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Merchant of VeniceWilliam Shakespeare

Activities

Pre-reading:* Brainstorm meanings of words which were commonly used during Shakespeare’s time.

* 10 Lines. Summarize the play in 10 lines, explain the cohesion; have students make tableaux of the lines; have students recite lines; in two groups, have students create 10 tableaux and the other groups guesses or have them create many different tableaux of the same line; have students write down what questions they have about the play, miss-ing information; have students write a summary of the play.

* Anticipation GuideMid-way:* Have students identify themes/main topics. Examples include: money-lending, friend-ship, love and marriage, prejudice. Have students join groups to identify how Shake-speare feels about these topics (include textual support). Then in pairs students must interview someone in the community who would have insight into one of these themes. The questions must be approved by a teacher, the interview should be taped, and the students must hand in a 2-3 page summary of the interview. Then students should share the outcome of their interview with their group and compare what they found out to how Shakespeare felt about that topic. As a group, share findings with the class.

After Act IV:* Meeting the Media. Break students into groups, with each group representing a char-acter from the trial scene. Each character group should make up a brief press statement about the trial and be prepared to answer questions from the other characters. Each group should also come up with at least one question for the other characters.

End:* Rank the characters. In groups, rank the characters from1) most moral to least moral2) most trustworthy to least trustworthy/most deceitful3) most tolerant to most prejudiced

* Physical and emotional distance. Have one student be Bassanio and assign other stu-dents parts. Bassanio should tell the other students where to stand based on how close he feels their relationship is. The other characters should give input based on their in-terpretation.


Pre-reading

1. My purse, my person lie all unlocked to your occasions (I, i, 137-38)

2. I may neither choose who I would, nor refuse who I dislike, so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father (I, ii, 19-21)

3. Let the forfeit

be nominated for an equal pound

of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken

in what part of your body pleaseth me. (I, iii, 142-44)4. My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter!

Fled with a Christian! (2, viii, 15-16)

5. Hath all his ventures failed?

And not one vessel ‘scape the dreadful touch

of merchant-marring rocks? (3, ii, 266, 268-9)6. You that choose not by the view

Chance as fair, and choose as true. (3, ii, 131-32)

7. I’ll have my bond, speak not against my bond;

I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond. (3, iii, 4-5)

8. You must prepare your bosom for his knife (4, i, 241)9. Prepare thee to cut off the flesh.

Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more

But just a pound of flesh. (4, i, 320-322)

10. Portia was the doctor,

Nerissa there her clerk. Antonio,

you shall find three of your argosies

are richly come to harbor suddenly. (5, i, 269, 271, 276-77)


Pre-reading

Anticipation Guide

* A noble friendship can exist between two men or two women.

* Testing your partner is the key to a successful marriage.

* People often break their marriage vows.

* Life is a lottery over which we have no control.

* Mercy is a concept that transcends justice.

* The law should be used to help us get justice in our lives.

* Obeying rules is crucial in life.

* Parent/child relationships are important in shaping our characters.

* Money is essential for happiness.

* Through the ages outsiders have become victims of abuse.

* Racism is a feature of mankind and will continue to be so.

* Revenge is sweet.

* Religious beliefs define our outlook on life.


Act I, scene i

L 1-22 The play begins in the middle of a conversation. Improvise how the con-versation began.

L 22-36 Choose your favorite image from Salarino’s lines about catastrophe at sea. Design a picture to show it.

L 57-68 Are Solanio and Salarino good friends? Read their lines to see if there are any clues to their sudden exit. Try reading the lines in different tones of voice. Are they being as friendly and polite as they seem?

L. 77-79 Shakespeare’s As You Like It includes the famous section

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.Discuss the differences between these four lines and what Antonio says. What does it tell you about him and his view of life?

L 121-33 One person reads aloud lines 121-33. The others echo every word to do with money.

L 160-71 Bassanio offers a very rich description of Portia. Write or draw your own impressions of Portia based on Bassanio’s description.

Scene 1 Bassanio places an ad in the Venice Times, asking to borrow money. He commissions you to write the ad. You have to persuade readers that the money will be wisely invested. He gives you permission to mention his social background, the in-volvement of Antonio, and how the money will be used.


Act I, scene ii

L 1-55 Some modern societies feature marriages in which partners are chosen by the parents. Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of arranged marriages. Remember that many people feel that arranged marriages are more stable and lasting than those in which the partners choose each other.

L 30-81 Based on the descriptions of Portia’s six suitors, break into groups with each group representing one suitor. In groups:

Devise a suitable coat of arms and motto for your suitor.

Experiment with ways of portraying your suitor, played by one of the group, ac-cording to Portia’s description

Present your work to the rest of the class in mini-pageant form: the grand entry of your suitor and his followers to Belmont.


Act I, scene iii

L 1-11 Read the lines to understand what Bassanio and Shylock are talking about, then improvise their meeting before line 1. Write your dialogue and present it to the class.

L 33-44 An aside is a remark made by a character to the audience. By convention it is unheard by the other people on stage. One of the group reads aloud Shylock’s aside; the others echo words which show Shylock’s hatred for Antonio. Try this several times, then talk together about why Shylock hates Antonio so passionately.

L 92 Shakespeare often used the image of the smiling villain:

‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’ (Macbeth) ‘One may smile and smile and be a villain’ (Hamlet) ‘Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile’ (Richard III)Write a poem or short story entitled ‘A villain with a smiling cheek’.

L 141-44 Shylock proposes a ‘merry sport’: if Antonio cannot repay the loan, he must forfeit a pound of his flesh. Imagine you are the notary. Write your own version of the bond between Shylock and Antonio. This bond is a formal business document, so use appropriate language. Include all the agreed terms of the loan, and add the signa-tures of both parties and witnesses.


Act I

What kind of a city is Venice?

Write your impressions of what life is like in Shylock’s Venice. Think about such matters as religion, class, occupations, attitudes to race, and the roles of women and men.


Act II, scene i

L 13-22 Read aloud Portia’s speech. What do you think she really feels about the possibility of being married to Morocco? Try reading the speech again to bring out the tension between her duty to her dead father’s will and her feelings towards Morocco.

