The four winds, or anemoi in greek mythology, were gods associated with the four cardinal directions and thought to bring the seasons and weather conditions. The prince obboof morocco hylock moroccosuitors to portia. The prince of arragon arragonsalanio friends to antonio and bassanio. The merchant of venice study guide from litcharts the. His utterances manifest a spirit so potent, malign, and negative as to be unforgettable. Antonio, a leading merchant of venice, is a wealthy, respected, and popular man. As in europe, the jews faced persecution in england. This lecture on the question of william shakespeares treatment of shylock in his play the merchant of venice was given at the university of dallas by dr. Todays theatre audience members might be expected to know who they are perhaps because of. The merchant of venice is a play by william shakespear e, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. The merchant of venice is the story of a jewish moneylender who demands that an antisemitic christian offer a pound of flesh as collateral against a loan. They could not own land outside the towns or join guilds. Information on the play synopsis characters scholarly articles on the play a thoughtprovoking, equivocal, problematic play neither comedy, tragedy, nor romance a romantic comedy the enigmatic shylock a tale of outsiders family relationships the sins of the father. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of merchant of venice.
However, it is questionable as to the extent to which the play can be considered entirely antisemitic, or whether it is merely a social commentary, still relevant today. The merchant of venice full text act i scene i owl eyes. According to the bible, jacob, the ancestor of shylock had a staff that proved a blessing to him. Welcome to the litcharts study guide on william shakespeares the merchant of venice. Teachers notes acianreaercohaeeare 2016 macmillan education the merchant of venice 3 decisionmaking the merchant of venice features a scene that has been compared to a tv game show. Launcelot is dead, he says, the boy was the very staff of my age, my very. The merchant of venice is a play by wiliam shakespeare about a man named antonio who gets into debt with a vengeful moneylender named shylock antonio borrows. Shylock swears by the staff which his ancestor, jacob. The merchant of venice by william shakespeare william shakespeare printed the merchant of venice in 1590, it can be said to be one of his most contentious dramas ever written. The merchant of venice is an elizabethan comedy play. A concise biography of william shakespeare plus historical and literary context for the merchant of venice. Ebook the merchant of venice as pdf download portable. Do i look like a cudgel or a hovelpost, a staff or a prop. Enter shylock the jew and his man launcelot that was the clown.
Introduction to shakespeares shylock from the merchant of venice. In shakespeares the merchant of venice, bassanio needs to repay a loan to his friend antonio, a leading merchant of venice, so he hatches a plot to win the hand of portia, a young and wealthy heiress. A view of justice in shakespeares the merchant of venice and measure for measure i. Merchant of venice, which begins on stage very abruptly with one unnamed character antonio declaring he cannot fathom why he is sad to two other unnamed characters. Each team draws one card from the character pile and one of. Actor, playwright, poet the merchant of venice is thought to be written around 15967. There are almost always weddings in shakespeares comedies, and weddings are followe. Merchant of venice workbook answers act 2, scene 5 a. Shakespeares the merchant of venice confronts readers with the question of religious conversion, a complicated issue that runs throughout the play. There are numerous allusions made throughout william shakespeares the merchant of venice. Character analysis in the merchant of venice shylock. The first edition of the novel was published in 1596, and was written by william shakespeare.
The free merchant of venice notes include comprehensive information and analysis to help you understand the book. But how i caught it, found it, or came by it, what its made of, i am yet to learn. The play was based in venice, which is located in northern italy. The prince obboof morocco hylock morocco suitors to portia.
The merchant of venice, act 2, scene 3 explanatory notes for act 2, scene 2 from the merchant of venice. The merchant of venice revision notes free download as powerpoint presentation. Theyll be denoted by line the way they are in the norton. How do shylocks first words in scene iii help to characterize him. The allusions made are meant to make the reader think about how the allusion makes a statement about what. And such a dolt this sadness makes of me, that i can hardly recognize myself. Though he is certainly an important character, antoniothe merchant in questionmerits, at. Read a plot overview of the entire play or a scene by scene summary and analysis. Jacob was the grandson of abraham, the founder of the jewish race. Shakespeare homepage merchant of venice entire play. Nine weeks of principal photography commenced on location in luxembourg and venice, italy on director michael radfords the merchant of venice, which he adapted and scripted from william shakespeares classic play.
