merchant teacher guide - southwest · pdf filethe merchant of venice ... performance of the...

a teacher guide for studying the play and attending Southwest Shakespeare Company’s performance

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Southwest Shakespeare Company THE MERCHANT OF VENICE of 20

a teacher guide for studying the play and attending Southwest Shakespeare Company’s performance

April 2009

General Information

Meeting Arizona State Standards …………………………………………………………………… 3 Recommended Reading ………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 About the Play

Comments from the Director …………………………………………………………………………. 5 Helpful Tips for Seeing and Exploring Shakespeare ……………………………………… 6 The Merchant of Venice – An Introduction ………………………………………………….. 7 Shakespeare’s Critics ……………………………………….…………………………………………….. 9 The Merchant of Venice Synopsis …………………………………………………………………… 10 Classroom Applications

Anticipation & Reaction Guide ………………………………………………………………………… 14 Concept Map ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15 Reading Journal ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16 Examining Plot ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Comparing Settings ………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Bated Breath …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Educator Comments ………………………………………………………………………………………… 20

© Mosaic Educational Services, LLC


By viewing Southwest Shakespeare Company’s production of The Merchant of Venice, students can meet several of Arizona State Arts Standards. In addition, the activities included in this teacher’s guide, when implemented in the classroom along with other teacher-assigned reading and writing activities, will allow students to meet various Arizona State Standards in Reading and Writing. WRITING STANDARDS – STRAND 3: WRITING APPLICATIONS Concept 2: Expository Expository writing includes non-fiction writing that describes, explains, informs, or summarizes ideas and content (Anticipation and Reaction Guide; Concept Map).

Concept 5: Literary Response Literary response is the writer’s reaction to a literary selection. The response includes the writer’s interpretation, analysis, opinion, and/or feelings about the piece of literature and selected elements within it (Reading Journal; Examining Plot; Comparing Settings). READING STANDARDS – STRAND 1: READING PROCESS Concept 6: Comprehension Strategies Employ strategies to comprehend text (Anticipation and Reaction Guide; Concept Map). READING STANDARDS – STRAND 2: COMPREHENDING LITERARY TEXT Concept 1: Elements of Literature Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the structure and elements of literature (Examining Plot; Comparing Settings).

Concept 2: Historical and Cultural Aspects of Literature Recognize and apply knowledge of the historical and cultural aspects of American, British, and world literature (Reading Journal; Comparing Settings; Bated Breath). READING STANDARDS – STRAND 3: COMPREHENDING INFORMATIONAL TEXT Concept 2: Functional Text Identify, analyze, and apply knowledge of the purpose, structures, clarity, and relevancy of functional text (Bated Breath). ARTS STANDARDS – THEATRE Strand 3: Evaluate Students describe physical and vocal attributes appropriate to the characters in the play in class and professional performances (attending and discussing Southwest Shakespeare Company’s performance of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE; Helpful Tips for Seeing and Exploring Shakespeare).

Students justify the perception of a performance and critique its production elements (attending and discussing Southwest Shakespeare Company’s performance of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE; Helpful Tips for Seeing and Exploring Shakespeare).


Reference Books A Companion to Shakespeare edited by David Scott Kastan The Complete Works of Shakespeare edited by David Bevington Discovering Shakespeare’s Language by Rex Gibson & Janet Field-Pickering The Friendly Shakespeare by Norrie Epstein How to Speak Shakespeare by Cal Pritner and Louis Colaianni Shakespeare A to Z by Charles Boyce Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times by Colleen Aagesen and Margie Blumberg Shakespeare From Page to Stage by Michael Flachmann Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom Shakespeare: To Teach or not to Teach by Cass Foster and Lynn G. Johnson Shaking Hands With Shakespeare by Allison Wedell Schumacher Teaching Shakespeare into the Twenty-First Century edited by Ronald E. Salomone

Picture Books A Child’s Portrait of Shakespeare by Lois Burdett All the World’s A Stage by Rebecca Piatt Davidson The Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb Tales from Shakespeare (comic book) by Marcia Williams William Shakespeare and the Globe by Aliki