L 44 At ‘the temple’ Morocco must swear an oath never to marry if he chooses the wrong casket. On their way to the oath ceremony, Nerissa and Portia could have a private conversation about their impressions of Morocco. What would they say about him? Improvise their talk and write down your dialogue.

Act II, scene ii

L 25-53 Read the exchange between Lancelot and his father. Does Lancelot dis-guise his voice to deceive Gobbo? Talk together about Lancelot’s treatment of his blind father. Is it humorous, or merely cruel?

L 91 “For I am a Jew if I serve the Jew any longer.” Discuss/write about what Lancelot’s remark tells you about the attitude of the poor people of Venice towards the Jews.

L 132-140 Lancelot fancies himself a fortune-teller as he reads his own palm. If he had the chance to read the palms of some of the other characters, what might he fore-tell? One person plays Lancelot, the other chooses to be:

Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio, or Portia. Take it in turns to be Lancelot and the person having his/her fortune told. Base your predictions on what you know of the play so far.


Act II, scene iii

L 2 Jessica seems very unhappy at home: “Our house is hell”. As Jessica, each person writes a letter to the problem page of a teen magazine. Describe the prob-lems you have at home, and ask if you are right to desert your father or Lorenzo and convert to Christianity. Read each other’s letters and make up suitable replies.

Act II, scene iv

L 29-39 Read Lorenzo’s lines aloud to each other. Use the information to write your version of Jessica’s letter to Lorenzo. One partner reads the letter aloud, while the other gives Lorenzo’s reactions to what Jessica has written.

Act II, scene v

L. 44-49 Shylock talks of his former servant, Lancelot. Imagine that he has been asked to produce an honest reference about Lancelot for his future employer, Bassanio. Write Shylock’s reference on Lancelot.

Act II, scene vi

L 34-51 Make a list of all Jessica’s comments about herself and her appearance. Talk about what they tell you of her character, and what they suggest of the role of women in Venice.

Act II, scene vii

L 4-10 Glance back to the scene where Morocco first appeared to remind your-self of your impression of him. Now read lines 4-10, which reveal the inscription on each casket. Before you turn the page, talk together about which one you think he will choose because of his character.

L 63 Morocco opens the casket to find a human skull inside. A scroll, with a message on it, is inside one of the eye sockets. Discuss the possible reasons for Shakespeare including these details, then make a drawing of the contents.

L 65 “All that glisters is not gold” is one of the best-known lines in the play, and is often used as a proverb today. Choose any other character in the play who might well be reminded of this saying. Share your ideas, and the reasons for your choice, with an-other pair.


Act II, scene viii

L 12-24 Solanio and Salarino report what has happened to Shylock. Take turns be-ing Shylock, and use as many of Shylock’s own words as possible. The others follow Shylock around the room, mocking and taunting him by ridiculing his words and actions. Everyone takes a turn as Shylock. Afterwards, talk about how you felt as Shylock and what this tells you about his predicament. Neither Salarino nor Solanio has any sympa-thy for Shylock. They mock his response to his losses. How do you feel towards him? How do you feel towards them?

Entire scene Scene 8 gives a dramatic impression of the differences between Shylock and Antonio, especially in terms of how they handle the ‘loss’ of what is dear to them. Make two columns, titled Shylock and Antonio and produce a list of all the contrasting details you can find. Include as much of Shakespeare’s language as possible.

When you have completed your lists, review them in light of the fact that all the informa-tion comes from two Christians who are friends of Antonio and detest Shylock. What dif-ference does that make to your interpretation of the differences between Shylock and Antonio? How trustworthy are Salarino and Solanio?

Act II, scene ix

L 18-51 You are a news reporter for the Belmont Gazette. You have been in-structed by your editor to cover Arragon’s public courtship of Portia. You have a maxi-mum of 200 words and headline space. Summarize the main points made by Arragon in lines 18-51 as he considers which casket to choose. Remain as true as you can to his actual words. Each person prepares a draft. Give this to your partner for comment and sub-editing, then produce the final draft.


Act II

Conflict between fathers and daughters occurs in many of Shakespeare’s plays. In Act II, both Portia and Jessica try to come to terms with the demands made on them by their fathers. Explore this father-daughter conflict though a modern medium. Imagine you are producing a daytime TV chat show on “fathers and daughters”. Interview Portia and Jessica as your special guests. You will need three people to do this - the rest of the class can be the studio audience - encourage them to ask questions, too.

The director Jonathan Miller said that Shylock’s loss of his daughter is “the very most appalling disaster that can happen to an orthodox Jewish family.” How important do you think the loss of Jessica is in motivating Shylock’s desire for revenge?

Produce a caption, headline or a cartoon drawing to catch the essence of each scene in Act II.

Draw a flow diagram that explains how the plot develops in Act II.


Act III, scene i

L 2-6 Using the details in these lines, produce a radio newsflash about Antonio’s latest piece of bad luck. Perform your broadcast for the class in your best radio-announcer voice.

L 19 There are no stage directions for how Shylock should enter this scene. Think up your own ideas for Shylock’s entry to give the audience an understanding of how he feels about Jessica’s betrayal. How does he move? What are his facial expres-sions and physical appearance? What other meaningful object could he carry on stage? Talk through your ideas for making Shylock’s entry dramatically powerful. Act out your suggestions.

L 42-57 Stand in a circle and read the lines around the group, changing over at the end of each sentence. Make your first reading angry and revengeful. Then read it again quietly and with dignity, as a plea for understanding and common humanity.

L 42057 Reduce these lines to their bare bones. Decide the three most important things Shylock says about himself and his feelings. Compare and talk about your cho-sen lines with other groups.


Act III, scene ii

L 24-25 Bassanio is growing impatient and wants to get on with choosing the cas-kets. Think about what was going through his mind while he was listening to Portia, and write down his flow of thought.

L 73-96 The main theme of these lines is that people are often different from how they appear. Bassanio gives examples from a wide range of human experience. Choose one of his images of deception and represent it as a tableau to the rest of the class. Hold your image for about 20 seconds before they begin to guess your choice.

L 131-8 Shakespeare gives us the words that Bassanio reads, but what does the scroll actually look like? Produce your own version. Make it as authentic as possible.

L 149-74 Read aloud these lines in a group. Here Portia gives a very modest im-pression of herself. Is she wise to talk about herself in this way at the start of her life-long relationship with Bassanio? On a large sheet of paper, draw up a list of dos and don’ts for Portia at this vital time in her life.

