Page 62 - William_Shakespeare_-_The_Merchant_of_Venice_191

[to Salarino and Salanio]
14 15
Will you be ready for the masque tonight?° / the masquerade?
16
I’ve got myself a golden torchbearer. / I am provided with

—Salarino
By Mary, I’ll get to it straight away. 17 {Ay marry} / With tending / God willing

—Salanio
And so will I.

—Lorenzo Meet me and Gratziano
At Gratziano’s lodging in an hour.° {some hour hence) / one hour hence

—Salarino
‘Tis good we do so.° / We’ll surely do so

Exit Salarino and Salanio

—Gratziano
Was not that letter from fair Jessica?

—Lorenzo
I must needs tell thee all. She hath directed
How I shall take her from her father’s house,
What gold and jewels she is furnished with,° / she will bring with her
What page’s suit she’ll wear for her disguise.° 18 {she hath in readiness}
If e’er the Jew, her father, comes to heaven
It will be for his gentle daughter’s sake; 19

14. / Go gentlemen—prepare you for the masque
15. The Q1 text reads:
I will not fail her, speak it privately
Go Gentlemen, will you prepare you for this mask tonight,
I am provided of a Torch-bearer. Exit Clowne.
[See Additional Notes, 2.4.21]
16. {I am provided of a torchbearer}
Masquerade parties were elaborate affairs and sometimes the guests, dressed as dignitaries, would be
accompanied by a torchbearer to announce their entry. Lorenzo’s reference to Jessica as his torchbearer not only
indicates that she will mark his entrance to the masque but that she will illumine his life with love and beauty.
It is clear that Jessica will not be playing the part of Lorenzo’s torchbearer at the masque, and that all
reference to Jessica being a torchbearer is by way of analogy. Jessica and Lorenzo, filled up with gold, are going to
make their way out of town while everyone (including Shylock) is distracted with the colorful event.
17. {Ay, marry, I’ll be gone about it straight}
marry: An exclamation evoking the name of Mary, Jesus’s mother. It is similar to ‘by Mary,’ or ‘by the mother
of God’ and would, by extension, mean: ‘in truth, indeed, surely,’ etc.
18. This plan is contingent upon Shylock being out of the house, which is something they are not yet sure of since
the invitation to dine with Bassanio has not yet been accepted. It seems that Jessica is sure that Shylock will accept
the offer (even though he is hesitant).
19. The next three lines are odd and out of place and have no reason to come out of Lorenzo’s mouth—and these
harsh lines divert, and interfere with, Lorenzo’s loving reverie concerning Jessica. These appear like anti-Semitic
emendations; these emendations make a rude entrance at the end of several scenes or as part of a character’s exiting