| Original text | Modern text | Key line |
| Merchant of Siracusa, plead no more. | Merchant of Syracuse, plead no more. | CE I.i.3 |
| I am not partiall to infringe our Lawes; | I am not partial to infringe our laws. | CE I.i.4 |
| The enmity and discord which of late | The enmity and discord which of late | CE I.i.5 |
| Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your Duke, | Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your Duke | CE I.i.6 |
| To Merchants our well-dealing Countrimen, | To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen, | CE I.i.7 |
| Who wanting gilders to redeeme their liues, | Who, wanting guilders to redeem their lives, | CE I.i.8 |
| Haue seal'd his rigorous statutes with their blouds, | Have sealed his rigorous statutes with their bloods, | CE I.i.9 |
| Excludes all pitty from our threatning lookes: | Excludes all pity from our threatening looks. | CE I.i.10 |
| For since the mortall and intestine iarres | For since the mortal and intestine jars | CE I.i.11 |
| Twixt thy seditious Countrimen and vs, | 'Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us | CE I.i.12 |
| It hath in solemne Synodes beene decreed, | It hath in solemn synods been decreed | CE I.i.13 |
| Both by the Siracusians and our selues, | Both by the Syracusians and ourselves | CE I.i.14 |
| To admit no trafficke to our aduerse townes: | To admit no traffic to our adverse towns. | CE I.i.15 |
| Nay more, | Nay, more: | CE I.i.16 |
| if any borne at Ephesus / Be seene | If any born at Ephesus be seen | CE I.i.17 |
| at any Siracusian Marts and Fayres: | At any Syracusian marts and fairs; | CE I.i.18 |
| Againe, if any Siracusian borne | Again, if any Syracusian born | CE I.i.19 |
| Come to the Bay of Ephesus, he dies: | Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies, | CE I.i.20 |
| His goods confiscate to the Dukes dispose, | His goods confiscate to the Duke's dispose, | CE I.i.21 |
| Vnlesse a thousand markes be leuied | Unless a thousand marks be levied, | CE I.i.22 |
| To quit the penalty, and to ransome him: | To quit the penalty and to ransom him. | CE I.i.23 |
| Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, | Thy substance, valued at the highest rate, | CE I.i.24 |
| Cannot amount vnto a hundred Markes, | Cannot amount unto a hundred marks; | CE I.i.25 |
| Therefore by Law thou art condemn'd to die. | Therefore by law thou art condemned to die. | CE I.i.26 |
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| Well Siracusian; say in briefe the cause | Well, Syracusian, say in brief the cause | CE I.i.29 |
| Why thou departedst from thy natiue home? | Why thou departed'st from thy native home, | CE I.i.30 |
| And for what cause thou cam'st to Ephesus. | And for what cause thou camest to Ephesus. | CE I.i.31 |
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| Nay forward old man, doe not breake off so, | Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so, | CE I.i.97 |
| For we may pitty, though not pardon thee. | For we may pity, though not pardon thee. | CE I.i.98 |
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| And for the sake of them thou sorrowest for, | And for the sake of them thou sorrowest for, | CE I.i.122 |
| Doe me the fauour to dilate at full, | Do me the favour to dilate at full | CE I.i.123 |
| What haue befalne of them and they till now. | What hath befallen of them and thee till now. | CE I.i.124 |
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| Haplesse Egeon whom the fates haue markt | Hapless Egeon, whom the fates have marked | CE I.i.141 |
| To beare the extremitie of dire mishap: | To bear the extremity of dire mishap, | CE I.i.142 |
| Now trust me, were it not against our Lawes, | Now trust me, were it not against our laws, | CE I.i.143 |
| Against my Crowne, my oath, my dignity, | Against my crown, my oath, my dignity, | CE I.i.144 |
| Which Princes would they may not disanull, | Which princes, would they, may not disannul, | CE I.i.145 |
| My soule should sue as aduocate for thee: | My soul should sue as advocate for thee. | CE I.i.146 |
| But though thou art adiudged to the death, | But, though thou art adjudged to the death, | CE I.i.147 |
| And passed sentence may not be recal'd | And passed sentence may not be recalled | CE I.i.148 |
| But to our honours great disparagement: | But to our honour's great disparagement, | CE I.i.149 |
| Yet will I fauour thee in what I can; | Yet will I favour thee in what I can. | CE I.i.150 |
| Therefore Marchant, Ile limit thee this day | Therefore, merchant, I'll limit thee this day | CE I.i.151 |
| To seeke thy helpe by beneficiall helpe, | To seek thy health by beneficial help. | CE I.i.152 |
| Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus, | Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus; | CE I.i.153 |
| Beg thou, or borrow, to make vp the summe, | Beg thou or borrow to make up the sum, | CE I.i.154 |
| And liue: if no, then thou art doom'd to die: | And live. If no, then thou art doomed to die. | CE I.i.155 |
| Iaylor, take him to thy custodie. | Gaoler, take him to thy custody. | CE I.i.156 |
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| Yet once againe proclaime it publikely, | Yet once again proclaim it publicly, | CE V.i.130 |
