Page 14 - William_Shakespeare_-_The_Merchant_of_Venice_191

Within the eye of honour, be assured 83
My purse, my person,° my extremest means° / My bank, my body // and my every means
Lie all unlocked to whate’er you may need.° 84 {to your occasions}

—Bassanio
In my school days, when I had lost an arrow° {shaft}
I shot another one in the same way, / but
And in the same direction yet,° this time, 85 / and
With a more careful° and advisèd watch; / much keener
Then, in my vent’ring° for the second arrow, / in adventure / my searching
86
I oft found both. I urge° this childhood proof° / give // lesson / story
Because what follows is pure innocence:° 87 / my plan holds the same innocence
I owe you much and, like a wilful youth,
That which I owe is lost; but, if you’d please° / were
To shoot another shaft the self-same way°
As you did shoot the first, +and loan to me
Again, one more amount,°, I do not doubt— / another sum
Watching the aim with care—that I’ll find both: 88
I will return° the sums that now you risk,° / bring back // loan / give

83. {And if it stand, as you yourself still do, | Within the eye of honour}
> if your plan is righteous, honorable, above board, ethical, etc.
Antonio is adding a caveat here: Bassanio’s plan must stand within the eye of honour. However, the plan as
we know it, which involves a chance lottery (or, as we may surmise, receiving a guarantee of help from Nerissa if
certain conditions are met) is not honorable. As such, Bassanio does not tell Antonio the actual plan, nor “unburden
all his pots and purposes.” He presents what appears to be a normal courtship scenario without any mention of the
actual plot or circumstances. (When does Antonio finally learn about the true nature of the chance venture?—and
what does he do when he finds out that Bassanio has borrowed the money under a false pretense?) It seems
Antonio’s blind love for Bassanio causes him to see past all of Bassanio’s flaws, even the avoidable action of failing
to cure Antonio’s bond when he had means enough, and time enough, to do so. [See Additional Notes, 1.1.137]
84. Bassanio asking Antonio for money—yet again—might suggests some kind of abuse. In the past Bassanio has
borrowed money from Antonio to ‘show a more swelling port’ and to live beyond his means—and he made no
attempt to repay any of the borrowed money. Here again, knowing that most of Antonio’s money is tied up in his
ventures, Bassanio again comes to Antonio. It seems that Antonio loves this young man, who is high-spirited and
who brings to Antonio a sense of life he is missing—so much so that he is willing to do anything for him. Bassanio
is aware of Antonio’s love and he uses that affection—perhaps in an innocent or careless way, as opposed to a
deceitful or knowingly abusive way—for his own financial benefit. Bassanio, too, has genuine love for Antonio, so
the relationship is one of mutual support and friendship.
85. {I shot his fellow of the selfsame flight | The selfsame way}
/ I shot another in the selfsame way | And in the selfsame direction, but then
/ I’d see exactly where the next one fell, | And in venturing forth I oft found both.
86.{To find the other forth, and by adventuring both, | I oft found both}
/ Then I would venture for the second shaft, | And oft found both.
/ Then, by adventuring for the second, | I oft found both.
oft: often—often, but not always; the venture had some risk and sometimes both arrows were lost.
87. Not true! The plan—which is never truly told to Antonio—is far from innocent. In the highest embodiment
(and most unlikely scenario) it involves a deceitful appearance and an uncertain choice between three caskets; in the
lowest embodiment (and most likely scenario) it involves “cheating”(for good reasons, no doubt) and the unfair
winning of another’s wealth. The plan, moreover, is somewhat mercenary; it is first proposed as a way to clear up all
of Bassanio’s debts rather than the defiant and risky action of someone truly in love.
88. {. . . I do not doubt, | As I will watch the aim, or to find both}
I do not doubt. . .
/ That I will watch the aim and then find both
/ I’ll watch the aim with care and find them both