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I was beset° by shame, and felt moreover 91 / besieged
To give the ring was the right thing to do. 92
My honour would not let ingratitude
93
94
So much besmear it. Pardon me, good lady,
For by these blesséd candles of the night° 95 / stars that stud the night
Had you been there I think you would have begged
The ring of° me to give the worthy doctor. 96 / from

—Portia
Let not that doctor e’er come near my house.
97
Since he hath got the jewel that I do love,° {that I loved}
And that° which you did swear to keep for me. / The one
I will become as generous° as you.° {liberal} / giving, as were you
I’ll not deny him anything I have—° / hold back anything he desires
No, not my body, nor my husband’s° bed. / marital
98
‘Know’ him I shall, I am well° sure of it.° / quite // I shall in every way
Lie not a night from° home. Watch me like Argus, 99 > away from
+Who guarded Io with a hundred eyes., 100
If you do not, if I be left alone,
101
Now, by mine honour, which is still° mine own,° {yet} // intact / unbroken

91. / I was o’ertaken by shame, feeling that
92. {I was beset with shame and courtesy}
/ I was o’ertaken by a deepened shame / I was beset with guilt and obligation / I was beset with disgrace and
decorum / I was beset with feelings of disgrace | +And a deep sense that I should give the ring,
shame: a sense of dishonor, disgrace
courtesy: a sense of moral obligation, feeling that giving the ring was the right thing to do.
93. / And I could not let such ingratitude | Besmear my honor. Pardon me, good lady,
94. Giving away Portia’s ring, at the request of Antonio, shows Bassanio’s loyalty to Antonio above Portia.
Moreover, it reveals Bassanio’s weakness of character, and his inability to keep his own word nor honor his own
vows (which is consistent with his irresponsible and care-free character) He says he broke the vow to Portia to
uphold his honor and show his gratitude (and because he was enforced)—thus showing that he holds these self-
concerned promptings greater than Portia and the vow he made to her. How is Portia to feel about such an act?
What does it tell her about her new lord and master?
95. {For by these blessed candles of the night} / For by these stars, whose light doth bless the heavens
This oath—to the stars of the night sky—carries with it the same irony as Gratziano’s swearing by yonder
moon: both the light of the moon, and the stars (on this night) are inconsistent, being regularly covered up by the
clouds. The stars, as well, are soon to fade as morning is swift approaching.
96. / That I give the ring to the worthy doctor.
97. he: Portia now accepts Bassanio’s statement that he gave the ring to a man, but here she shifts her game, saying
that she, too, will give herself to this man.
98. know him: have sexual relations with him. Compare Portia’s parting words to Bassanio in the previous scene
[4.1.415]: ‘I pray you, know me when we meet again.’
99. Argus: Argus Panoptes, the all-seeing, hundred-eyed giant who was set to guard Io, daughter of the river god,
Inachus. (Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.622-77). Also compare the India myth of Malini, whose beauty was so great that
Lord Shiva sprouted eyes on every side of his head so he could look at her even when she walked around him.
100. Lie not a night away from home. Like Argus, | +With all his hundred eyes, you watch o’er me.,
101. by mine honor, which is yet mine own:
a) by my chastity (virginity) which is still intact, still unbroken, still mine own (having not been taken by
anyone as of yet). b) by my vows, which have not been broken. This is in contrast to Bassanio’s honor which is not
his own, as he has given it away when he broke his vow to keep the ring.
Portia’s reference to honour, is a continuation of Bassanio’s previous claim: No, by my honour, madam, by
my soul, | No woman had it, but a civil doctor. [209])