells
me flatly there’s no mercy for me in heaven, because I am a Jew’s
daughter; and he says you are no good member of the commonwealth, for
in converting Jews to Christians you raise the price of pork.
No, you don't need to worry, Lorenzo. Launcelet and I are done talking now. He told me straight out that there's no mercy for me in heaven because I'm a Jew's daughter. And he says you're a bad member of society because converting Jews to Christians raises the price of pork.
No worries, Lorenzo. We're done. Launcelet basically told me I'm going to hell because I'm the daughter of a Jew. And he says you're ruining society by converting Jews to Christians, which makes pork more expensive.
launcelet says im damned im a jew's daughter and ur ruining society
I shall answer that better to the commonwealth than you can the getting
up of the negro’s belly! The Moor is with child by you, Launcelet.
I'll contribute to society better than you're supporting the Moorish woman you got pregnant! The Moor is expecting your child, Launcelet.
I've done more for society than you've done for that pregnant Moorish woman. You're the one who got her pregnant.
moorish woman is pregnant u got her pregnant u should deal with that
It is much that the Moor should be more than reason; but if she be less
than an honest woman, she is indeed more than I took her for.
It's odd that the Moor should be so heavily pregnant. But if she's less than honest, then she's actually more than I took her for.
It's weird that a Moorish woman would go along with all this, but if she's not totally virtuous, then actually she's better than I figured her to be.
weird situation but she's better than i thought
How every fool can play upon the word! I think the best grace of wit
will shortly turn into silence, and discourse grow commendable in none
only but parrots. Go in, sirrah; bid them prepare for dinner.
How easily every fool can play with words! I think genuine wit will soon disappear, and the only creatures worth listening to for conversation will be parrots. Go inside. Tell them to get dinner ready.
Every idiot thinks they're clever with words. Pretty soon the only thing worth listening to is going to be parrots, because actual wit will be dead. Go tell the servants to get dinner ready.
everyone thinks theyre clever no real wit left go tell them to make dinner
That is done, sir, they have all stomachs.
That's already done, sir. They're all hungry.
Already done. They're all hungry.
done. theyre hungry
Goodly Lord, what a wit-snapper are you! Then bid them prepare dinner.
Good Lord, you're such a quick-witted fool! Then tell them to prepare dinner.
Man, you're so clever with words! Now tell them to actually prepare dinner.
ur so clever now make dinner happen
That is done too, sir, only “cover” is the word.
That's done too, sir. It's just a matter of using the right word—'cover.'
That's done. You just have to use the right word—'cover.'
its done. just use the word cover
Will you cover, then, sir?
Will you cover the table, then?
So will you cover the table?
will u cover the table?
Not so, sir, neither. I know my duty.
Not exactly, sir. I know my proper role.
Nope. I know what my job is.
nope. i know my job
The Lorenzo-Jessica relationship is the play's least examined romantic pair — and the most interesting in some ways. They elope, they arrive at Belmont, Lorenzo brags about his wife, Jessica deflects the praise. The final exchange of this scene — 'even such a husband hast thou of me / Nay, but ask my opinion too of that' — is small and easy to miss. But it is the only moment in their scenes together where Jessica asserts any independent perspective on the marriage. She doesn't answer the question. She says: ask me. This is different from Portia and Bassanio's exchange, where feelings are stated with full romantic intensity. Jessica's 'ask my opinion' keeps her interiority slightly closed. We don't know what she thinks about the marriage she just made. The play doesn't tell us.
Yet more quarrelling with occasion! Wilt thou show the whole wealth of
thy wit in an instant? I pray thee understand a plain man in his plain
meaning: go to thy fellows, bid them cover the table, serve in the
meat, and we will come in to dinner.
Still more arguing about everything! Are you going to show off all your clever wordplay at once? Please, just understand what a straightforward guy means straightforwardly: go tell your coworkers to cover the table, bring out the meat, and we'll come in to eat.
Stop picking arguments about every little thing! Do you have to show off all your cleverness right now? Just listen to what I'm saying as a simple guy saying simple things: go tell the servants to cover the table, bring the food, and we'll come eat.
stop being clever just tell them to: cover the table bring the meat we come eat
For the table, sir, it shall be served in; for the meat, sir, it shall
be covered; for your coming in to dinner, sir, why, let it be as
humours and conceits shall govern.
The table will be brought in, sir; the meat will be covered, sir; and as for your coming in to dinner, sir—well, let it happen as moods and whims decide.
