Oreka Speeches

8/2/2019 Oreka Speeches

1/19

William Shakespeare - Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend

me your ears

Spoken by Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2

Mark Antony:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him;

The evil that men do lives after them,

The good is oft interred with their bones,

So let it be with Caesar ... The noble Brutus

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar answered it ...

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,(For Brutus is an honourable man;

So are they all; all honourable men)

Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral ...

He was my friend, faithful and just to me:

But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome,

Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?

When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

You all did see that on the Lupercal

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?

O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.


2/19

William Shakespeare - Hamlet speech - To be, or not to be

Hamlet Act I I I , scene I

Hamlet:

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may comeWhen we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause: there's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life;

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office and the spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscover'd country from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pith and moment

With this regard their currents turn awry,

And lose the name of action.


3/19

William Shakespeare speech

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Juliet:

O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot,Nor arm nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O be some other name!

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other word would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

and for thy name, which is no part of thee,

Take all myself.


4/19

William Shakespeare speech

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks

Romeo:

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief,

That thou her maid art far more fair than she:

Be not her maid, since she is envious;

Her vestal livery is but sick and green

And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.

It is my lady, O, it is my love!

O, that she knew she were!

She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?Her eye discourses; I will answer it.

I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:

Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they return.

What if her eyes were there, they in her head?

The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,

As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night.

See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!O, that I were a glove upon that hand,

That I might touch that cheek!


5/19

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

As virtuous men pass mildly away,And whisper to their souls, to go,Whilst some of their sad friends do say,'The breath goes now,' and some say, 'No:'

So let us melt, and make no noise,No tear-floods, nor sigh-tempests move;'Twere profanation of our joysTo tell the laity our love.

Moving of th' earth brings harms and fears;Men reckon what it did, and meant;But trepidation of the spheres,Though greater far, is innocent.

Dull sublunary lovers' love

(Whose soul is sense) cannot admitAbsence, because it doth removeThose things which elemented it.

But we by a love so much refin'd,That ourselves know not what it is,Inter-assured of the mind,Care less, eyes, lips, and hands to miss.

Our two souls therefore, which are one,Though I must go, endure not yet

A breach, but an expansion,Like gold to airy thinness beat.

If they be two, they are two soAs stiff twin compasses are two;Thy soul, the fix'd foot, makes no showTo move, but doth, if the' other do.

And though it in the centre sit,Yet when the other far doth roam,It leans, and hearkens after it,

And grows erect, as that comes home.

Such wilt thou be to me, who mustLike th' other foot, obliquely run;

Thy firmness makes my circle just,And makes me end, where I begun.


6/19

Obama Inaugural Address

20th January 2009

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust youhave bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thankPresident Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and

cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words havebeen spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.

Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and ragingstorms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of

the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have

remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our foundingdocuments.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is atwar, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy isbadly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of

some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare thenation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses

shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each

day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen ouradversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Lessmeasurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -

a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the nextgeneration must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are seriousand they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time.

But know this, America - they will be met.


7/19

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of

purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and falsepromises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long

have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has cometo set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduringspirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, thatnoble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise

that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full

measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is

never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-

cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - forthose who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and

fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who

have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled acrossoceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of

the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg;Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and workedtill their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They sawAmerica as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than allthe differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous,powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when thiscrisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less

needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacityremains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow

interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed.Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin

again the work of remaking America.


8/19

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economycalls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs,

but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges,the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us

together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology'swonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the

sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And wewill transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet thedemands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest

that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories areshort. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what freemen and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common

purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath

them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so longno longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government

is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families findjobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer isno, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will

be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our businessin the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between

a people and their government.Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill.

Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but thiscrisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out

of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the

prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just onthe size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity;on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out ofcharity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safetyand our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcelyimagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a

charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light theworld, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all

other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandestcapitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is

a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future


9/19

of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just

with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduringconvictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor

does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our powergrows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of

our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility andrestraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we

can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater

cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin toresponsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace inAfghanistan. With old friends and former foes, well work tirelessly to lessen

the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not

apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for thosewho seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering

innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot bebroken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We

are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers.We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this

Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war andsegregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united,

we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that thelines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our

common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role inushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interestand mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sowconflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people willjudge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling

to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know

that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand ifyou are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to makeyour farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and

feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty,we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our

borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect.


