2A/N: Hey people! Well This was a project for school, but I decided to upload it on here to. I'm not sure if people would acutally read it or not. But hey! xD
Antonio demise, my victory.
My hand was shaking a little as it got closer and closer to Antonio's bare chest, a knife clenched in its fist. Antonio was strapped down to the chair in front of me, to prevent him from moving while I obtained my flesh, and Gagged so the audience surrounded us would not have to hear the horrible noises which were going to escape from his mouth. His sky blue eyes were begging me to just take the 6000 ducats and spare his life. But I wasn't going to; this, right here was going to be my victory against the merchant. I close my eyes for a second before opening them once again. This was it; I'm going to get my flesh. I thrust my hand forward aiming for the left side of his chest.
"Tarry A little!" that young judge yelled, just as it was about to puncture Antonio's pale, unprotected skin. I jump back a little, almost throwing the knife before looking over at the young judge.
"There is something else. This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood. The words expressly are 'a pound of flesh'" He paused for a second to look up from the bond and stare me straight in the eyes, I could see he was trying to hide his smirk. "Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh, But in the cutting if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are by the laws of Venice confiscate Unto the state on Venice." When he finished the people in the court started to cheer especially Gratiano.
"Is that the law?" I heard myself say.
"Thyself shalt see the act. For thou urgest justice, be assured Thou shalt have justice more than thou desirest." He replied setting the bond down onto the plank in front of him.
"I'll take this offer then: pay the bond thrice, and I'll let the christian go" I mumbled under my breath quickly, walking over to the chest.
"Here is the money" Bassanio practically yelled pointing at the chest.
"Soft!" The judge yelled once again, stopping Bassanio right in his tracks. " The Jew shall have all justice. Soft, no haste. He shall have nothing but the penalty" There was a short pass, letting the crowd around us mummer once again. "Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh. Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more, But just a pound of flesh. If thou taskest more Or less than just a pound, be it but so as makes it light or heavy in the substance or the division of the twentieth part of one poor scruple-nay, if the scale do turn but in the estimation of a hair. Thou diest and all thy goods are confiscate...Why doth the Jew pause? Take thy forfeiture" He says letting his smirk slide onto his face."
"Give me my principal, and let me me go" I finally mange to say, noticing that I've just been staring at him for a couple minutes.
"I have it ready for thee." Bassanio said once again pointing at the chest, as if I couldn't see it. You could see he was eager to get this all over with, and his friend out of danger.
"He hath refused it in the open court." The judge interrupted me once again. "He shall have merely justice and his bond" More mummers.
"Shall I not have nothing but the forfeiture, to be so taken at thy peril, Jew"
"Why then, the devil give him good of it" I shouted glaring at both the judge and the merchant, hating them more then I ever had, and walked over to my self the knife still clenched in my fist.
"Tarry, Jew" The judge said preventing me from leaving once again. I turn around to stare him right in the eyes. "The law hath yet another hold on you. It is enacted in the laws of Venice, If it be proved against an alien that by direct or indirect attempts, he seek the life of any citizen, then party 'gasint the which he doth contrive shall seize one half of his goods. The other half comes to the privy coffer of the states, and the offender's life lies in the mercy of the duke only 'gainst all other voice. That indirectly-and directly too- Thou has contrived against the very life of the defendant, and thou has incurred the danger formerly by me rehearsed. Down therefore, and beg at the mercy of the Duke"
Beg, they wanted me to BEG? No this is all wrong, this is not how it should have went. My eyes move from the judge over to the duke's. His mouth is moving, but I hear nothing except the mummers of the people behind me, and Antonio's still beating heart. Two things that should not be there. I look down at my hand making sure the knife was still there, my hand had gone numb long ago. Then looked over at Antonio, Bassanio was at his side, pulling off the gag and unstrapping his arms. My life was over, there was no way these Christian's would spare it. Especially since I wasn't going to spare the life of Antonio's,their pericous merchant.. If I was going to die, then so was Antonio. Using the little bit of strength I've had left, I lunged forward screaming like the mad man I was. No one saw it coming, they were all shocked. Even Bassanio didn't see it coming even though he was only standing a few inches away from me.
I heard a lady scream behind us, and heavy foot-steps coming toward me. I opened my eyes, noticing I had close them, to see I had struck right where his heart was, quickly before I was pulled away I turned the knife side-ways, and pulled It out. Ensuring that he wouldn't survive, before I got dragged away.
"ANTIONO!" People all around me screamed and cried, as the merchant bleed out in Bassanio's arms. My whole body was numb, as they pulled me to the gallows. I only had one thing one my mind, my Victory!