Five for One

Five for one is a reference in William Shakespeare's The Tempest to a traveller's insurance practice conducted in medieval England.

Origin

Because merchant-adventurers sailing from the Kingdom of England would usually not return, they could deposit money with an underwriter upon leaving and, upon their return, receive five times the deposited amount.

Gonzalo mentions that "five for one" insurance in scene 3 of act 3 of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" when he attempts to downplay the unfamiliarity of spirits he and his companions recently witnessed by comparing them to exotic creatures reported by the travellers who use such insurance. Since such travellers rarely returned alive, Gonzalo's reference to "five for one" does little to dispel his companions' fears.

Excerpt from "The Tempest", Act 3, Scene 3

GONZALO

Faith, sir, you need not fear. When we were boys, Who would believe that there were mountaineers Dew-lapp'd like bulls, whose throats had hanging at 'em Wallets of flesh? or that there were such men Whose heads stood in their breasts? which now we find Each putter-out of five for one will bring us Good warrant of.

References

* [http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/tempestx.asp "Free Barron's BookNotes for The Tempest"] , "Barron's Educational Series, Inc.", 1986
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12855/12855.txt "The Project Gutenberg EBook of Elizabethan Sea Dogs"] by William Wood