Name: The Merchant of Venice
Price: 38.15 NZD
Availability: InStock
Author: William Shakespeare
ISBN: 9781986687508

Type

Physical Book

Author

William Shakespeare

Publisher

Createspace

Language

English

Pages

Format

Paperback

Dimensions

22.9 x 15.2 x 0.5 cm

Weight

0.14 kg.

ISBN13

9781986687508

Synopsis "The Merchant of Venice"

In The Merchant of Venice, the path to marriage is hazardous. To win Portia, Bassanio must pass a test prescribed by her father's will, choosing correctly among three caskets or chests. If he fails, he may never marry at all. Bassanio and Portia also face a magnificent villain, the moneylender Shylock. In creating Shylock, Shakespeare seems to have shared in a widespread prejudice against Jews. Shylock would have been regarded as a villain because he was a Jew. Yet he gives such powerful expression to his alienation due to the hatred around him that, in many productions, he emerges as the hero. Portia is most remembered for her disguise as a lawyer, Balthazar, especially the speech in which she urges Shylock to show mercy that "droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven." The authoritative edition of The Merchant of Venice from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes: -Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play -Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play -Scene-by-scene plot summaries -A key to the play's famous lines and phrases -An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language -An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play -Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books -An up-to-date annotated guide to further reading Essay by Alexander Leggatt The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.

William Shakespeare

(Author)

View Author's Page

William Shakespeare (Stratford-upon-Avon, c. April 23, 1564jul. - Ibid., April 23/May 3, 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. Often known as the Bard of Avon (or simply the Bard), he is considered the most important writer in the English language and one of the most famous in world literature.

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "Shakespeare is generally acknowledged as the greatest of all time writers, a unique figure in the history of literature. The fame of other poets, such as Homer and Dante Alighieri, or novelists such as Leo Tolstoy or Charles Dickens, has transcended national barriers, but none has achieved the reputation of Shakespeare, whose works today are read and performed more frequently and in more countries than ever. The prophecy of one of his great contemporaries, Ben Jonson, has thus been fulfilled: 'Shakespeare does not belong to one age but to eternity'".

Among his most notable works are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His ability to portray the complexities of human nature, along with his mastery in the use of verse and language, has made him a timeless figure.

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