| Original text | Modern text | Key line |
| Mislike me not for my complexion, | Mislike me not for my complexion, | MV II.i.1 |
| The shadowed liuerie of the burnisht sunne, | The shadowed livery of the burnished sun, | MV II.i.2 |
| To whom I am a neighbour, and neere bred. | To whom I am a neighbour and near bred. | MV II.i.3 |
| Bring me the fairest creature North-ward borne, | Bring me the fairest creature northward born, | MV II.i.4 |
| Where Phoebus fire scarce thawes the ysicles, | Where Phoebus' fire scarce thaws the icicles, | MV II.i.5 |
| And let vs make incision for your loue, | And let us make incision for your love | MV II.i.6 |
| To proue whose blood is reddest, his or mine. | To prove whose blood is reddest, his or mine. | MV II.i.7 |
| I tell thee Ladie this aspect of mine | I tell thee, lady, this aspect of mine | MV II.i.8 |
| Hath feard the valiant, (by my loue I sweare) | Hath feared the valiant. By my love I swear, | MV II.i.9 |
| The best regarded Virgins of our Clyme | The best-regarded virgins of our clime | MV II.i.10 |
| Haue lou'd it to: I would not change this hue, | Have loved it too. I would not change this hue, | MV II.i.11 |
| Except to steale your thoughts my gentle Queene. | Except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen. | MV II.i.12 |
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| Euen for that I thanke you, | Even for that I thank you. | MV II.i.22.2 |
| Therefore I pray you leade me to the Caskets | Therefore I pray you lead me to the caskets | MV II.i.23 |
| To trie my fortune: By this Symitare | To try my fortune. By this scimitar | MV II.i.24 |
| That slew the Sophie, and a Persian Prince | That slew the Sophy and a Persian prince | MV II.i.25 |
| That won three fields of Sultan Solyman, | That won three fields of Sultan Solyman, | MV II.i.26 |
| I would ore-stare the sternest eies that looke: | I would o'erstare the sternest eyes that look, | MV II.i.27 |
| Out-braue the heart most daring on the earth: | Outbrave the heart most daring on the earth, | MV II.i.28 |
| Plucke the yong sucking Cubs from the she Beare, | Pluck the young sucking cubs from the she-bear, | MV II.i.29 |
| Yea, mocke the Lion when he rores for pray | Yea, mock the lion when he roars for prey, | MV II.i.30 |
| To win the Ladie. But alas, the while | To win thee, lady. But alas the while, | MV II.i.31 |
| If Hercules and Lychas plaie at dice | If Hercules and Lichas play at dice | MV II.i.32 |
| Which is the better man, the greater throw | Which is the better man, the greater throw | MV II.i.33 |
| May turne by fortune from the weaker hand: | May turn by fortune from the weaker hand. | MV II.i.34 |
| So is Alcides beaten by his rage, | So is Alcides beaten by his page, | MV II.i.35 |
| And so may I, blinde fortune leading me | And so may I, blind Fortune leading me, | MV II.i.36 |
| Misse that which one vnworthier may attaine, | Miss that which one unworthier may attain, | MV II.i.37 |
| And die with grieuing. | And die with grieving. | MV II.i.38.1 |
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| Nor will not, come bring me vnto my chance. | Nor will not. Come, bring me unto my chance. | MV II.i.43 |
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| Good fortune then, | Good fortune then, | MV II.i.45.2 |
| To make me blest or cursed'st among men. | To make me blest or cursed'st among men. | MV II.i.46 |
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| The first of gold, who this inscription beares, | The first, of gold, who this inscription bears, | MV II.vii.4 |
| Who chooseth me, shall gaine what men desire. | Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire; | MV II.vii.5 |
| The second siluer, which this promise carries, | The second, silver, which this promise carries, | MV II.vii.6 |
| Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he deserues. | Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves; | MV II.vii.7 |
| This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, | This third, dull lead, with warning all as blunt, | MV II.vii.8 |
| Who chooseth me, must giue and hazard all he hath. | Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath. | MV II.vii.9 |
| How shall I know if I doe choose the right? How shall I know if I doe choose the right. | How shall I know if I do choose the right? | MV II.vii.10 |
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| Some God direct my iudgement, let me see, | Some god direct my judgement! Let me see: | MV II.vii.13 |
| I will suruay the inscriptions, backe againe: | I will survey th' inscriptions back again. | MV II.vii.14 |
| What saies this leaden casket? | What says this leaden casket? | MV II.vii.15 |
| Who chooseth me, must giue and hazard all he hath. | Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath. | MV II.vii.16 |
| Must giue, for what? for lead, hazard for lead? | Must give, for what? For lead! Hazard for lead? | MV II.vii.17 |
| This casket threatens men that hazard all | This casket threatens; men that hazard all | MV II.vii.18 |
| Doe it in hope of faire aduantages: | Do it in hope of fair advantages. | MV II.vii.19 |
| A golden minde stoopes not to showes of drosse, | A golden mind stoops not to shows of dross; | MV II.vii.20 |
| Ile then nor giue nor hazard ought for lead. | I'll then nor give nor hazard aught for lead. | MV II.vii.21 |
| What saies the Siluer with her virgin hue? | What says the silver with her virgin hue? | MV II.vii.22 |
| Who chooseth me, shall get as much as he deserues. | Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves. | MV II.vii.23 |
