Uploaded June 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Shylock's Revenge Speech from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Shylock, a Jew who has suffered endless discrimination at the hands of his enemy, Antonio, asks why he should not be allowed to exact his revenge now that he has been given the chance.
To bait fish withal:
if it will feed nothing else,
it will feed my revenge.
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;
and what's his reason
I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?
Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses,
affections, passions fed with
the same food, hurt with
the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases,
healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by
the same winter and summer,
as a Christian is? If you prick us,
do we not bleed If you tickle us,
do we not laugh If you poison us,
do we not die and if you wrong us,
shall we not revenge
If we are like you in the rest,
we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian,
what is his humility? Revenge.
If a Christian wrong a Jew,
what should his sufferance be by
Christian example? Why, revenge.
The villainy you teach me,
I will execute, and it shall go hard
but I will better the instruction.
About the author - William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon--Avon.
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Shylock's Revenge Speech from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Shylock, a Jew who has suffered endless discrimination at the hands of his enemy, Antonio, asks why he should not be allowed to exact his revenge now that he has been given the chance.
To bait fish withal:
if it will feed nothing else,
it will feed my revenge.
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;
and what's his reason
I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes?
Hath not a Jew hands,
organs, dimensions, senses,
affections, passions fed with
the same food, hurt with
the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases,
healed by the same means,
warmed and cooled by
the same winter and summer,
as a Christian is? If you prick us,
do we not bleed If you tickle us,
do we not laugh If you poison us,
do we not die and if you wrong us,
shall we not revenge
If we are like you in the rest,
we will resemble you in that.
If a Jew wrong a Christian,
what is his humility? Revenge.
If a Christian wrong a Jew,
what should his sufferance be by
Christian example? Why, revenge.
The villainy you teach me,
I will execute, and it shall go hard
but I will better the instruction.
About the author - William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Shakespeare was born and brought up in Stratford-upon--Avon.
For more videos log onto youtube.com/pearlsofwisdom
Also find us on Facebook at facebook.com/pearlsofwisdomchannel
Subscribe & Stay Tuned - youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=pearlsofwisdom