Websites www.swshakespeare.org - see what’s new at Southwest Shakespeare Company www.folger.edu - access to primary documents and lesson plans for teaching Shakespeare http://nfs.sparknotes.com - this is the “No Fear Shakespeare” website that presents the original text of Shakespeare’s plays side-by-side with a modern version http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/educational.htm - includes links to sites designed for teaching Shakespeare using the Internet; great for finding secondary resources to support the play being taught www.stratford.co.uk - the official Stratford resource center on Shakespeare www.teachersfirst.com/shakespr.shtml - on-line quizzes and surveys related to particular plays; also has related sites with information about Elizabethan England www.william-shakespeare.info/index.htm - a comprehensive site with links to the complete works, including background information, biographical information and pictures, information about Elizabethan theatre, a Shakespeare dictionary, quotes, and a discussion forum


These comments can be used to help you prepare your students to see Southwest Shakespeare Company’s performance of The Merchant of Venice and may also answer any questions about changes or modifications made to the stage performance as compared to the written play.

Name of Production THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Name of Director Jared Sakren

In what time period is this production set?

Late 1930s in Italy

Is this switched from the original text?

Yes. The issue of anti-Semitism in the play is central. To avoid the historical implications of the Nazi treatment of the Jews (and the Holocaust itself) is to avoid the elephant in the room. We can't do that, and so we are addressing these issues head-on.

Have any characters been cut?

Yes. Old Gobbo, an extraneous character whose dialogue is incomprehensible and irrelevant.

Have any characters been combined? Why?

No.

Is there any cross-gender casting?

No.

Have any characters or scenes been added?

No.

Have any scenes been cut?

Just part of one scene, in which Old Gobbo appears.

Are there fight scenes?

No.

Is there stage blood?

No.

Weapons? No.

Are there love scenes?

Not really. Romance, yes.

Sexual innuendo? Slight.

Other comments: The play is sometimes called a "Comedy" but that is an arbitrary category since it often simply refers to plays that end with a wedding or marriage. The play is, in tone and subject matter, a drama. The ending is not a happy one, and the issues resonate in ways that are still disturbing to us today.


Before seeing the play … Before you see the characters of The Merchant of Venice brought to life on stage by the vision of the director, spend some time imagining your own version. Go back to the text of the play and look for clues that suggest what the characters might look like and how they might behave. What movie stars might you cast in the various roles? Where would you set the play? What would the characters wear? It is up to you … you are only limited by your imagination! A director will often choose to “dramatize” a play by portraying a wordless scene that helps draw the audience into the action and mood. If you were directing The Merchant of Venice and wanted to dramatize a scene just prior to Act I, Scene 1 being spoken, what would your scene portray?

After seeing the play … Did your views about the play or the characters change after seeing the live production? If so, how? Try to be very specific about moments in the action that affected you. Which actor best portrayed his/her character? What made the performance so effective? How was the live production different from the written play? What decisions did the director make about staging? Were these effective decisions? Why or why not? What did you think of the production values (sets, costumes, lighting, sound)? Did they help you to better understand the plot of the play? If you would like to share your opinions or ask questions of the director, actors, or crew of play, send your letters to: Southwest Shakespeare Company Education Committee P.O. Box 30595 Mesa, AZ 85275-0595

“Neither the professor nor the actor has a monopoly on

Shakespeare. His genius is that he wrote texts to be studied

and scripts to be performed.”