| As much as he deserues; pause there Morocho, | As much as he deserves? Pause there, Morocco, | MV II.vii.24 |
| And weigh thy value with an euen hand, | And weigh thy value with an even hand. | MV II.vii.25 |
| If thou beest rated by thy estimation | If thou be'st rated by thy estimation, | MV II.vii.26 |
| Thou doost deserue enough, and yet enough | Thou dost deserve enough and yet enough | MV II.vii.27 |
| May not extend so farre as to the Ladie: | May not extend so far as to the lady, | MV II.vii.28 |
| And yet to be afeard of my deseruing, | And yet to be afeard of my deserving | MV II.vii.29 |
| Were but a weake disabling of my selfe. | Were but a weak disabling of myself. | MV II.vii.30 |
| As much as I deserue, why that's the Lady. | As much as I deserve? Why that's the lady! | MV II.vii.31 |
| I doe in birth deserue her, and in fortunes, | I do in birth deserve her, and in fortunes, | MV II.vii.32 |
| In graces, and in qualities of breeding: | In graces, and in qualities of breeding; | MV II.vii.33 |
| But more then these, in loue I doe deserue. | But more than these, in love I do deserve. | MV II.vii.34 |
| What if I strai'd no farther, but chose here? | What if I strayed no farther, but chose here? | MV II.vii.35 |
| Let's see once more this saying grau'd in gold. | Let's see once more this saying graved in gold: | MV II.vii.36 |
| Who chooseth me shall gaine what many men desire: | Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire. | MV II.vii.37 |
| Why that's the Lady, all the world desires her: | Why, that's the lady! All the world desires her; | MV II.vii.38 |
| From the foure corners of the earth they come | From the four corners of the earth they come | MV II.vii.39 |
| To kisse this shrine, this mortall breathing Saint. | To kiss this shrine, this mortal breathing saint. | MV II.vii.40 |
| The Hircanion deserts, and the vaste wildes | The Hyrcanian deserts and the vasty wilds | MV II.vii.41 |
| Of wide Arabia are as throughfares now | Of wide Arabia are as throughfares now | MV II.vii.42 |
| For Princes to come view faire Portia. | For princes to come view fair Portia. | MV II.vii.43 |
| The waterie Kingdome, whose ambitious head | The watery kingdom, whose ambitious head | MV II.vii.44 |
| Spets in the face of heauen, is no barre | Spits in the face of heaven, is no bar | MV II.vii.45 |
| To stop the forraine spirits, but they come | To stop the foreign spirits, but they come | MV II.vii.46 |
| As ore a brooke to see faire Portia. | As o'er a brook to see fair Portia. | MV II.vii.47 |
| One of these three containes her heauenly picture. | One of these three contains her heavenly picture. | MV II.vii.48 |
| Is't like that Lead containes her? 'twere damnation | Is't like that lead contains her? 'Twere damnation | MV II.vii.49 |
| To thinke so base a thought, it were too grose | To think so base a thought; it were too gross | MV II.vii.50 |
| To rib her searecloath in the obscure graue: | To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave. | MV II.vii.51 |
| Or shall I thinke in Siluer she's immur'd | Or shall I think in silver she's immured, | MV II.vii.52 |
| Being ten times vndervalued to tride gold; | Being ten times undervalued to tried gold? | MV II.vii.53 |
| O sinfull thought, neuer so rich a Iem | O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem | MV II.vii.54 |
| Was set in worse then gold! They haue in England | Was set in worse than gold. They have in England | MV II.vii.55 |
| A coyne that beares the figure of an Angell | A coin that bears the figure of an angel | MV II.vii.56 |
| Stampt in gold, but that's insculpt vpon: | Stamped in gold – but that's insculped upon; | MV II.vii.57 |
| But here an Angell in a golden bed | But here an angel in a golden bed | MV II.vii.58 |
| Lies all within. Deliuer me the key: | Lies all within. Deliver me the key. | MV II.vii.59 |
| Here doe I choose, and thriue I as I may. | Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may! | MV II.vii.60 |
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| O hell! what haue we here, | O hell! What have we here? | MV II.vii.62.2 |
| a carrion death, / Within whose emptie eye | A carrion Death, within whose empty eye | MV II.vii.63 |
| there is a written scroule; / Ile reade the writing. | There is a written scroll. I'll read the writing. | MV II.vii.64 |
| All that glisters is not gold, | All that glitters is not gold; | MV II.vii.65 |
| Often haue you heard that told; | Often have you heard that told. | MV II.vii.66 |
| Many a man his life hath sold | Many a man his life hath sold | MV II.vii.67 |
| But my outside to behold; | But my outside to behold. | MV II.vii.68 |
| Guilded timber doe wormes infold: | Gilded tombs do worms infold. | MV II.vii.69 |
| Had you beene as wise as bold, | Had you been as wise as bold, | MV II.vii.70 |
| Yong in limbs, in iudgement old, | Young in limbs, in judgement old, | MV II.vii.71 |
| Your answere had not beene inscrold, | Your answer had not been inscrolled. | MV II.vii.72 |
| Fareyouwell, your suite is cold, | Fare you well, your suit is cold. | MV II.vii.73 |
| Cold indeede, and labour lost, | Cold indeed, and labour lost. | MV II.vii.74 |
| Then farewell heate, and welcome frost: | Then farewell heat, and welcome frost. | MV II.vii.75 |
| Portia adew, I haue too grieu'd a heart | Portia, adieu, I have too grieved a heart | MV II.vii.76 |
| To take a tedious leaue: thus loosers part. | To take a tedious leave. Thus losers part. | MV II.vii.77 |