10/19

For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble

gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-offdeserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the

fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor themnot only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody

the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater thanthemselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define ageneration - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith

and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It isthe kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness ofworkers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job

which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to

storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurturea child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may

be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty andhard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and

patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been thequiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a

return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era ofresponsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have

duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do notgrudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is

nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than givingour all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us toshape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women andchildren of every race and every faith can join in celebration across thismagnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago

might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before youto take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we

have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a


11/19

small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy

river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow wasstained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was

most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to thepeople:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothingbut hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at

one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship,let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave

once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be

said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to letthis journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyesfixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift

of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.


12/19

The Quit India speech by Mahatma Gandhi

Before you discuss the resolution, let me place before you one or two things, I want you to

understand two things very clearly and to consider them from the same point of view from

which I am placing them before you. I ask you to consider it from my point of view,

because if you approve of it, you will be enjoined to carry out all I say. It will be a greatresponsibility. There are people who ask me whether I am the same man that I was in 1920,

or whether there has been any change in me. You are right in asking that question.

Let me, however, hasten to assure that I am the same Gandhi as I was in 1920. I have not

changed in any fundamental respect. I attach the same importance to non-violence that I

did then. If at all, my emphasis on it has grown stronger. There is no real contradiction

between the present resolution and my previous writings and utterances.

Occasions like the present do not occur in everybodys and but rarely in anybodys life. I

want you to know and feel that there is nothing but purest Ahimsa1 in all that I am saying

and doing today. The draft resolution of the Working Committee is based on Ahimsa, the

contemplated struggle similarly has its roots in Ahimsa. If, therefore, there is any among

you who has lost faith in Ahimsa or is wearied of it, let him not vote for this resolution.Let me explain my position clearly. God has vouchsafed to me a priceless gift in the weapon

of Ahimsa. I and my Ahimsa are on our trail today. If in the present crisis, when the earth

is being scorched by the flames of Himsa2 and crying for deliverance, I failed to make use

of the God given talent, God will not forgive me and I shall be judged un-wrongly of the

great gift. I must act now. I may not hesitate and merely look on, when Russia and China

are threatened.

Ours is not a drive for power, but purely a non-violent fight for Indias independence. In a

violent struggle, a successful general has been often known to effect a military coup and to

set up a dictatorship. But under the Congress scheme of things, essentially non-violent as it

is, there can be no room for dictatorship. A non-violent soldier of freedom will covet

nothing for himself, he fights only for the freedom of his country. The Congress isunconcerned as to who will rule, when freedom is attained. The power, when it comes, will

belong to the people of India, and it will be for them to decide to whom it placed in the

entrusted. May be that the reins will be placed in the hands of the Parsis, for instance-as I

would love to see happen-or they may be handed to some others whose names are not heard

in the Congress today. It will not be for you then to object saying, This community is

microscopic. That party did not play its due part in the freedoms struggle; why should it

have all the power? Ever since its inception the Congress has kept itself meticulously free

of the communal taint. It has thought always in terms of the whole nation and has acted

accordingly. . .


13/19

I know how imperfect our Ahimsa is and how far away we are still from the ideal, but in

Ahimsa there is no final failure or defeat. I have faith, therefore, that if, in spite of our

shortcomings, the big thing does happen, it will be because God wanted to help us by

crowning with success our silent, unremitting Sadhana1 for the last twenty-two years.

I believe that in the history of the world, there has not been a more genuinely democratic

struggle for freedom than ours. I read Carlyles French Resolution while I was in prison,and Pandit Jawaharlal has told me something about the Russian revolution. But it is my

conviction that inasmuch as these struggles were fought with the weapon of violence they

failed to realize the democratic ideal. In the democracy which I have envisaged, a

democracy established by non-violence, there will be equal freedom for all. Everybody will

be his own master. It is to join a struggle for such democracy that I invite you today. Once

you realize this you will forget the differences between the Hindus and Muslims, and think

of yourselves as Indians only, engaged in the common struggle for independence.

