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2025-08-23 15:48 本頁(yè)面
【文章內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介】 It is a matter of fact business interview, neither of the parties wasting words. With the curt but not impolite manner of the professional banker, Shylock simply reiterates the sum requested—“Three thousand ducats.” But he is a business man. There is no reason for him to fall on Bassanio’s neck and express his eagerness to do a deal. He must go cautiously, and see how urgent Bassanio is, and how much therefore he can increase his own gains in the deal by stipulating a more or even a much more profitable rate of interest. There is no suggestion of sarcasm in the word “Antonio is a good man”, although it certainly can be played that way. Shylock explains what he means: that Antonio is sufficient as a guarantor, even though his ships are at sea and their fate is uncertain. He concludes, “I think I may take his bond. I will be assured I may … May I speak with Antonio?”4 Bassanio then asks Shylock to dine with them, and Shylock declines。 he assures Bassanio that “I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you…”, but because of his religious constraints, “I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you.” To soften the harshness of his refusal, he returns immediately to a neutral social question—“what news on the Rialto?”5 — to indicate that he did not intend to be rude.When he meets Antonio, his first words to him are “Rest you fair, good signior。 Your Worship was the last man in our mouths.”6 (We were just talking about you.) Anyway, anyone who sees evil or even unpleasantness in Shylock’s remark is looking for trouble. Shylock proceeds to tell Antonio about Jacob when he grazes his Uncle Laban’s sheep. This is supposedly an attempt by Shylock to rationalize his taking of interest, and according to Antonio, “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”7 It’s strange that Shakespeare would have Shylock use this story. A Jew would be unlikely to use it in an attempt to explain anything, since it has nothing to do with the taking of interest and is therefore a meaningless story in this context. Stranger still is that Antonio seems to have a better understanding of the incident than Shylock the Jew does: This was a venture, sir, that Jacob serv’d for。 A thing not in his power to bring to pass, But sway’d and fashion’d by the hand of heaven. 8 But as we know, Shylock endured much of Antonio’s abuse, over a long period of time. This can be seen by the sheer volume of disgraces he has born. A good example is in Act 3 Scene 1, beginning with line 50: “He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies …”9 In his next significant speech, Shylock recounts how Antonio has abused him in the past. In these lines Shylock sounds quite rational, even though he has reason to be angry and frustrated. He says, in effect, that Antonio has scolded him many times in the marketplace about his money and his interest, and he always bears it with a patient shrug。 You called me misbeliever, cutthroat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, And all for use of that which is mine own. Well then, it now appears you need my help: What should I say to you? Should I not say, ‘Hath a dog money? Is it possible A cur can lend three thousand ducats?’ orShall I bend low, and in a bondman’s key, With bated breath, and whispering humbleness, Say this: ‘Fair sir, you spat on me on Wednesday last。 You spurn’d me such a day。 another timeYou call’d me dogand for these courtesies I’ll lend you thus much moneys?’ 10 Shylock had such a magnanimous spirit, that he even offered Antonio, who had abused him terribly, a loan, free of interest. Shylock was willing to loan money to one who totally ruined him in public, on te
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