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Revenge Quote by William Shakespeare

“To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a…” quote by William Shakespeare
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““To bait fish withal: if it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath disgraced me, and hindered me half a million; laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs,dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villany you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.””

William Shakespeare

About This Quote

Source Play: The Merchant of Venice, 1596

A monologue argues that Jews share the same humanity as Christians, demanding equal treatment and justice.

In simple terms: All humans share the same physical and emotional traits.

Key Takeaway

Demand equal respect for all.

Themes

equality justice humanity

Mood

passionate provocative

Type

dramatic ethical

When to use this quote

  • legal debates
  • civil rights
  • interfaith dialogue
  • personal conflict

Key Concepts

shared suffering revenge social critique

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does empathy influence justice?
  • Can revenge ever be justified?
A Different Perspective

The speech is a dramatic argument, not a factual claim.

2.7 out of 5 (3 ratings)

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