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87 88
I like not fair terms from° a villain’s mind. {and} / in
—Antonio
Come on, in this there can be no dismay,
My ships come home a month before the day. 89
Exeunt
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87. {I like not fair terms and a villain’s mind}
fair . . . villain: these terms are contrasted, with fair referring to the fairness of Christian values and villain referring
to a Jew. [See Additional Notes, 1.3.176]
88. Possible addition of one line:
I like not fair terms from a villain’s mind / I like not straight terms from a crooked mind.
+Nor have I comfort in the terms we find. ,
The virtue of this added line (though it weakens the overall rhyme) would be to further express Bassanio’s
uneasiness. Bassanio’s scepticism concerning Shylock’s villainy could alternatively be expressed as a concern:
Ant: The Hebrew turns Christian, ‘tis what we find.
Bass: I have no comfort in these terms so kind.
89. / Come now, in this there can be no concern,
A month before the day my ships return.