Then, there is the question of your attitude towards the British. I have noticed that there is

hatred towards the British among the people. The people say they are disgusted with their

behaviour. The people make no distinction between British imperialism and the British

people. To them, the two are one This hatred would even make them welcome theJapanese. It is most dangerous. It means that they will exchange one slavery for another.

We must get rid of this feeling. Our quarrel is not with the British people, we fight their

imperialism. The proposal for the withdrawal of British power did not come out of anger.

It came to enable India to play its due part at the present critical juncture It is not a happy

position for a big country like India to be merely helping with money and material

obtained willy-nilly from her while the United Nations are conducting the war. We cannot

evoke the true spirit of sacrifice and velour, so long as we are not free. I know the British

Government will not be able to withhold freedom from us, when we have made enough self-

sacrifice. We must, therefore, purge ourselves of hatred. Speaking for myself, I can say that

I have never felt any hatred. As a matter of fact, I feel myself to be a greater friend of the

British now than ever before. One reason is that they are today in distress. My very

friendship, therefore, demands that I should try to save them from their mistakes. As I

view the situation, they are on the brink of an abyss. It, therefore, becomes my duty to

warn them of their danger even though it may, for the time being, anger them to the point

of cutting off the friendly hand that is stretched out to help them. People may laugh,

nevertheless that is my claim. At a time when I may have to launch the biggest struggle of

my life, I may not harbour hatred against anybody.


14/19


15/19

"Suppose we all go with vessels in our hands to draw water from the lake. One has a cup,

another a jar, another a bucket, and so forth, and we all fill our vessels. The water

in each case takes the form of the vessel carried by each of us, but in every case, water, and

nothing but water is in the vessel..... God is like that water filling these different vessels, and

in each vessel, the vision of God comes in the form of the vessel.

Yet He is One......."

"But is there any way of practically working out this harmony in religions ? ... I have

also my little plan ... In the first place, I would ask mankind to recognise the maxim :

'Do not destroy'. Iconoclastic religions do no good to this world...... Secondly, take a

man where he stands, and from there give him a lift. If it be true that God is at the

centre of all religions, and that each of us is moving along one of these radii, then

it is certain that all of us must reach that centre. At the centre, where all radii meet,

all our differences will cease; but until we reach there, differences there must be ...... "

While the human mind and inclination occur in an innumerable variety, four broad

types of men may be recognised for practical purposes : the man of action, the man ofemotion, the mystic or man of spirit, and the philosopher or man of intellect. Religion must

offer a path for each type to follow, suited to the nature of each type. Ancient religion in

India offered four such paths, known as Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana

Yoga. These paths transform the selfish to the selfless and lead to Yoga or Union or

Realisation of the ultimate Truth.

"It is imperative that all these Yogas should be carried out in practice. Mere theories

about them will not do any good. ... Religion is realisation, not talk, nor doctrine, nor

theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or

acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes. That is

religion"


16/19

The Sermon on the Mount - Jesus Christ

Matthew 5 - 6 - 7

Matthew 5

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples

came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of

evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted theythe prophets which were before you.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?

it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.


17/19

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth

light unto all that are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your

Father which is in heaven.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but

to fulfil.

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise

pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,

he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach

them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of thescribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall

kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in

danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of

the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath

ought against thee;

Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and

then come and offer thy gift.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time

the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou

be cast into prison.

Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the

uttermost farthing.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed

adultery with her already in his heart.

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for

thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast


18/19

into hell.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for

thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast

into hell.

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of

divorcement:

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of

fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is

divorced committeth adultery.

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear

thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by theearth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these

cometh of evil.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say

unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to

him the other also.

And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that

hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to

rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the

same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the

publicans so?

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.


19/19

William Shakespeare

Merchant of Venice speech

The quality of mercy is not strain'd

William Shakespeare

The Merchant of VeniceAct 4, Scene 1

PORTIA:

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown;

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's

When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,

Though justice be thy plea, consider this,

That, in the course of justice, none of us

Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;

And that same prayer doth teach us all to render

The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much

To mitigate the justice of thy plea;

Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice

Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

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