--Leonora Eyre


One of Shakespeare’s most complex and fascinating plays, The Merchant of Venice may have been written as early as 1596, soon after the trial and execution in 1594 of Roderigo Lopez, a Portuguese Jewish physician who had been convicted of plotting to poison Queen Elizabeth. Additional contemporary anti-Semitic influences included Christopher Marlowe’s well-known drama, The Jew of Malta, with its bloodthirsty stereotypical villain, and an earlier play entitled The Jew, now lost, that may have blended many of the plot elements in Shakespeare’s script. The author’s primary source was undoubtedly a prose romance found in Giovanni Fiorention’s Il Pecorone (“The Dunce”), which includes the relationship between a younger man and his older, wealthy male friend; a beautiful young woman who must be won by a love strategy; the indebtedness to a Jewish money-lender; the climactic courtroom appearance of a woman dressed as a lawyer; and a concluding episode featuring the gift of a wedding ring. The precise genre of the script is difficult to determine,

since Shakespeare has skillfully wrapped Shylock’s tragic fate within a comic envelope of romance, prosperity, and happiness. The unhappy Jew’s ill-fated “pound of flesh,” his daughter’s elopement with a Christian suitor, and his forced religious conversion at the conclusion of the play contrast sharply with the love intrigues, camaraderie, and lust for wealth of his hypocritical tormentors. As a result, the play confounds viewers and readers alike through the absence of any truly sympathetic characters with whom we can identify. While most of us sincerely empathize with the struggles of the romantic young couples, we are simultaneously revolted by the ethnic abuse heaped upon Shylock by these so-called “Christian” characters. The result is a deeply ambivalent play that has challenged and frustrated audiences for over four hundred years with its somewhat awkward mixture of dramatic genres.

Out of this fusion of opposites come most of the play’s major themes, such as the geographical division between the two primary locales of the play: Venice is mercantile, discordant, ruled by me, and filled with hate, while Belmont is magical, musical, ruled by women, and characterized by love. The script’s comic pattern, therefore, moves from society (Venice), to wilderness (Belmont), and back to society (Venice) again, just as it shifts from the union of the two friends Bassanio and Antonio, to their separation, and then to their eventual reunion prior to the conclusion of the play. Additional important themes include the relationship between prosperity and happiness, the ironic difference between Christian “mercy” and pagan “retribution,” the extent to which Shylock is a sympathetic character, the great number of economic images, the characters’ religious bigotry, and the ever-present Shakespearean theme of appearance vs. reality. Viewed from a feminist perspective, Portia and Nerissa most prove themselves as men before being truly accepted as women; they may, therefore, be seen as


archetypes of “modern” women through their achievement of power and social status in the play. Further, we might ask who the “merchant” of Shakespeare’s title is. Antonio certainly lays most claim to the distinction, although most of the other characters in the play are somehow involved in the buying and selling of merchandise. Recent scholarship has added a number of important topics to the debate over the play, including the role of women, cross-dressing, promise vs. obligation, politics, ethical standards, multiculturalism, and the intriguing number of performances in Israel.

Not surprisingly, the play’s stage history has had a long and intriguing tradition. Early

productions seem to have exploited Shylock as a stock villain, focusing upon his stereotypical hooked nose, red beard, and comic defeat by his Christian persecutors—a theatrical approach tolerated because few Jews lived in England during the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Officially banned from the country in 1290 by King Edward I, they returned later in small numbers and under severe economic and social restrictions. Despised as “non-believers,” Jews were forbidden to engage in most common occupations except for usury (the lending of money at high interest rates), which suffered under religious prohibition, but was nevertheless necessary for the expanding mercantile economy as represented by Antonio and his fellow merchants.

Seldom performed during the Renaissance, the play was adapted and revived by George

Granville in 1701 in a production entitled The Jew of Venice, which included a lengthy masque, a drastically abbreviated script, and the loss of nearly all its comic characters. Charles Macklin returned Shakespeare’s original play to popularity in 1741 by restoring its comedy and acting the role of Shylock himself. Edmund Kean’s production in 1814 made Shylock more of a tragic character and set the stage for a variety of later sympathetic portrayals. More recent post-Holocaust interpretations have helped define the script’s rich and varied stage history.

