Shylock responds to Portia’s excellent speech with the following: “My deeds upon my head! I crave the law” (201). Shylock is asserting that he takes responsibility for his own actions or deeds, but he is also implying that he does not care at all about mercy and sin. As noted earlier, Shylock acts solely out of passion. He is sanguinary, a creature motivated solelybyhis desire for violence and bloodshed. Thus, even if he will be damned by God, he cannot and will not change hismind.
Portia then declares that the law cannot be broken and that the terms of the contract must be fulfilled.Ifthe court ruled against Shylock, it would, as noted earlier, set a terrible precedent (line 215). The laws of Venice might no longer be held as binding or meaningful. Portia is declaring that the officials of Venice cannot break their ownlaws.
When Shylock hears that Portia is supporting his side of the case, he declares…
A Daniel come to the judgement, yea, a Daniel! O wise young judge, how do I honour thee!
(218-19)
Shylock is referring to theBook of Daniel, a religious book of the Jews that also appears in the Catholic Bible (but not in Protestant Bibles). In that book appears the story of young Daniel who defends a woman named Susanna. Two oldermen