L 166-7 Portia quite literally gives herself to Bassanio. What is your reaction to her attitude to her future husband? Each person makes a list of questions to ask Portia about her relationship with Bassanio. One volunteer takes the role of Portia to be ques-tioned by the class. If Portia finds a question too difficult, she should say “Time Out” and possible answers can be discussed by everyone.

L 217 This line is the only ‘welcome’ to Jessica on her arrival, yet Lorenzo and Salerio are both greeted by name. Write about what possible reasons Portia and Bas-sanio have for apparently ignoring Jessica.

L276-282 Salerio reports how Shylock plagues the Duke of Venice incessantly in an attempt to have his case against Antonio dealt with fairly. Improvise one of the meetings between the two characters. Think carefully about Shylock’s current mood and his rela-tionship with the ruler of Venice.

L 278-282 All kinds of people tried to persuade Shylock to release Antonio from his bond. In small groups, discuss the questions and points these important people would raise with Shylock. Then, as a whole class, present your arguments to Shylock. Invent names for your characters as merchants or magnificos. Your task is to persuade Shy-lock to let Antonio off the hook.

L 321-end Imagine that Bassanio sends ahead of him a letter in response to Anto-nio’s. Write Bassanio’s letter.


Act III, scene iii

L 1-17 Before he leaves, Shylock dominates the dialogue. Try reading the ex-change aloud. Shylock should circle around Antonio, delivering each short sentence from a different angle to increase its power. Try it again with Shylock jabbing his finger sharply towards Antonio as he speaks. Work out different ways of conveying Shylock’s dominant mood.

L 26-end Each person makes a list of points to ask a volunteer Antonio.

Act III, scene iv

L 1-21 The language of Lorenzo and Portia in these lines is very formal and po-lite. Lorenzo says that if Portia knew what Antonio was truly like, she would be even prouder of her action in helping him. Portia replies that because close friends are al-ways alike, Antonio must be like Bassanio in appearance, manner and spirit. But do you agree with Portia? Talk about whether close friends are like each other. Or do you choose your friends because they are unlike you?

L 45-55 Balthazar is to take a letter from Portia to Doctor Bellario in Padua. In re-ply, she expects ‘notes and garments’. Make predictions about what she is planning.

L 65-76 Write a short account of Portia’s view of men as revealed in these lines. Show how her words add to your understanding of Portia’s attitudes.

L 65-76 Make a list of five other habits or types of behavior that the two women might adopt if they are going to convince other people of their ‘manhood’. Your list may be serious, or, like Portia’s, mocking and satirical. Share your ideas with others in the class.


Act III

Design a Wanted Poster. In scene 1 Shylock orders Antonio’s arrest. Design the ‘wanted’ poster which might be pasted up around Venice. Give details of Antonio’s ‘crime’ and probable punishment. Remember: Shylock is likely to write the poster’s con-tents himself.

In scene 1 Shylock often repeats certain words. Make a list of his repetitions. Decide why these words are of such importance to him. What is the dramatic effect of Shylokck speaking in this way?

Once again, you are the gossip columnist for the Belmont Gazette. Follow up your arti-cle on Arragon’s courtship of Portia with one about Bassanio’s choosing between the caskets. Remember: you have only 200 words.

Why does Shylock hate Antonio? ‘I oft delivered from his forfeitures/Many that have at times made moan to me’ (3.3.22-3) is Antonio’s explanation for Shylock’s hatred of him. Shylock probably has other reasons for his hatred. Make a full list of Shylock’s reasons for hating Antonio. Give short quotations from the script as an example of each reason.

Antonio seems to see himself as a victim of trade and politics: it will damage the busi-ness reputation of Venice if the Duke does not allow Shylock his legal rights over Anto-nio. Talk together about:

* how much Antonio is personally to blame for his plight * how much he is the victim of Shylock’s personal animosity * how much he is a victim of a society that values trade over human life Can you think of any contemporary figures who have gambled in business and either lost or gained everything? Do you see them as villains or heroes?

Catch the essence of each scene in Act III in a single word. Compare your five words with other students’ lists.

Have students identify themes/main topics. Examples include: money-lending, friend-ship, love and marriage, prejudice. Have students join groups to identify how Shake-speare feels about these topics (include textual support). Then in pairs students must interview someone in the community who would have insight into one of these themes. The questions must be approved by a teacher, the interview should be taped, and the students must hand in a 2-3 page summary of the interview. Then students should share the outcome of their interview with their group and compare what they found out to how Shakespeare felt about that topic. As a group, share findings with the class.


Act IV, scene i

L 15 Shylock is ‘ready at the door’. Imagine that Shakespeare has written a so-liloquy for him in which he reveals his true feelings to the audience. Write your own ver-sion of Shylock’s soliloquy, expressing his feelings at this dramatic moment in the play. He is about to enter a room full of enemies, but might be only minutes from gaining his much-desired revenge.

L 38-9 Shylock is determined to use the Venetian code of law to press his case against Antonio. If the Duke will not enforce the law, then ‘the danger’ will result. Write a paragraph or draw a picture to show what Shylock wishes might happen to ‘your charter and your city’s freedom’ if the law is not followed.

L 121 Choosing a character, make a tableau of the moment in court with Bas-sanio speaks “Why dost thou whet thy knife so earnestly?” Decide what you would be doing and thinking at this crucial moment. Write a soliloquy to express your thoughts. Show your image to the rest of the class, reciting or reading your soliloquy.

L 128-38 Gratiano viciously abuses Shylock, saying that a dead wolf’s soul entered his body while he was still in his mother’s womb. One person, as Shylock, sits on a chair. The others speak, shout or sneer lines 128-38 at him, changing over at each punctuation mark. Take turns to by Shylock. Afterwards, talk about how he must feel and what these words suggest about Gratiano.

L 162 Venice is a male-dominated society: business and the law are for men alone. But now Portia is about to challenge the men at their own game. What is she thinking as she waits outside? Write her thoughts as she awaits the moment when she will be summoned to appear in the male world of the court.

L 180-93 Organize a class debate about the conflict between justice and mercy. Consider questions such as: should those who were guilty of the Holocaust have been shown mercy or justice? How about perpetrators of other crimes: Saddam Hussein, Mi-losovic, Kenneth Lay of Enron, etc.

