The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare
No Fear Act 5 Scene 1
No Fear Act 5 Scene 1 Page 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.
Previous section Act 4, Scene 2 Next page   Act 5, Scene 1, Page 2
Test your knowledge

Take the Act 5, scene i Quick Quiz
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of Act V, scene i
Take a study break

Every Book on Your English Syllabus Summed Up in a Quote from The Office

Popular pages: The Merchant of Venice

Take a Study Break