Whatever your own response to The Merchant of Venice is, be assured that you will

respond! Through this intriguing script, Shakespeare forces us to confront the latent racism in our own hearts and minds. Just as a little bit of Portia, Bassanio, and Antonio lurk within us, so too does the character of Shylock reside deep in our psyches. Our response to the play, therefore, is in large part a reaction to the hopes, fears, dreams, and prejudices that define us as unique and flawed human beings. Shakespeare’s play sets up a mirror to our very souls and invites us to seek within ourselves the “touches of sweet harmony” that can help lead us better and more fulfilling lives.

--Michael Flachmann

Shakespeare From Page to Stage An Anthology of the Most Popular Plays and Sonnets


“Although Shakespeare was influenced by the anti-Semitism of his day in writing The Merchant of Venice, the play was not itself motivated by anti-Semitism, nor was it intended to spread anti-Semitic doctrines. Instead, The Merchant of Venice illustrates a theme that occupied Shakespeare in most of his comedies—the triumph of love over false and inhumane attitudes towards life.”

--Charles Boyce “However much we may come to sympathize with Shylock’s own misfortunes and question the motives of his enemies, however much we are made uncomfortable by the potential insularity of a Venetian ethic that has no genuine place for non-Christians or cultural outsiders, Shylock remains essentially as the villain of a love-comedy.”

--David Bevington “Shakespeare’s comedy is Portia’s play, and not

Shylock’s, though some audiences now find it difficult to reach that conclusion … Shylock’s prose is Shakespeare’s best before Falstaff’s; Shylock’s verse hews to the vernacular more than any in Shakespeare before Hamlet’s. The bitter eloquence of Shylock so impresses us that it is always a surprise to be told how small a part of the play is spoken by him: only 360 lines and sentences.”

--Harold Bloom

Shakespeare and The Merchant of Venice by the Numbers

BORN: April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England

DIED: April 23, 1616 (on his 52nd birthday)

PLAYS: 37 (give or take) – 10 tragedies, 10 histories, 13 comedies, and 4 romances; however, it is possible that he may have written a few more!

260: Hours it takes to read the 936,443 words in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, if you read at the rate of 60 words per minute

26,885: Number of spoken words in the uncut version of The Merchant of Venice*

300,000: Approximately how much 3,000 gold ducats would be worth today

1 PENNY: Price of the cheapest theatre ticket in Shakespeare’s day

90%: Percentage of U.S. high schools that require the study of Shakespeare

*according to the Complete Public Domain Text


ACT I

Antonio, a merchant of Venice, tells his friends Salerio and Solanio that he is feeling very sad as of late. His friends think that is must be his large financial investments at sea that are causing him to worry. When Antonio says that he isn’t worried about money because he hasn’t invested in just one ship, Salerio and Solanio conclude that he must be in love. Antonio dismisses this idea as well. When Bassanio enters, he tells Antonio about Portia, a rich and beautiful woman he has fallen in love with, and although he has borrowed money from Antonio that he has yet to pay back, he asks to borrow money again so that he may court Portia; after he wins her hand in marriage, Bassanio will have enough money to pay Antonio back completely. Even though Antonio’s money is tied up in the ships, he gives Bassanio permission to see what kind of loan he can secure with Antonio’s credit. In Belmont, Portia complains to her waiting-maid, Nerissa, that she cannot choose her own husband; her dead father has stipulated in his will that Portia’s suitors must pass a test in which they must choose among three caskets—one gold, one silver, and one lead—to find the one that contains her portrait. The man who chooses correctly will become Portia’s husband and inherit her fortune, but if the suitor fails, they may never marry anyone else. The women discuss the faults of the various suitors who have come and gone, and recall that Bassanio might be a man who is worthy to be Portia’s husband. Shylock agrees to lend Bassanio 3,000 ducats for three months based on Antonio’s credit, but Shylock is skeptical because all of Antonio’s money is tied up at sea. He confesses in an aside that he hates Antonio because he lends money without charging interest, which makes Shylock’s profession as a moneylender difficult. Shylock has also been humiliated by Antonio’s public verbal and physical assaults against him for usury, which is considered a sin by Christians. When Shylock points out Antonio’s hypocrisy, Antonio replies that he makes the exception for Bassanio, not for himself. So Shylock offers to lend Antonio the money, interest-free, for three months, requiring only a humorous collateral; if Antonio cannot repay the loan when it comes due, he will permit Shylock to cut from his body one pound of flesh. Although Bassanio is concerned about this arrangement, Antonio signs a legal contract for the loan, confident that his business ventures will soon bring him nine times the amount needed to repay the loan.