| If any friend will pay the summe for him, | If any friend will pay the sum for him, | CE V.i.131 |
| He shall not die, so much we tender him. | He shall not die, so much we tender him. | CE V.i.132 |
| | | |
| She is a vertuous and a reuerend Lady, | She is a virtuous and a reverend lady. | CE V.i.134 |
| It cannot be that she hath done thee wrong. | It cannot be that she hath done thee wrong. | CE V.i.135 |
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| Long since thy husband seru'd me in my wars | Long since, thy husband served me in my wars; | CE V.i.161 |
| And I to thee ingag'd a Princes word, | And I to thee engaged a prince's word, | CE V.i.162 |
| When thou didst make him Master of thy bed, | When thou didst make him master of thy bed, | CE V.i.163 |
| To do him all the grace and good I could. | To do him all the grace and good I could. | CE V.i.164 |
| Go some of you, knocke at the Abbey gate, | Go, some of you, knock at the abbey gate, | CE V.i.165 |
| And bid the Lady Abbesse come to me: | And bid the Lady Abbess come to me. | CE V.i.166 |
| I will determine this before I stirre. | I will determine this before I stir. | CE V.i.167 |
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| Come stand by me, feare nothing: guard with Halberds. | Come, stand by me. Fear nothing. Guard with halberds! | CE V.i.185 |
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| Discouer how, and thou shalt finde me iust. | Discover how, and thou shalt find me just. | CE V.i.203 |
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| A greeuous fault: say woman, didst thou so? | A grievous fault. Say, woman, didst thou so? | CE V.i.206 |
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| But had he such a Chaine of thee, or no? | But had he such a chain of thee, or no? | CE V.i.257 |
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| Why what an intricate impeach is this? | Why, what an intricate impeach is this! | CE V.i.270 |
| I thinke you all haue drunke of Circes cup: | I think you all have drunk of Circe's cup. | CE V.i.271 |
| If heere you hous'd him, heere he would haue bin. | If here you housed him, here he would have been. | CE V.i.272 |
| If he were mad, he would not pleade so coldly: | If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly. | CE V.i.273 |
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| You say he din'd at home, the Goldsmith heere | You say he dined at home. The goldsmith here | CE V.i.274 |
| Denies that saying. Sirra, what say you? | Denies that saying. (to Dromio of Ephesus) Sirrah, what say you? | CE V.i.275 |
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| Saw'st thou him enter at the Abbey heere? | Sawest thou him enter at the abbey here? | CE V.i.279 |
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| Why this is straunge: Go call the Abbesse hither. | Why, this is strange. Go call the Abbess hither. | CE V.i.281 |
| I thinke you are all mated, or starke mad. | I think you are all mated, or stark mad. | CE V.i.282 |
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| Speake freely Siracusian what thou wilt. | Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt. | CE V.i.286 |
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| I tell thee Siracusian, twentie yeares | I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years | CE V.i.327 |
| Haue I bin Patron to Antipholus, | Have I been patron to Antipholus, | CE V.i.328 |
| During which time, he ne're saw Siracusa: | During which time he ne'er saw Syracusa. | CE V.i.329 |
| I see thy age and dangers make thee dote. | I see thy age and dangers make thee dote. | CE V.i.330 |
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| One of these men is genius to the other: | One of these men is genius to the other; | CE V.i.333 |
| And so of these, which is the naturall man, | And so, of these, which is the natural man, | CE V.i.334 |
| And which the spirit? Who deciphers them? | And which the spirit? Who deciphers them? | CE V.i.335 |
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| Why heere begins his Morning storie right: | Why, here begins his morning story right. | CE V.i.347 |
| These two Antipholus, these two so like, | These two Antipholuses', these two so like, | CE V.i.348 |
| And these two Dromio's, one in semblance: | And these two Dromios, one in semblance, | CE V.i.349 |
| Besides her vrging of her wracke at sea, | Besides her urging of her wrack at sea – | CE V.i.350 |
| These are the parents to these children, | These are the parents to these children, | CE V.i.351 |
| Which accidentally are met together. | Which accidentally are met together. | CE V.i.352 |
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| Antipholus thou cam'st from Corinth first. | Antipholus, thou camest from Corinth first. | CE V.i.363 |
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| Stay, stand apart, I know not which is which. | Stay, stand apart. I know not which is which. | CE V.i.365 |
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| It shall not neede, thy father hath his life. | It shall not need. Thy father hath his life. | CE V.i.391 |
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| With all my heart, Ile Gossip at this feast. | With all my heart I'll gossip at this feast. | CE V.i.408 |