Portia is obedient and loyal to her father even after his death, though, undeniably, she feels frustration and resentment, which she vents by insulting her suitors when they are out of earshot. The merchant of venice revision notes the merchant of. Merchant of venice also has great significance to present date. Bassanio would like to repay his friend, but so far he has been unable to do so. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as.
Pdf the merchant of venice book by william shakespeare. He is horribly mistreated by the christian characters, especially antonio, and seeks to enact his revenge by forcing antonio to stick to the bond that he. Get an answer for from act ii, scene 5 of the merchant of venice, in the extract, lock up my doors. The main characters of this classics, drama story are. Notos was the south wind that brought late summer and autumn and was responsible for storms.
Merchant of venice, mind maps by david tang on prezi. Social elements in the merchant of venice englicist. Shylock believes that his offer of money has been repaid with persecution based on his religion he thinks that the offer of dinner was an invitation to eat pork, something he cannot do. While he is neither the title character nor the protagonist of the play, the jewish moneylender shylock is, without a. The victorious woman in measure for measure and the merchant of venice. Inside youll find 30 daily lessons, 20 fun activities, 180 multiple choice questions, 60 short essay questions, 20 essay questions, quizzeshomework assignments, tests, and more. In todays time when there is want of sincerity, moral values and justice, the play delineates all this very successfully.
Themes prejudice and social injustice revenge, justice and forgiveness money and love motifs recurring elements and patterns of imagery in the merchant of venice which support the plays themes goldducats, jewels and caskets the law. When the prince of morocco comes to win portia, he says, i would not change this hue except to steal your thoughts, my gentle queen 2. Character analysis in the merchant of venice owl eyes. However, he now feels that he may have found a way but he will again need a loan from. Introduction shakespeare has intrigued people for centuries because his work has captured the universal moral tension within the human condition. Hyman, the rival lovers in the merchant of venice, shakespeare quarterly 21 1970, 10916. The merchant of venice is a collection of seventeen new essays that explore the concepts of antisemitism, the work of christopher marlowe, the politics of commerce and making the play palatable to a modern audience. You lean on me like a staff right now, and know me not. Here are the annotations from the norton anthology of shakespeare. Shakespeares comedy the merchant of venice launcelot gobbo. The original version of weskers imaginiative reworking of shakespeares the merchant of venice.
Which is a pound of this poor merchants flesh, thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture, but, touchd with human gentleness and love, forgive a moiety of the principal. Zephyrus was the west wind that brought spring and summer. The main theme of this play is prejudice on both sides. Hurrell, love and friendship in the merchant of venice, texas studies in literature and language 3 1961, 32841. Multiple critical perspectives the merchant of venice general introduction to the work introduction to the merchant of venice t he merchant of venice is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Shylocks prose is shakespeares best before falstaffs. Merchant of venice workbook answers act 2, scene 5 a plus. Yaffe is currently a professor at the university of north texas. Shylock the jew and his servant launcelot, who used to be the clown, enter. The merchant of venice, act iv, scene i the quality of mercy is not strained the quality of mercy is not strained the quality of mercy is not strained the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. The editor is stephen greenblatt of harvard university. It was first published in the first quarto edition in 1600.
These lines are spoken by portia, one of the main characters in the play from act 1 scene 1, she argues with shylak saying why mercy is the greatest virtue of all. Mar 15, 2012 merchant of venice plot analysis slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. This cliffsnotes study guide on william shakespeares the merchant of venice supplements the original literary work, giving you background information about the author, an introduction to the work, a graphical character map, critical commentaries, expanded glossaries, and a comprehensive index, all for you to use as an educational tool that will allow you to better understand the work. I hold the world but as the world, gratiano, a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad one. Includes pacing guide, prereading, film essay, activities, reading quizzes, notes, posters, author study, character analysis and discussions. With the extreame crueltie of shylocke the jewe towards the sayd merchant, in cutting a just pound of his flesh.
And, look, what notes and garments he doth give thee, bring them, i pray thee, with imagined speed unto the tranect, to the common ferry which trades to venice. The merchant of venice text excerpts penn state law. Shylock is a jewish moneylender of notable prominence in venice. What stuff tis made of, whereof it is born, i am to. Merchant of venice might be described as a revenge tragedy barely averted, as portia swoops into the courtroom scene and saves antonio from shylock. The merchant of venice isnt as sexy as some of shakespeares other comedies, but there are lots of dirty jokes. There may not be a play more misnamed in shakespeares entire canon than the merchant of venice. Or, what does portia think of the quality of mercy. It is remarkable not only for its depiction of some of the greatest characters in the history of english literature but also for the revelation of some social elements like colour prejudice, class distinction, racial hatred and the position of women in the society. One of shakespeares most complex plays, the merchant of venice provides myriad. First performed in 1598, shakespeares study of religious difference remains controversial.
