Antonio, the merchant in The Merchant of Venice, secures a loan from Shylock for his friend Bassanio, who seeks to court Portia. Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, recalls past insults from Antonio and, instead of asking interest on the loan, asks instead--in what he calls a "merry sport"--That if the loan is not repaid, Antonio will owe a pound of his own flesh. Bassanio sails to Belmont, where the wealthy heiress Portia is being courted by suitors from...

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version. Includes a section with discussion questions and quizzes for students. Shakespeare's tragedy of the Moor whose love for Desdemona is destroyed by jealousy unfolds in easy-to-follow English as we speak it today. Othello's passion and Iago's treachery become clear in this straightforward modern version. The complete original text is laid out side-by-side with a complete...

An edition of Shakespeare's comedy, including discussion of its plot, characters, themes, language, production, and author. Great pains have been taken to follow Shakespeare's intentions with regard to the act and scene division and the exact form of speech. The editing has been done from the quarto or folio texts, depending on which is considered more authoritative, and the ideal has been to reproduce the chosen texts with as few alterations as possible....

Presents Shakespeare teaching aids and lesson ideas, discussing various theoretical approaches and covering such aspects as character, story, themes, dramatic effect, and language. Also discusses assessment.