Main Events
Nerissa quarrels with Gratiano while Portia quarrels with Bassanio about giving away their respective rings.
- "By yonder moon I swear you do me
wrong;
In faith, I gave it to the judge's clerk:
...You swore to me, when I did give it you,
That you would wear it till your hour of death
And that it should lie with you in your grave:
Though not for me, yet for your vehement oaths,
You should have been respective and have kept it.
Gave it a judge's clerk! no, God's my judge,
The clerk will ne'er wear hair on's face that had it.
My Lord Bassanio gave his ring away
Unto the judge that begg'd it...
What ring gave you my lord?
Not that, I hope, which you received of me.
...you see my finger
Hath not the ring upon it; it is gone.
Even so void is your false heart of truth.
By heaven, I will ne'er come in your bed
Until I see the ring.
Nor I in yours
Till I again see mine." (5.1.142-143, 152-158, 179-180, 187-192)
Portia and Nerissa reveal the rings that they "got" from the doctor and his clerk. Portia hands over a letter to Bassanio and Gratiano. Portia tells them that the letter states that she and Nerissa are the doctor and the doctor's clerk, respectively. Then, Portia tells Antonio that three of his ships have miraculously returned.
- "Here, Lord Bassanio; swear to keep this ring.
By heaven, it is the same I gave the doctor!
I had it of him: pardon me, Bassanio;
For, by this ring, the doctor lay with me.
And pardon me, my gentle Gratiano;
For that same scrubbed boy, the doctor's clerk,
In lieu of this last night did lie with me.
...Here is a letter; read it at your leisure;
It comes from Padua, from Bellario:
There you shall find that Portia was the doctor,
Nerissa there her clerk...
Antonio...
unseal this letter soon;
There you shall find three of your argosies
Are richly come to harbour suddenly" (5.1.256-262, 267-270, 273, 275-277)