ACT II The Prince of Morocco has come to take the casket challenge to win Portia’s hand in marriage, but she tells him that if he fails, he may never marry. He agrees to be bound by her father’s rules. Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock’s clownish servant, thinks about running away from Shylock to serve another master. He encounters his father, Old Gobbo, who is almost blind and doesn’t recognize his son. Launcelot plays a trick on his father, misdirecting him and pretending that Launcelot is dead, but soon reveals himself and asks for his father’s blessing. During their reunion, Launcelot begs Bassanio to have him as a servant; amused by Launcelot’s behavior, Bassanio agrees that Launcelot can be his servant. Bassanio then sees Gratiano, who asks if he can go to Belmont with Bassanio. Bassano allows him to come along, but warns Gratiano that he needs to be on his best behavior. Gratiano agrees, but hopes that his behavior not be judged on the partying they plan to do that night. At Shylock’s house, his daughter Jessica tells Launcelot that she is also planning on leaving her father’s house by running away with Lorenzo, one of Bassanio’s friends. Later when she is alone, Jessica reflects on how she regrets that she is Shylock’s daughter but cheers up at the idea of marrying Lorenzo. As Lorenzo, Gratiano, Salerio, and Solanio, are preparing for a masque celebration, Launcelot arrives with the letter from Jessica that details her plan for escape, which includes taking her father’s gold and jewels. Lorenzo gives him a message for Jessica, that he, Loreno, will not fail her. After Salerio and Solanio, leave, Lorenzo tells Gratiano that he and Jessica are planning to elope that night. Shylock reacts angrily to Launcelot’s leaving him but accepts the invitation to eat with Bassanio, although he is concerned about doing so. Launcelot drops hints that there will be a masque that night, and Shylock orders Jessica to lock up the house so as to avoid getting robbed by the party-goers. Launcelot tells Jessica that Lorenzo will go though with their plans. Gratiano and Salerio meet Lorenzo outside Shylock’s house to help Jessica escape with a casket of Shylock’s gold and jewels. As Gratiano is about to leave for the party, Antonio catches him and tells him that Bassanio’s ship is about to leave for Belmont, so Gratiano better skip the festivities. Back in Belmont, the Prince of Morocco enters the lottery to win Portia’s hand in marriage. He reads the inscriptions on each of the caskets and selects the gold one, whose inscription reads, “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.” Since the gold casket is made of such valuable material, he reasons, it is the only one fit to contain Portia’s image. When he opens the casket, he finds a skull with a scroll in the eye socket, informing him that he has lost. When he leaves, Portia declares that she hopes that all “men of his completion” choose the same way. In one of the most racially charged scenes in the play, Solanio tells Salerio about Shylock’s reaction to Jessica’s theft and elopement. Solanio hopes Antonio is able to pay his debt, but Salerio has heard a rumor that Antonio’s ships have capsized. Concerned that Shylock’s anger will affect Antonio if he fails to repay his debt, and the two decide to tell Antonio what they’ve heard.


Once again in Belmont, the Prince of Arragon undergoes the casket test to win Portia’s hand. He rejects the gold’s offer of “what many desire” as the choice of the foolish multitudes who only value outward appearance. Feeling that he is quite worthy, he elects the silver casket’s promise of as much as he deserves. However, a rhyme inside the casket announces his failure, and he leaves. A messenger then tells Portia and Nerrisa that Bassanio has arrived to attempt the test and win Portia’s hand in marriage.