L 212 Bassanio says ‘to do a great right, do a little wrong’. Does he have a point? Would you do wrong if you thought it would result in good? Talk together, giving examples. Then write an opinion piece explaining your views.

L 266-7 Antonio dreads a life of poverty more than death itself. Draw a picture to represent the feelings he expresses in lines 266-67.

L 334-5, 39-0 Shylock, sensing that victory is slipping away, agrees to accept a financial settlement of his bond. Bassanio is prepared to hand over the money, but Portia insists

that ‘justice’ must prevail and that Shylock must exact the penalty. She shows that she is more than equal to the men of Venice. Choose three quotations that show that Portia is in charge of events.

L 342-59 Make up an argument about the law Shylock has broken. One should be a native Venetian, the other a member of a non-Christian group living in Venice. How does an ‘alien’ feel about such possible treatment at the hands of the law? How can a Venetian justify such legal prejudice?

L 371-3 Shylock is devastated by the loss of his wealth. Devise a tableau or create a collage to represent the anguish expressed in his lines.

L 376-86 Make a diagram illustrating in words and pictures Antonio’s suggestions for the punishment of Shylock. Find a clear way of showing the order in which they might rank in Shylock’s mind in humiliating him.

L 428 Portia insists on having the ring. She knows its importance and the an-guish its loss will cause Bassanio. Why does she deal with her husband with the same ruthlessness as she has shown to Shylock? Talk about whether she is cruel or wise in setting this test for Bassanio. Are there other explanations for her insisting on having the ring? Jot down possible reasons, and compare them with another group.

Act IV, scene ii

L 1 & 11 Nerissa is sent to Shylock’s house for him to sign the deed of gift, naming Lorenzo and Jessica as his heirs. As Nerissa, write your own account of your meeting with Shylock.


Act IV

Shylock Webquest - see attached handout

Discuss the following questions in a small group, then write an opinion paper expressing your conclusions:

a) Does Shylock receive a fair trial?

b) Does he get a just and/or merciful punishment?

c) Which characters most gains your respect in the trial scene? Why?

d) Which character do you respect least? Why?

Run through a list of characters who appear in Act IV. Put them in order to the degree of prejudice you think they display, then rank them in order of how much you like them. Do your two lists match?

In defeat, Shylock, normally a man of many words, says little. You are given a chance to write one extra speech for Shylock. At what point would you include it, and what would he say?

Meeting the Media. Break students into groups, with each group representing a charac-ter from the trial scene. Each character group should make up a brief press statement about the trial and be prepared to answer questions from the other characters. Each group should also come up with at least one question for the other characters.


Act V

Is Portia like Shylock? Portia has trapped Bassanio into a bond which he has promised - but has been unable - to keep. Like Shylock, she is utterly determined. Think of other similarities between Shylock and Portia. Make a list of how like and unlike Portia and Shylock are. Which do you think are more important: their similarities or their differ-ences?

Portia goes to great lengths to establish control over Bassanio. Look through the list of characters on page 1 and identify who else has been on the receiving end of Portia’s teasing or cruelty. Identify quotes.

Imagine that you are a researcher for a magazine. One of your tasks is to track down and interview some of the characters from the play ten years after the point at which it ends, and to find out how their lives have changed. Choose your characters and con-duct the interviews.

Rank the characters. In groups, rank the characters from1) most moral to least moral2) most trustworthy to least trustworthy/most deceitful3) most tolerant to most prejudiced

Physical and emotional distance. Have one student be Bassanio and assign other stu-dents parts. Bassanio should tell the other students where to stand based on how close he feels their relationship is. The other characters should give input based on their in-terpretation.

Playing Against TypeWhat is a stereotype? How do stereotypes originate? In Shakespeare's world, the stereotype of Jews was viciously negative; similarly, Othello, an African, would have been viewed as inferior. But do Shakesepeare's plays encourage or challenge the wide-spread anti-Semitism and racism of the time?

Before answering, consider other examples. Identify characters in television, film, and literature that are built on a stereotype (of age, class, region, ethnicity, race, etc.). List them on the board.

* Which characters are stereotypes that reinforce negative images? Label them.

* Which characters stretch or break out of their stereotypes? How do they do it? What message or lesson about stereotypes do the characters deliver?

* What role do stereotypes play in art? Should they remain or be a part of newly-created art?

* Read the essay On Race and Religion. Then think about Shakespeare's Othello and Shylock. Does each character reinforce or challenge the stereotype an Elizabethan viewer would have brought into the theater? If so, how?

* Is the Othello in Andrew Davies' adaptation a stereotype? Why or why not? Do other characters see him as one?

* How do you think a modern viewer's response to stereotypes differs from viewers in Shakespeare's time?

* Do you conclude that Shakespeare was anti-Semitic and/or racist? Why or why not?

The OutsiderDraw a set of concentric circles on a piece of paper. The circles represent the society in which Othello or The Merchant of Venice is set. Place the main characters from the play in position within the concentric circles to show the relationship of each to the main-stream society in the center.

* Compare your diagram with others in your class. Do you see any differences? Dis-cuss your reasoning and try to reach a consensus on where each character should be plotted. Who is an "insider"? Who is an "outsider"? What are the relationships between the characters in the center and at the edges? Try making a similar chart placing char-acters based on how sympathetic they are and compare. What do you see?

* Where did you position Othello and Shylock? Why do you think Shakespeare placed these characters from the outer circle of society at the center of action in his plays? What is the role of the "outsider" in Othello and The Merchant of Venice?

* Now think beyond Shakespeare: what can an "outsider" character see that other characters cannot? What can he or she show or teach us? Look back on your own ex-perience and recall a time when you were the "outsider." Draw a concentric circle dia-gram, plotting where you and others stood during the time you recall. Write a short per-sonal essay telling about that time.

Changing PlacesHow much do race and religion explain characters' behavior and the action on the screen? Play a "what if?" game to find out. Write the name of each major character on an index card and place them in a stack. Create two more cards: for Othello, one la-beled "black," one labeled "white"; for The Merchant of Venice, "Christian" and "Jewish." Create teams of three or four students. In turn, each team draws one card from the character pile and one of the two category cards. For example, this might yield "Portia" and "Jewish" or "Desdemona/Dessie" and "black"-what if Portia had been Jewish? What if Dessie were black? The team confers and offers a new summary of the play, an act, or a scene under the "what if" scenario. Return and reshuffle the cards after each group draws.