The table will be brought in; the meat will be covered; and whether you come to dinner—well, that's up to however you're feeling.
table gets brought in meat gets covered if u show up 4 dinner that's ur choice i guess
O dear discretion, how his words are suited!
The fool hath planted in his memory
An army of good words, and I do know
A many fools that stand in better place,
Garnish’d like him, that for a tricksy word
Defy the matter. How cheer’st thou, Jessica?
And now, good sweet, say thy opinion,
How dost thou like the Lord Bassanio’s wife?
Oh, what beautiful timing in his words! The fool has filled his memory With an entire army of good words. I know Many fools in higher positions, Dressed up like him, who would abandon The real issue just for a clever word. So, Jessica, how are you? Now tell me, sweetheart, what do you think— How do you like Lord Bassanio's wife?
Wow, his timing is perfect! That fool has memorized A whole arsenal of clever words. I know plenty Of fools in better positions than him Who would drop the real problem For one clever wisecrack. Anyway, Jessica, how are you doing? So tell me honestly, what's your take— What do you think of Lord Bassanio's wife?
he's got so many clever words but like other fools have better positions hey jessica how r u what do u think of bassanio's wife?
Past all expressing. It is very meet
The Lord Bassanio live an upright life,
For having such a blessing in his lady,
He finds the joys of heaven here on earth,
And if on earth he do not merit it,
In reason he should never come to heaven.
Why, if two gods should play some heavenly match,
And on the wager lay two earthly women,
And Portia one, there must be something else
Pawn’d with the other, for the poor rude world
Hath not her fellow.
Beyond words to describe. Lord Bassanio clearly deserves To live a good and honest life, Because he has such a gift in his wife. He's found heaven's joys right here on earth, And if he can't earn heaven here, Logically he should never get there. Really, if two gods were playing for stakes, And wagered two earthly women, With Portia as one, they'd have to put up Something else besides the other woman, Because the whole rough world Has no one else like her.
It's impossible to describe how amazing she is. Bassanio is so lucky to have her as his wife—he's found paradise right here on earth. If he can't be good to someone this perfect, he doesn't deserve heaven. Honestly, if two gods were betting on women, and one of them was Portia, they'd have to throw in something extra to make it equal, because no other woman in the world comes close to her.
she's incredible bassanio found heaven on earth no one else like portia shes perfect
Even such a husband
Hast thou of me as she is for a wife.
You have a husband in me As perfect as she is as a wife.
I'm as good a husband to you as she is a wife to him.
im ur perfect husband like shes his perfect wife
Nay, but ask my opinion too of that.
No, but ask me what I think about that.
Yeah, but you should probably ask me what I think about that.
ask me what i think tho
I will anon. First let us go to dinner.
I will soon. First, let's go eat dinner.
I will in a minute. Let's go get dinner first.
soon. lets eat first
Nay, let me praise you while I have a stomach.
No, let me compliment you while I still have an appetite.
No, let me tell you how great you are while I'm still in the mood.
let me compliment u first while im feeling it
No pray thee, let it serve for table-talk.
Then howsome’er thou speak’st, ’mong other things
I shall digest it.
No, let's save it for dinner conversation. Then whatever you say, among other things, I'll take it in and understand it.
No, let's talk about this over dinner instead. Whatever you say, I'll listen to it Along with everything else.
save it for dinner convo il listen while we eat
Well, I’ll set you forth.
Well, I'll describe you.
Alright, I'll describe you then.
ill describe u then
The Reckoning
A comic interlude between the high-stakes action of 3-4 and the trial in Act 4, this scene does more tonal work than structural work. It relaxes the tension with Launcelet's extended wordplay games — and then quietly raises a question in the final exchange. Jessica's praise of Portia is extraordinary, genuinely worshipful. Lorenzo's response ('even such a husband hast thou of me') is a little boastful and a little insecure. Jessica's 'nay, but ask my opinion too of that' keeps the audience gently wondering: how is that marriage, actually?
If this happened today…
A house-sitter and an elopement refugee are killing time in someone else's mansion. The ex-employee clown is still around and starts winding her up about eternal damnation. Her husband shows up and gets into an increasingly absurd fight with the clown about whether 'cover the table' means put a lid on it or lay the tablecloth. The clown leaves. The husband turns to his new wife: 'So — what do you think of Portia?' She gives him a speech that basically compares Portia to a goddess. He nods and says: 'I'm kind of like that for you.' She gives him a look: 'Ask me that question another time.'