ACT III Solanio and Salerio have heard reports that confirm that Antonio’s ships have indeed wrecked, and they are concerned about his contract with Shylock. Shylock, still upset about Jessica’s elopement, hears from Salerio about Antonio’s bad fortune, and his grief turns to anger. Salerio asks Shylock if he will really take his pound of flesh from Antonio, and Shylock responds that he will take it in revenge for Antonio’s anti-Semitism. Shylock observes that Jews are like Christians in bodily respects, and that he will prove their desire for revenge is also the same. Shylock’s friend, Tubal, arrives and reports that he hasn’t been able to find Jessica, but he has heard about her extravagance with her father’s money. Enraged, Shylock gets an officer to arrest Antonio in order to collect his “payment.” Portia asks Bassanio to postpone choosing from the caskets because if he fails, he must leave immediately, and she has fallen in love with him. She wishes she could teach him how to choose, and tries to give him clues in her song, but she will not defy the letter of the law of her father’s will. Bassanio cannot stand the suspense, and so he proceeds to make his selection. He rejects the gold and silver caskets as representing false glamour and outward appearance, and he opens the lead casket. Inside he finds Portia’s portrait and a scroll confirming that he has won her hand. Portia gives him a ring, which he promises to wear until he dies. Gratiano and Nerissa reveal that they have also fallen in love, completing the third romantic couple of the play. Salerio arrives from Venice with Lorenzo and Jessica. He tells Bassanio that Antonio has lost all of his investments at sea and has been arrested, and that Shylock is demanding his pound of flesh. Portia offers to repay debt twenty times over, and Bassanio makes plans to return to Venice to try to rescue his friend. Meantime, Antonio, in the custody of the Jailer, pleads with Shylock for mercy, but Shylock will not speak to him; he angrily repeats his demand for the pound of flesh and then leaves. Solanio and Antonio discuss whether the Duke will dismiss the case, but Antonio believes the law will hold. Antonio only hopes that he will get to see Bassanio again before he dies. Portia announces her intention to enter a religious retreat while Bassanio tries to help Antonio in Venice, but she really has another plan in mind. She tells her servant Balthasar to deliver a message to her cousin in Padua. Balthasar is then to meet her with the documents and the clothing the cousin will give him. Portia tells Nerissa of her plan: they will go to Venice disguised as men. Launcelot, in his capacity as a professional fool, impudently jests with Jessica and Lorenzo, telling her that she is damned for her father’s sins. Jessica asserts that she will not be damned because her husband has saved her.


ACT IV

The Duke of Venice convenes a court to try Shylock’s claim. Shylock is asked to be merciful, but he refuses, even for repayment of twice the original loan. The Duke tries to reason with Shylock, asking him to have mercy in order to gain mercy, but Shylock argues that since he has purchased his pound of flesh, it is his to do with as he likes. Portia and Nerissa show up, disguised as a young lawyer and a clerk, just as the Duke is ready to allow Shylock to claim his bond. Portia acknowledges the bond, but appeals to Shylock with her “quality of mercy is not strained” speech. When he refuses, Portia says the law must be upheld, but asks him to reconsider mercy; again, Shylock refuses, and Portia says the bond must be honored; Shylock can collect Antonio’s pound of flesh. Antonio bids a passion-filled farewell to Bassanio, who declares he would give up his wife to keep Antonio alive.

As the sentence comes down, Portia reveals the loopholes in the law; not a drop of blood may be spilled with the taking of the pound of flesh because blood is not mentioned in the contract; and exactly a pound of flesh must be taken, no more or less. Otherwise, all of Shylock’s possessions will be confiscated by the state of Venice. When Shylock then tries to take the payment of money rather than the payment of flesh, Portia shows no mercy. Since Shylock has essentially plotted murder, his property will be split between Antonio and the state, and as a non-Venetian who has attempted to take the life of a citizen, he is subject to the death penalty—unless the Duke pardons him. The Duke allows him to live, and Antonio suggests that Shylock be allowed to keep half of his property and give the other half to Lorenzo and Jessica—but only if Shylock converts to Christianity. Shylock agrees, saying, “I am not well.”