Character InterviewsIn groups of three, identify a pair of characters from Othello and/or The Merchant of Venice who have something in common: two women; two "outsiders"; two characters in love; two characters who feel despair, jealousy, or another emotion; two winners; two losers; etc. One student will play each character part and the third will be the inter-viewer. Together compose a series of questions for the interviewer to pose, designed to explore, compare, and contrast what the two characters have in common. Have the character players answer without a script.

Shakespeare in the NewsThe essay On Race and Religion argues that the themes and conflicts in The Merchant of Venice and Othello are still important today. Find evidence for this argument by read-ing newspaper articles and news Web sites for current events that recall any of the themes, conflicts, or characters from either play. Look for tragic heroes, comic endings, items about jealousy, power, marriage, financial problems, racial and religious tension. Print or clip the news pieces. Then return to the plays or the screenplay and locate a quote to accompany each article. Mount the article and the quote together for display.

Old Tales for a New GenerationWhy read books written before you were born? Why do we still read and watch Shake-speare? One simple answer is that there are conflicts, desires, and dilemmas ad-dressed in works of the past that are as much a part of our lives as they were a hundred or a thousand years ago. We continue to read the old stories; we also create new sto-ries that retell the old ones again and again.

Test out this thesis: brainstorm a list of ten works you know well that were created by an earlier generation -- myths, folktales, legends, epics, novels, song lyrics. You might start your list with tales you recall from childhood, favorite books, works you read in school last year, or "oldies" music. For each work, identify the central idea, issue, or conflict of the work.

Of the ten works on your list, which ones are about ideas or themes that are relevant to your life and your generation? Circle them. Are there any works within the list that tell similar stories or explore similar themes? Draw a line connecting them. Look for similari-ties between your list and those of others. What ideas or conflicts come up again and again?

Add another layer to the storytelling tradition: take the bare bones of the plot from one of these works and imagine a more modern version of this tale. Provide a title and plot summary. How do you need to change the story so that it speaks to your generation or comments on your own time?

Prereading Shakespeare

Return with your teacher to the days of yore, when bellibones were nesh, athels were straight-fingered, and a bedswerver could count on riding the stang. (Believe it or not, William Shakespeare would have understood that!)

Assignment: Brainstorm the following vocabulary in terms of possible definitions. Exer-cise your imagination freely, but do create definitions that have some reasonable con-nections with the words. In addition to a definition, write an original sentence for each. After we try our hands at this, we’ll learn the Elizabethan definitions.

1. aimcrier 12. murfles

2. bedswerver 13. poplolly

3. bellibone 14. snirtle

4. bellytimber 15. nithe

5. fellowfeel 16. merry-go-down (syn: kill priest)

6. flesh-spades 17. teen

7. keak 18. downsteepy

8. lip-clap 19. maw-wallop

9. lubberwort 20. chairday

10. merry-go-sorry 21. nesh

11. mubblefubbles (syn: blue 22. athels

devils, mulligrubs) 23. riding the stang

Susan Kelz Sperling, author of Poplollies and Bellibones: A Celebration of Lost Words (Penguin, 1979), brings back to life over 400 obsolete, rare, and dialectical words too delicious to have disappeared from our language forever. Here are the definitions for the words in our exercise.

1. aimcrier: an applauder, one who encouraged the archer; the one who stood near the target to report the results of each round

2. bedswerver: a person unfaithful to the marriage vows

3. bellibone: a lovely maiden; an anglicization of the French belle et bonne (fair and good)

4. bellytimber: food, provisions

5. fellowfeel: to share another person’s feelings, to empathize

6. flesh-spades: fingernails7. keak: to cackle

8. lip-clap: a kiss

9. lubberwort: food or drink that makes on idle and stupid, junk food

10. merry-go-sorry: a story that makes you both happy and sad

11. mubblefubbles: depression, the blues12. murfles: freckles

13. poplolly: a little darling, from the French poupelet (little doll)

14. snirtle: to snicker, to laugh quietly and mockingly

15. nithe: envy or hatred

16. merry-go-down: strong wine17. teen: trouble, irritation

18. downsteepy: a steep path

19. maw-wallop: badly cooked food

20. chair-day: retirement

21. nesh: delicate22. athels: noblemen

23. riding the stang: a method of public shaming. In her book, Sperling explains this event as “a procession in which an unfaithful husband was carried atop a ladder through village streets for women to censure, verbally or otherwise.”

Sniglets

Shakespeare is one of the world’s most successful word inventors, coining common words as assassination, barefaced, bumps, gloomy, suspicious. A Sniglet is “any word that doesn’t appear in the dictionary, but should.” For example, using the family dog to remove crumbs that have dropped to the floor is defined as “barcuuming”, the mysteri-ous magnetic force that holds two or more Fig Newtons together is “figforce” and small pieces of tissue paper used to cover shaving wounds are “hemoplugs.” Give students some definitions from the book and have them come up with words for them. The gap in the dressing room curtain that can never be closed “peepola” or “sneakapeek.” Ask stu-dents to think about events or objects that lack a proper name and to come up with their own original sniglets.

the action of two people as they simultaneously move laterally to avoid colliding; this ac-tion generally occurs in corridors or on stairs

the act of waiting for the telephone to ring more than once before answering it

the simultaneous beginning of speech by two or more people; speaking at the same time as another person

A Quest for Meanings

Directions: Pick three or four of the words on this list to define. (All are out-of-date or have at least one out-of-date meaning.) Instead of using the dictionary or encyclopedia as your reference, find people who remember the earlier meanings - aunts, uncles, neighbors, parents, guardians, etc. - and take notes on what they tell you. If one of your “references” tells you an interesting detail or story about the word’s early usage, share that with the class as well.

