Contexts
Shakespeare’s life and works
Timeline of Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre
Shakespeare in his time
Biographical and theatrical background and current events
Sources of the play
Jewish history and The Merchant of Venice
The myth of Venice
The printed text
Language and linguistic change
The verse of The Merchant of Venice
The prose of The Merchant of Venice
Images and imagery
The play on stage
The play and the critics
Genre and dramatic unity
Elizabethan staging
Activities
Before you begin: brainstorming ideas
Merchant venturers: Act I scene 1
A lady richly left: Act I scene 2
This merry bond: Act I scene 3
The Prince of Morocco: Act II scene 1
Enter the Clown: Act II scene 2
An unexpected sub-plot: Act II scenes 3, 4, 5 and 6
There stand the caskets: Act II scenes 7, 8 and 9
A wilderness of monkeys: Act III scene 1
Bassanio chooses: Act III scene 2
The course of law: Act III scene 3
Turning to men: Act III scene 4
The story grinds to a halt: Act III scene 5
Venetian justice: Act IV scenes 1 and 2
Venetian justice (continued): Act IV scenes 1 and 2
In such a night: Act V scene 1
Group work: imagery
Whose story? The title of the play
Shylock: villain or victim?
Humour and comedy
Group drama work: alternatives
Group drama work: framing the moment
Group drama work: speaking the subtext
Class drama work: hot-seating
Class drama work: Shakespeare on trial
Responding to a production
Group work: designing and marketing the play
Assessment focus
Suggested coursework essays
Approaching a coursework essay
Exam essay titles: pair/group work
Approaching an exam essay
Sample exam question: critical viewpoints on Lorenzo and Jessica
Sample exam question: the theme of religion
Sample essay: close analysis of a scene
Sample essay: close analysis of a verse speech
Sample essay: close analysis of a prose speech
Sample essay: comparison of two speeches
Critical ideologies in action: the role of the women in the play
Resources
Further reading
Selected glossary of literary terms
Selected literary criticism
Selected theatre reviews
Extracts from Shakespeare’s sources
Extracts from The Jew of Malta
Four sonnets on friendship
Jacob and Laban’s sheep: Genesis Chapter 30