"Tarry Jew! 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, The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive Shall seize one half his goods, the other half Comes to the privy coffer of the state, And the offender's life lies in the mercy Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice. In which predicament I say thou stand'st; For it appears by manifest proceeding 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 mercy of the Duke."
Portia's words fall hard like thunder and resonate around the court as a deafening silence fills the room.
Shylock falls to his knees, a look of apparent shock written all over his face.
Did he just get outsmarted...?
Hot tears claw at his eyes as the surroundings blur out. A strange ringing fills his head, resonating, vibrating... he can no longer hear whatever is going on.
The yellowed lighting in the courtroom darken the Jew's features, sharpening his crooked nose, almost bringing a furious, injust fire to his eyes.
How can this be...
And suddenly, without him knowing beforehand, strong muscular hands grip his shaking arms and drag him. The rough floor of the courtroom rips holes in his perfectly ironed clothes.
"Stand up, Jew." A feminine, yet familiar voice sounds in his ears alongside the continuous ringing.
A woman's voice? In Venetian court? His eyes, blurry with tears, narrow as thoughts process his mind. Why does this voice sound so familiar...?
"Doctor of Law... Halt! T- This wretched lawyer is a female!"
As he gets dragged away, he closes his eyes and in the distance, he hears a commotion...
***
"Portia?" Bassanio leaps in shock as Portia removes her disguise under forceful questioning.
The Duke scratches his head.
"Woman, who let you here?"
Portia keeps her head high, not looking at any of them. The yellowish ceiling lights dazzle and shine in her eyes.
She can hear the Duke whispering in hushed voices... yet to whomever, she cannot tell.
"Charge this woman with impersonation." His final judgement was blind and cold.
***
"I've only had her for a few days, yet now the golden fleece is forcefully ripped from my hands, executed by a cold-blooded judge..." Bassanio weeps, kneeling before the portrait of Portia he had risked everything to win.
"Bassanio..." Antonio, who had been standing by the side the entire time, speaks up. "Forgive me, my brother, but I have something to tell you..."
"What is it?" Bassanio, shrouded in grief, does not look up.
"I... I'm genuinely sorry for your loss."
"No shit."
"And... something else..."
"What is it now?"
"I... love you... not as a friend, not as a brother... but as your love for Portia may be a tumultuous rushing river, my love for you is akin to an ocean, calm and blue..." Antonio lowers his head, his face a bright pink.
Bassanio's cheeks turn the same shade of pink. "In fact... I have been feeling the same thing for you all the while..."
***
(bonus part)
Hi, my name is Tomatio and I have two dads. They're both really cool!