Clothing and Jewelry Miscellaneous Places

rompers rouge depotcravat davenport parlorascot divan verandachemise settee larderunion suit valise garrettbabushka victrolagaloshes bumbershoot Transportationarctics running board caboosepinafore rumble seat surreylavaliere frappe perambulatormiddy parasol shaydrawers cipherbreeches bassinetboa demitasseduster calliopemules spider (kitchen usage)brooch taffetabowler shantungsnood voilePeople crinolinegumshoe chiffonierhobo antimacassarmilliner counterpanecobbler stereopticon daguerreotype menagerie

Literary Dyads

10 min - review written responses, reading logs, quizzes, tests, essays about the novel

paired off

10 min - only one student can and must talk. Refer to a number of questions or prompts about the novel, some generic and some culled from previous discussions. “What have you learned from others about the novel during discussion?” “Bring up any points the class hasn’t considered.” Other student is asked to be a good listener - posture, facial expression, and hand gestures are all ways to guide a speaker to explore a specific area that might be revealing.

10 min - switch roles

10 minutes - engage in dialogue about anything either one brought up previously. At this point, they are charged with mutually writing out a brief summary of the most interesting point they have considered about the text. Published the next day - the final words about the text are voiced by the students.

Literary Limbo Lounge

Somewhere in the realms of fiction, there exists an oasis from the daily drudgery of liv-ing life under public scrutiny. This escape from unreality, called the Literary Limbo Lounge, is an exclusive club where characters from every novel ever written gather when readers have closed the book. Here, they relax and get to know each other a little better.

Welcome to the Literary Limbo Lounge. You have just become a character from ______. Write a first person account of a meeting you have at the lounge with a character from _____.

Guidelines:

1. Write your paper in the first-person and show that you understand your character by revealing the way he or she views life and reacts to the world. You can also show your understanding through the way your character writes (assume all characters can write or dictate to someone).

2. Show, through conversation and description, that you understand the character you meet in the lounge. Feel free to use other fictional characters or popular personalities, but don’t let them distract from your purpose.

3. Use any form of writing - a memory piece, a journal or diary entry, a play (include de-scription and dialogue), a letter to a friend, or a poem. Maximum length: 3 pages.

4. You are not confined to the lounge. Your characters may choose to go somewhere else in fiction. Just make sure it is a logical choice for those characters. Wherever you place characters, surround them with atmosphere.

Cooperative Learning Self-Analysis

Name: ___________________________ Date: __________________

I...

1. listened to everyone without interrupting. Yes No

2. encouraged others to give ideas. Yes No

3. kept to the subject at hand Yes No

4. felt I was listened to. Yes No

5. avoided talking to those in other groups. Yes No

My group ...

1. gave equal time to all group members. Yes No

2. learned from one another. Yes No

3. following the procedure. Yes No

4. criticized without put-downs. Yes No

5. avoided placing blame and making excuses. Yes No

I thought the educational objective was: Important Not Important Don’t Know

I thought the social objective was: Important Not Important Don’t Know

I think this was worth: Less Time More Time Just Right

Do you feel you had a better chance to give your ideas than in a full-group critique, a worse chance, or did it matter at all? Please comment.

Please tell me what you learned from this activity, and what you would have liked to learn but didn’t.

The Merchant of Venice: Family RelationshipsBy Stephanie ChidesterFrom Midsummer Magazine, 2000

The character of Shylock is so large and the themes of prejudice and justice and mercy so strong in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice that secondary themes and characters are often overwhelmed. The play is much more than a study of the struggles between Christian and Jew; it is a rich tapestry threaded with love and self-sacrifice, ha-tred and revenge, friendship and marriage, divided loyalties, and bonds legal, financial and emotional. One subtle but interesting pattern in this tapestry that is sometimes over-looked is Shakespeare’s examination of families and the relationships between father and child.

Shakespeare serves up three parent-child relationships in the play—two father-daughter pairings and one comic father-son. Portia’s relationship with her father, though not perfect, was probably the most healthy of the three, even though she presently re-sents her father’s method of securing her happiness. Portia’s father constructed his will to protect her from fortune hunters and to ensure that she married a man who would value everything Portia is and not merely her money and beauty; however, it is also possible to see in his actions a lack of faith in Portia’s good sense—he doesn’t trust her to make a wise choice on her own: “So is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father. Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none?” (The Signet Classic Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, Kenneth Myrick, Ed. [New York: Signet, 1965], 1.2.23–26).

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. Nevertheless, she honors her father’s wishes even when the quality of her suitors tempts her to use sabotage. When faced with “the young German, the duke of Saxony’s nephew” as a marital prospect, Portia asks Nerissa: “For fear of the worst, I pray thee set a deep glass of Rhenish wine on the contrary casket, for if the devil be within and that temptation without, I know he will choose it” (1.2.94–97). Fortu-nately, Portia is not put to the test, since this troublesome suitor leaves without ventur-ing a guess at the caskets, and whenever Portia considers rebellion (as she does when she says, “And the worst fall that ever fell, I hope I shall make shift to go without him” [1.2.88–90] and “I will do anything, Nerissa, ere I will be married to a sponge” [1.2.97–98]), Nerissa is there to remind her of her duty: “If he should offer to choose, and choose the right casket, you should refuse to perform your father’s will if you should re-fuse to accept him” (1.2.91–93). Portia is later strongly tempted to cast a few hints in Bassanio’s direction about the correct casket, but she refuses to dishonor herself and disobey her father even though she risks losing the only suitor she can stand. Verbaliz-ing her faith in her father’s wisdom, she tells Bassanio, “If you do love me, you will find me out” (3.2.41).

Jessica, in contrast, is the least loyal of the children in the play, meeting secretly with Lorenzo and allowing him to court her, lying to her father, abandoning him, and

stealing from him; she’s hardly the docile, obedient daughter that Shylock takes her for. Although she feels some pangs of guilt (“Alack, what heinous sin is it in me / To be ashamed to be my father’s child! / But though I am a daughter to his blood, / I am not to his manners” [2.3.16–19]), Jessica rejects her father, his way of life, and his relig-ion—though not, interestingly, his wealth, a great deal of which she takes along with her.