As it hath been divers times acted by the lord chamberlaine his servants. View of justice in shakespeares the merchant of venice. The merchant of venice lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. Pdf merchant of venice analysis alexandra m stabile. The merchant of venice study guide utah shakespeare festival. Get free homework help on shakespeares the merchant of venice. The prince of arragon arragon salanio friends to antonio and bassanio. English ii merchant of venice mythological references. The merchant of venice shakespeare library guides at qut. However, shylock gives the audience legitimate reasons for his prejudice. Glancing an eye of pity on his losses, that have of late so huddled on his back, enow to press a royal merchant down and. The merchant of venice, act iv, scene i the quality of mercy. The merchant of venice is one of shakespeares greatest plays. Merchant of venice literature essays are academic essays for citation.
Merchant of venice 1 answers jayanta what is portias take on mercy. The merchant of venice was most likely performed for the first time in 1596. Teachers notes this resource would provide an ideal. In shakespeares the merchant of venice, bassanio needs to repay a loan to his friend antonio, a leading merchant of venice, so he hatches a plot to win the hand of portia, a young and wealthy. Jews followed william the conqueror to britain from rouen. Fatherdaughter relationships in the merchant of venice. The authors of the thesis hold that shylock, one of the key characters of the merchant of venice written by william shakespeare, is the scapegoat of antizionism in britain at the time, for.
Lecture notes, lecture merchant of venice engl 212 tamu. Although there were other pirated editions, the 1600 edition is considered the most accurate and reliable. Free download or read online the merchant of venice pdf epub book. These free notes consist of about 41 pages 12,007 words and contain the following sections. Though classified as a comedy in the first folio and sharing certain aspects with shakespeares other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for shylock and the famous hath not a jew eyes. Learn the roles and relationships of the characters in the merchant of venice, and how they contribute to the plot. Preliminary production notes the merchant of venice, p.
To win portia, bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her fathers will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. Among his many friends is a young man named bassanio, who owes antonio a good deal of money. One of the few truly disappointing editions in the arden shakespeare series. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 237 pages and is available in paperback format. Created by the original team behind sparknotes, litcharts are the worlds best literature guides. I will not say you shall see a masque, but if you do then it was not for nothing that my nose fell ableeding on black monday. Merchant of venice complete text open source shakespeare. Merchant of venice act 3, scene 4 translation meaning. Then imagine that you are preparing to direct a performance of the merchant of. Both the introduction and the notes for this edition of the merchant of venice are as useless as those for the recent arden othello, a midsummer nights dream, the tempest, and hamlet are insightful. Talk not of master launcelot, father, for the young gentleman, according to fates and destinies and such odd sayings, the sisters three and such branches of learning, is indeed deceased, or as you would say in plain terms, gone.
Characters map for william shakespeares the merchant of venice. Contract, friendship, and love in the merchant of venice. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. In the merchant of venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. View of justice in shakespeares the merchant of venice and. Read a character analysis of shylock, plot summary and important quotes. Othello the moor of venice william shakespeare with related readings the emc masterpiece series access editions emcparadigm publishing st. The merchant of venice a contemporary english version, with notes and commentary by jonathan star a note on this translation i have attempted to translate this work from the early english of shakespeare into contemporary modern english while preserving. Specifically, the merchant of venice is often viewed as antisemitic, and thus regarded in a worse light than other, less contentious, shakespeare plays. He is going out for dinner out of hatred for the christian and to eat the food of the extravagant, bassanio. Shakespeares comedy the merchant of venice launcelot. Enter antonio, salarino, and salanio ant oni o in truth, i know not why i am so sad. It is remarkable not only for its depiction of some of the greatest characters in the history of english literature but also for the revelation of some social elements like colour prejudice, class distinction, racial hatred and the.
His views on the law, especially in the merchant of venice. Perhaps the most important related work for merchant of venice, however, is christopher marlowes the jew of malta 158990. Although your script doesnt have that notation any secondary copy you may have should have this notation. William shakespeare, henry livingston withers, morris william croll. The characters, portia and shylock, are examined in fascinating detail.