The Merchant of Venice

Act 5 Scene 1

Original Text	Modern Text
Enter LORENZO and JESSICA	LORENZO and JESSICA enter.
LORENZO The moon shines bright. In such a night as this, When the sweet wind did gently kiss the trees And they did make no noise, in such a night Troilus methinks mounted the Trojan walls 5And sighed his soul toward the Grecian tents Where Cressid lay that night.	LORENZO The moon’s bright tonight. I think that on a night like this, when the wind blew the trees so gently that they didn’t make a sound, Troilus Troilus was the son of King Priam of Troy. His lover, Cressida, was sent to the Greek camp, where she betrayed him. Troilus climbed up onto the walls of Troy and sighed for Cressida in the Greek camp.
JESSICA In such a night Did Thisbe fearfully o'ertrip the dew And saw the lion’s shadow ere himself And ran dismayed away.	JESSICA On a night like this, Thisbe Thisbe had agreed to meet her lover Pyramus, but was frightened away by a lion. Pyramus killed himself because he thought the lion had eaten her, and Thisbe killed herself when she found Pyramus dead. Thisbe saw the lion’s shadow and ran away in fear.
LORENZO In such a night 10Stood Dido with a willow in her hand Upon the wild sea banks, and waft her love To come again to Carthage.	LORENZO On a night like this, Dido Dido, the queen of Carthage, was abandoned by her lover Aeneas. Dido stood holding a willow branch on the seashore, begging her lover to come back to her in Carthage.
JESSICA In such a night Medea gathered the enchanted herbs That did renew old Æson.	JESSICA On a night like this, Medea Medea used her magic to help her lover, Jason’s father. Later, Jason betrayed her, and she murdered their children in revenge. Medea gathered magic herbs to rejuvenate old Aeson.