Merchant of Venice

Act 1, Scene 3

when shylock asks antonio why he should lend him money after the way Antonio has treated him, what is Antonio's response?

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"I am as like to call thee so again,

To spet on thee again, to spurn thee too.

If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not

As to thy friends, for when did friendship take

A breed for barren metal of his friend?

But lend it rather to thine enemy,

Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face

Exact the penalty."

His response is that he'll probably treat him the same way again. He tells him not to lend him the money as if he were lending it to a friend, but rather to an enemy. When friends go broke you feel guilty asking for the money, but when it's your enemy, there's no guilt in taking it back.

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The Merchant of Venice

explain 'if thou wilt lend the money, lend........... freind