Antonio and Bassanio offer to pay the disguised Portia and Nerissa for their help. They

refuse payment, but Portia asks for Bassanio’s wedding ring (the one which he had promised Portia to never remove). Bassanio refuses at first, but feeling ungrateful for the lawyer’s help, sends Gratiano to deliver the ring.

Portia and Nerissa deliver the deed for Shylock to sign, and Gratiano catches up with them

to deliver Bassanio’s ring to them. Nerissa decides to get Gratiano to give up his ring, and both women plot to make the men sorry that they ever gave up their rings.

ACT V

Lorenzo and Jesscia enjoy the moonlight and music at Belmont and compare themselves

to famous lovers of myth and literature. Word arrives that Portia and Nerissa are returning from the monastery; when the women arrive, they warn everyone to not mention their absence. When Bassanio, and Gratiano arrive with Antonio, he is introduced to the wives, and then a quarrel quickly ensues about the missing rings. The women say that they will withhold their husbands’ marital privileges until they have their rings back, and then they tell their husbands that they “did lie” with the lawyer and his clerk to retrieve the rings.

Before the men are too shocked by their wives “unfaithfulness,” Portia shows them a

letter from her lawyer cousin explaining their roles in saving Antonio’s life. In true romantic form, Antonio’s ships miraculously return, Lorenzo and Jessica learn they will inherit Shylock’s fortune, and everyone goes in to celebrate their happiness.


Directions: Before seeing or reading the play The Merchant of Venice, rate the following statements. Compare your answers with a partner and discuss your reasons for how you rated each statement. After you have seen or finished reading the play, revisit the statements and see if your ratings have changed. Discuss with your partner why you did or did not change your ratings for each statement.

1 2 3 4 Disagree Strongly Disagree Agree Agree Strongly

Rating (BEFORE

seeing/reading Merchant)

Statement Rating (AFTER

seeing/reading Merchant)

Money affects my level of happiness.

Appearances can be deceiving.

Spouses should have the same morals and values.

A true friend would do anything for his/her friend.

People should forgive those who have wronged them.

A rule or law should be followed; no exceptions should be made.

People should keep their promises, no matter what.

Friendship is more important than a love relationship.

Reading Shakespeare isn’t fun because it is too difficult to understand.

I can relate to the characters and events in Shakespeare’s plays.

After seeing/reading the play: 1. Did most of your ratings change or stay the same? Why? 2. What did you learn by completing the anticipation and reaction guide?


BEFORE/DURING READING: Circle one of the concepts in the middle box and complete the graphic organizer. Add information to your concept map if your opinions develop or change while you read The Merchant of Venice.

DEFINE IT

GIVE EXAMPLES TO ILLUSTRATE IT

CONSEQUENCES (GOOD/BAD) ASSOCIATED WITH IT

OTHER CONNECTIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO IT

AFTER READING: What role did this concept play in The Merchant of Venice? Which character exemplified this concept? Cite specific examples from the play to support your opinion.

JUSTICE

RISK

FAITH

MERCY

SACRIFICE


While reading the play The Merchant of Venice, keep a journal of your impressions and thoughts of the various characters. What you write down will help you contribute to class discussions. Try to form your own questions from your observations. When you finish an assigned reading, select the character you will use for your journal entry. It does not need to be the same character for each entry. Write the character’s name at the top of the page. If the character has said a particular line(s) about an issue you want to comment on, write the line(s) under the character’s name. Do not simply summarize the actions of the character you have selected. Try to make judgments about the character based on his/her words and/or actions.

Here are some suggestions to help you start your reading journal entries:

• The motivations of ___________ are clear/unclear in this scene.

• I am impressed by the actions of ___________.

• The character __________ was important in this scene because …

• The relationship between ___________ and ___________ is interesting because …

• The above quote interests me because …

• I agree/disagree with the opinions/actions of ___________ because …

• The word ___________ best describes ___________ because …

• To me, the character I most identify with is ___________ because …

• ___________ reminds me of someone I know.

• I was confused by ___________ because …

• The emotion of ___________ seemed to be an important part of ___________’s life.