Jessica’s behavior is not altogether surprising when one considers Shylock’s treatment of her. Shylock shows his daughter little affection or kindness—she is his flesh and blood and therefore an extension of himself, not a person in her own right. Days after she has run away, he exclaims in disbelief, “My own flesh and blood to re-bel!” (3.1.32). In her first scene, Jessica laments, “Our house is hell” (2.3.2), and Launcelot’s descriptions as well as Shylock’s actions seem to bear this out. Shylock, stingy and puritanical, keeps Jessica locked up and attempts to isolate her from the world, but he doesn’t think to distrust her any more than he would distrust his ducats: “Hear you me, Jessica: / Lock up my doors; and when you hear the drum / And the vile squealing of the wry-necked fife, / Clamber not you up to the casements then, / Nor thrust your head into the public street / To gaze upon Christian fools with varnished faces; / . . . Let not the sound of shallow fopp’ry enter / My sober house” (2.5. 28–36). He assumes he has her obedience and doesn’t give it a second thought, being much too busy contemplating his money (“I did dream of moneybags tonight” [2.5.18]) and his revenge (“I’ll go in hate, to feed upon / The prodigal Christian” [2.5.14–15]). “There are my keys,” he says to Jessica, “Look to my house” (2.5.12, 16).

When Shylock discovers that Jessica has fled, it becomes clear that he is just as upset that his valuables have disappeared with her. “My daughter! O my ducats! O my daughter ! / Fled with a Christian! O my Christian ducats! / Justice! The law! My ducats and my daughter! / A sealed bag, two sealed bags of ducats, / Of double ducats, stol’n from me by my daughter! / And jewels—two stones, two rich and precious stones, / Stol’n by my daughter! Justice! Find the girl! / She hath the stones with her, and the ducats!” (2.8.15–22). And it is equally apparent which of the two he values more: “I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! Would she were hearsed at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin!” (3.1.83–85).

The relationship between Launcelot Gobbo and his father is neither as tempestu-ous as that of Jessica and Shylock nor as caring as that of Portia and her father. Launcelot shows a lack of respect for his father when he jests, “Well, my conscience . . . says very wisely to me, ‘My honest friend Launcelot, being an honest man’s son’—or rather an honest woman’s son, for indeed my father did something smack, something grow to, he had a kind of taste” (2.2.13–18). In addition, Launcelot, unlike Portia, has very little faith in his father’s wisdom, perhaps with some justification—Old Gobbo quite literally doesn’t know his son. Not only does he fail to recognize Launcelot when he meets him on the street (he is, after all, nearly blind), but he also fails to recognize his son’s voice and personality. The only thing of which Old Gobbo is certain about his son is his social status—he is no “Master Launcelot” but plain Launcelot, a servant, and Old Gobbo is not to be fooled on that count.

However, Launcelot is unnecessarily cruel, teasing his father by referring to himself in the third person as “Master Launcelot” and then telling his father that “Master Launcelot . . . is indeed deceased, or as you would say in plain terms, gone to heaven” (2.2.60–65). Old Gobbo, on the other hand, seems fond of his son, even if he doesn’t have the sense to recognize him: When he thinks Launcelot is dead, he says, “The boy was the very staff of my age, my very prop” (2.2.66–67), and when Launcelot makes the re-quest, Old Gobbo very obligingly assists him in acquiring a new position away from Shy-lock.

The three family relationships in The Merchant of Venice have remarkable similari-ties, yet they vary widely in success. Portia’s father, in his way, is just as controlling as Shylock; after all, he insists on choosing his daughter’s mate, even from the grave. Yet Portia, one of the strongest-minded individuals in the play, respects his wishes while Jessica betrays and abandons her father. Old Gobbo, though affectionate, is an ade-quate parent at best, because—like Shylock—he does not truly know or understand his offspring. Shylock, the least successful parent, combines the other two fathers’ worst characteristics without any of their redeeming ones—he is a domineering yet oblivious father who fails to show his daughter the love she needs. The message that emerges from these strands of The Merchant of Venice’s tapestry is that parental control is best paired with loving concern and that a good parent not only loves and cares for his child but also knows and understands him or her; ideally, the bond between parent and child should consist of more than duty, more than love, though both are important; it should also include a healthy measure of wisdom and understanding.

Copyright 2006 Utah Shakespearean Festival351 West Center StreetCedar City, UT 84720800-PLAYTIXHosted by Southern Utah University

Shylock: Victim...TormentorBy Olakunle Omolabi

William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice contains an array of interesting and complex characters. From the alternately generous and grasping Antonio to the alternately love stricken and exploitative Bassanio to the vulnerable and manipulative Portia, this play has an abundance of multi-layered personalities. However, one of the most intriguing characters is also the most oft-vilified and minimized in the work. This character, Shylock, is certainly just as compelling as any of the aforementioned—if not more so, because he acts as the catalyst for the majority of the interesting sections of the play (i.e. The flesh pact, the court scene etcetera). It is certainly undemanding to simply label Shylock a stereotypical stock character: the greedy, vindictive and bloodthirsty villain. Surely, there are more than enough in-stances available to label him as such (1.3.38-49, 3.1.59-62), 3.1.372-375). However, there also exists another possible, yet neglected, description of Shylock's character: the aggrieved, marginalized and putupon minority. As the text repeatedly reminds us, Shy-lock is Jew; moreover, a Jew in a predominantly Christian Venice. He is an individual that is consistently attacked at every opportunity by supposedly goodly Christian char-acters (1.3.103-105, 108-110, 2.8.15-17). It is to be expected that someone living in those peculiar circumstances would lash out when the chance eventually arises—in this case, Antonio is the target of the wrath. So, to those who would argue that Shylock is a mean-spirited, unforgiving and avaricious character, I would respond: of course he is. But he can also be seen as a distressed, violated and desperate one. Shylock is easily as complex as the other main characters in The Merchant of Venice as he is, by turns, an unsympathetic vengeful tormentor and a sorrowful and sympathetic mournful victim. To prove this dichotomy, we will examine Shylock's statements to Salarino in Act 3, scene 1, lines 49-67. It can be said that, in regards to Antonio, greed and petty revenge are all that interest Shylock. The lines preceding Shylock's statement consist of a ques-tion posed by Salarino. Essentially, “why take Antonio's flesh?” Shylock responds with a predictably acerbic and inelegant answer: “To bait a fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.” Here, Shylock shows himself the consummate villain. He has absolutely no use for Antonio's flesh yet he demands it in a display of utmost sa-dism. He regards the man's flesh as nothing better than fish bait. He also admits that spiting Antonio will be the ultimate satisfaction; by saying that the flesh would feed his revenge, he likened his vengeance to the appetite of a creature—one that would con-sume the flesh the way a fish would consume bait...an extremely unsavory, yet telling, comparison. In lines 50 through 54, Shylock shares his motivations for seeking the death of Antonio (because, of course, removing pounds of flesh from any creature is bound to kill it): Antonio has “disgraced” and “hindered” Shylock (presumably from work-ing his wiles on a would-be victim of his unfair lending practices), “laughed” at his finan-cial losses, “mocked” his successes, “scorned” his people (the Jews), “thwarted” his bargains (taking his clientèle by offering more reasonable rates which we can glean from elsewhere in the text), “cooled” or turned his friends away from him and, finally, “heated” or caused his enemies to be even more impassioned. This is actually quite a litany of offenses. Nevertheless, are these perceived offenses on the part of Antonio momentous enough to rationalize the excessive conditions of the bargain? An objective

