Page 176 - William_Shakespeare_-_The_Merchant_of_Venice_191

43 44
Unto their rightful° praise and true perfection. / To their right
Peace—how the moon sleeps with her secret love / in a darkened cave 45
And would not be awakened.

Light fades as the moon passes behind a cloud
Music stops

—Lorenzo
That is the voice
Of Portia, else I am much deceivéd.° / mistaken

—Portia
He knows me as the blind man knows the cuckoo—
By the bad voice.

—Lorenzo Dear lady, welcome home!

—Portia
We have been praying for our husbands, who
46 47
Prosper, we hope, the better for our words.

43. / All things, by right occasion, realize° / come upon / discover
Their highest place and find their true perfection.
/ How many things by their appointed season
Are thus delivered to their true perfection.
/ All things, by season,° are delivered to / setting / context
Their rightful place and to their true perfection.
44. {To their right praise and true perfection.}
/ To their right place and to their true perfection!
45. {Peace, how the moon sleeps with Endymion}
/ Peace, how the moon sleeps behind a dark cloud / Peace, how the moon sleeps with her youthful shepherd
Q1 reads: {Peace, how the moone sleepes with Endimion}. Many editions (such as Oxford, Cambridge,
Bevingto, etc.) punctuate the verse as: Peace ho! The moon sleeps with Endymion. Peace, ho! would indicate a
surprise (such as ‘Oh look!’ or ‘Wait now!). The scene can be staged in two ways: a) Portia makes a reference to
the moon in the sky, saying, ‘Peace, the moon is still behind a cloud’ or b) Portia makes a reference to Lorenzo and
Jessica (who are asleep) likening the two to Diana (the moon) and Endymion (who, according to myth, sleep
together). The later staging, is adopted by many editions—so much so that an extra stage direction, indicating that
Portia sees Lorenzo and Jessica, is sometimes added to the text. (It could also be that two are not asleep, but resting
in each other’s arms). This staging, though clever, is unlikely since Lorenzo and Jessica are eagerly awaiting the
near arrival of Portia and would not fall asleep at this time (nor would Portia refer to them as sleeping if they were
merely resting together). The more likely staging is that Portia is referring to the moon, still behind a
cloud—perhaps indicating an uneasy darkness as she arrives back home—and Lorenzo (attentively awaiting her
arrival) overhears her comments. Most editions indicate that the music ceases when Portia arrives home. The
Oxford Edition (Halio) emends Portia’s lines as follows:

To their right place and true perfection!
jShe sees Lorenzo and Jessicak
Peace ho! jMusic ceasesk The moos sleeps with Endymion
And would not be awakened.
In Greek legend, Endymion was a young shepherd who lived on Mount Latmos. Enamored by his beauty, Selene
(Diana), the goddess of the moon, put him to sleep forever, in a cave, so she could visit him whenever it pleased her.
Portia is saying that moon—now hidden behind a cloud—has gone into a cave to sleep with Endymion. [See
Additional Note, 5.1.109]
46. {Which speed, we hope, the better for our words.} / That their endeavor may be quick and prosperous
which speed: a) who succeed, who prosper, b) who quickly come to a beneficial result