Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·The Merchant of Venice, Act III.i ·Shylock
"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?"
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?"
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" Shylock — The Merchant of Venice, Act III.i
Why it matters
The quoted lines are the humane part of Shylock's speech; the next two — poison and revenge — are the part that justifies his cruelty. Cutting there turns villain into sympathetic victim.
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