observer would most likely respond with a categorical “NO;” the life of a man cannot and should not be taken over “slights” as simple as providing one competition or caus-ing one to lose a few friends. As Shylock continues his explanation, he makes the claim that the reason that he is so targeted by Antonio is merely due to the fact that he is a Jew—not because he is greedy or a conscienceless lender. Furthermore, he makes the statement that Jews are, like Christians, affected by the feelings, thoughts and impulses evoked by the actions of others (55-62). Out of context, this might be taken as a sym-pathetic lamentation of Christian intimidation towards his people. Instead, these rela-tionships that Shylock makes lead the audience to his primary focus: revenge. Simply put, he claims that if Jews are influenced by all the other “affections” as Christians, they also share the one of revenge. Instantly, it becomes apparent to the audience that Shy-lock is and has been twisting logic in his favor in order to make his hideous brand of re-venge more palatable: “If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by example? Revenge!” The key term in that sentence is “by example.” Shylock deviously insinuates that it is only the Christian model that he himself is following, that Christianity is based on revenge. Lines 66 and 67 serve to further illustrate the wolfish wiles at play. This “villainy” has he been taught by Christians—only he aims to “better the instruction”--in other words, to beat them at their own game. It is a most bitter sort of irony that Shylock attempts to manage here: since the Christians around him constantly remind him of the virtuousness of their religion (and the cruel practices he claims it entails), he will pay them the ultimate compliment...by emulating their practices. Obviously, this is a very weak justification on Shylock's part for the audience knows that this “instruction” that he claims to receive does not exist. Rather, it is an accommodating occurrence that Shylock creates in order to execute his own fiendish plans. Thus, the Shylock witnessed here is a conniving, vengeful and ruthless character—all characteristics that disqualify him from becoming a sympathetic figure. On the other hand, Shylock, discriminated against, abused, and ostracized, is simply a man that has been pushed beyond the threshold of tolerance. After enduring years of malevolence, Shylock ultimately detects his chance to retaliate—thus the ap-parently extreme behavior and acrimony towards Antonio. He states that he will either feed fish with the flesh of Antonio or simply satisfy his thirst for revenge. But why did Shylock choose the word “revenge?” The word (meaning “the act of taking vengeance for injuries or wrongs; retaliation”) denotes that there were discourtesies done to Shy-lock; these “wrongs” act as the stimulants in his quest for comeuppance. He then goes on to mention the many misdeeds committed by Antonio: he “disgraced” Shylock, cost him several thousand, “laughed at [his] losses,” scoffed at the gains that he did achieve (minimizing his achievements), “scorned [his] nation” (denigrated his fellow Jews—both in terms of religion and as people in general), turned his friends against him and sent his enemies towards him—and all because Shylock is a Jew. One might be tempted to ask: is Antonio even capable of committing such transgressions? Well, as the text shows, the attitude of Antonio towards Shylock is less than becoming (1.3.88-176). In fact he is ceaselessly antagonistic towards “the Jew” (a term which is used several times to label Shylock in an obviously condescending manner). Given those ardent declarations, it is quite obvious why Shylock is determined to be rid of his antagonizer; Antonio's disposition towards Shylock (which he shares with the other Christians) is a

singular one, one of hate and destructiveness. Consider: you live in a society in which you are overwhelmingly outnumbered, misunderstood and, worse still, are persecuted at every turn—regarded as worth little more than an animal. Now imagine that for once, perhaps the only chance that may ever arise, you have a chance to hold the power over the heads over one of your tormentors—rather, your worst tormentor of all. Would not most people choose to do so? So why is Shylock so despicable for it? After this con-sideration, we certainly must better appreciate the appeal of his position. He then goes on in lines 54 through 67 to communicate Antonio's reasons—or reason—for his hatred: that Shylock is just “a Jew.” Then, plaintively, Shylock defends his rights as a Jew—no—as a human being. Essentially, he compares Jews and Christians on a fundamental human level: both have hands, organs, parts of the body, senses and passions. Both are “fed with the same food,” hurt by the same weaponry, healed in the same fashion and affected by the elements in the same way. Both bleed, both laugh and both die. Masterfully, Shylock eliminates the apparent gulf between the two “types” [my quota-tion] of people and stages them on the same ground as people that are more similar than they are generally given credit for. Basically, why should there be such a disparity between the treatment of Christians and the treatment of Jews? They are more similar than they know, than they are treated. As a continuance of this point Shylock asks why, if the two peoples are so similar, cannot a Jew then avenge wrongs done to him? He claims that revenge especially is a way that they resemble one another: “If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that [revenge]” (61-62). For additional rhetorical impact, he poses a pointed, sarcastic question in lines 63-64 and then answers himself. This sarcasm points to the inherent contradictions in the practices of Christians: that they prize their “humility”--that is, until they have a chance to revenge themselves on a Jew that has wronged them. These words have the color of a man well acquainted with the unfairness and unbalance of the system; that a Christian can pursue retribution against a Jew without consequence but when a Jew does exactly the same, he or she is further demonized. He then concludes that he will follow and then exceed the prece-dents set by his Christian counterparts by seeking revenge: “The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction” (66-67). Here, it is visi-ble that Shylock has finally recognized his chance for a didactic display of revenge against his tormentors; he will finally show them how it feels to be powerless, to be fearful...to be victims.

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