• The conflict between ___________ and ___________ makes the play interesting to me.

Remember, these are only suggestions. You choose WHO and WHAT you want to write about after each assigned reading!


To understand something about the way a play works, it helps to examine its overall structure. Have the class work in five groups (one group per act of the play) and look closely at the structure of your assigned act. Use the following questions to help guide your group through this process:

• What is the major event that occurs in this act? • What information is provided in this act? • What new information do we learn about each of the characters in this act? How do we

learn this? From whom?

• What do the character’s soliloquies/monologues/speeches tell us about him/her? • What does the manner in which they speak and to whom tell us? • What seems to be the focus and major function of the act?

To share your findings with the class, use chart paper to write, draw pictures, cut out pictures from magazines, etc. to create a visual representation of what each act contributes to the structure of the play and to the audience’s interpretation. Place the visual representations up in the classroom in the order of their occurrence in the play. This is a great way to review the plot before going to see a performance or a helpful reminder when discussing the play after you have seen it!


Like many of Shakespeare’s philosophical and festive comedies, The Merchant of Venice presents two contrasting worlds, one idealized (Belmont) and one more worldly (Venice). Belmont is a place of magic and love; it is pure, serene, and ethereal. In contrast, Venice is a place of business and economic competition; it is busy, harsh, and litigious. Using the graphic organizer below, find examples from the play that contrast the settings of Belmont and Venice. Consider ideas such as what time of day we usually see the two settings (in the cool of the evening or in the heat of the day), who mostly presides over the two settings (men or women), symbols associated with each setting (caskets, houses, rings, ducats, etc.), where each place is situated (high on a mountain, or where the rivers meet the sea), and anything else that shows a contrast between the idealized setting and the worldly settings of the play.

Belmont Venice

Extension: When considering the compassionate friendships in Venice and Portia’s dead father’s marriage requirement in Belmont, how do they make the apparent opposition of the two settings not quite so clear-cut?


One of those phrases that people quote all of the time (but don’t know that they are quoting Shakespeare), “bated breath” from The Merchant of Venice means “in a hushed voice,” (as stated by Shylock) but when we use the phrase, we usually mean, “with one’s breath held.” The subject of breath is mentioned a few times in The Merchant of Venice: “courteous breath” (Act II, Scene 9), “lips parted with sugar breath” (Act III, Scene 2), and the famous “bated breath” (Act I, Scene 3). What is the deal with Shakespeare writing about “breath”?

Well, although the Elizabethans cleaned their teeth by rubbing them with a linen cloth and a liquid or powder, unpleasant breath was still a problem. And Shakespeare’s lines about breath show that he could write not only about noble and beautiful experiences but also about everyday, down-to-earth occurrences. Here are some lines about breath from some of Shakespeare’s plays that you may find amusing:

“His breath stinks with eating toasted cheese.” (from Henry VI, Part II) “[You have] a blasting and a scandalous breath.” (from Measure for Measure) “The rabblement howted, and clapp’d their chappend hands … and uttered such a deal of stinking breath … that it had, almost, choked Caesar.” (from Julius Caesar) “Eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath.” (from A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Below is a recipe for Apple Moye, a sweet dish that Elizabethans ate to have “lips parted with

sugar breath” … no onions and garlic for the young lovers in The Merchant of Venice!

Apple Moye

Ingredients: • 8-10 apples • ¼ cup water • 2 egg yolks • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 teaspoon ground ginger • ½ cup sugar

Utensils: • Knife • Saucepan • Fork • Measuring cup • Measuring spoons

Directions: Peel and core the apples, quarter them, and place them in a saucepan in the water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender. Mash the apples with a fork and blend in the egg yolks, butter, spices, and sugar. Cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Serve hot or chilled. Serves 4-6 people. Optional: You might want to serve this sweet apple dish with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet. Garnish with cookies.

Adapted from SHAKESPEARE FOR KIDS: HIS LIFE AND TIMES by Colleen Aagesen and Margie Blumberg


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