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Page 12 of 18 VIOLA With adorations, fertile tears, With groans that thunder love, with sighs of fire. OLIVIA Your lord does know my mind; I cannot love him: Yet I suppose him virtuous, know him noble, Of great estate, of fresh and stainless youth; In voices well divulged, free, learn'd and valiant; And in dimension and the shape of nature A gracious person: but yet I cannot love him; He might have took his answer long ago. VIOLA If I did love you in my master's flame, With such a suffering, such a deadly life, In your denial I would find no sense; I would not understand it. OLIVIA Why, what would you? VIOLA Make me a willow cabin at your gate, And call upon my soul within the house; Write loyal cantons of contemned love And sing them loud even in the dead of night; Halloo your name to the reverberate hills And make the babbling gossip of the air Cry out 'Olivia!' O, You should not rest Between the elements of air and earth, But you should pity me! OLIVIA You might do much. What is your parentage? VIOLA Above my fortunes, yet my state is well: I am a gentleman. OLIVIA Get you to your lord; I cannot love him: let him send no more; The Merchant of Venice Act I, scene 2
At this stage in the play, Portia, a wealthy heiress in Venice, is speaking with her maid Nerissa. According to her father's will, all suitors for her hand in marriage must choose from among three coffers—one of which contains a portrait of her. If a man chooses the right one, he may marry Portia; however, if he chooses wrong, he must vow never to marry or even court another woman. PORTIA By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world. NERISSA You would be, sweet madam, if your miseries were in the same abundance as your good fortunes are: and yet, for aught I see, they are as sick that surfeit
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