The Merchant of Venice
by William Shakespeare
adapted and retold
by Rainer Triller
A dandy from the city-state of Venice -
quite ignorant of all the pain and menace
that he was finally about to cause
by chatting up a girl on distant shores -
approached his noble merchant friend for money
which he required to impress his honey.
Bassanio - this hard up, smart Venetian gallant -
made ample use of his retorical talent
so that Antonio, his moody bosom friend,
whose hard-earned ducats he was wont to spend,
would once again most willingly concede
to pander to his present urgent need.
Not much interested in Antonio's sorrow
Bassanio just sussed out what he could borrow
to rank himself with all those wealthy beaus
intent on courting Portia, Belmont's rose,
whose beauty stirred up men to great emotion
and lured them to her island in the ocean.
. . .
Bassanio's well-to-do and generous friend
was at that time not in a state to lend
the large amount of cash that was required
to gain the maid that all the world desired
yet he stood surety for any sum
that could be borrowed elsewhere by his chum.
. . .
"Three thousand ducats, for three months - well, well -
a handsome sum for not too long a spell."
The Jew most shrewdly from his point of vantage
worked out his likely profit and advantage.
He frowned and hesitated for a while
evading his new client with a smile.
. . .
Enraged Antonio might have blown the deal
had not the Jew persuaded him to seal
a bond wherein the Merchant pawned a fresh
and tender looking pound of his own flesh
to be cut off if he could not repay
the credit on the stipulated day.
. . .
Meanwhile fair Portia looked fed up and weary
because her wealth had made her life so dreary.
And then on top of that she felt quite ill
when she reflected on her dad's last will,
which told her not to choose or to refuse
the mate she craved to overcome her blues.
. . .
Three metal chests, of silver, gold and lead,
were to determine whom she was to wed.
. . .
The very thought of this made Portia sick
and so she was resolved to find a trick
allowing her to follow her own fad
without appearing faithless to her dad.
. . .
(a story of 60 verses)
***
2. August 2003
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