The Merchant of VeniceIn this lively comedy of love and money in sixteenth-century Venice, Bassanio wants to impress the wealthy heiress Portia but lacks the necessary funds. He turns to his merchant friend, Antonio, who is forced to borrow from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. When Antonio's business falters, repayment becomes impossible—and by the terms of the loan agreement, Shylock is able to demand a pound of Antonio’s flesh. Portia cleverly intervenes, and all ends well (except of course for Shylock). |
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Page ix
... never seen or heard on stage . But the chief judge , the Duke of Venice , reads aloud a letter from Belario : Duke Meantime the court shall hear Belario's letter : ( reading aloud ) " Your Grace shall understand , that at the receipt of ...
... never seen or heard on stage . But the chief judge , the Duke of Venice , reads aloud a letter from Belario : Duke Meantime the court shall hear Belario's letter : ( reading aloud ) " Your Grace shall understand , that at the receipt of ...
Page x
... never knew so young a body with so old a head . I leave him to your gra- I it is not clear whether it is the Duke or a court official who reads the letter aloud 2 was 3 lawyer 4 case , action * 5 turned over = read through , searched ...
... never knew so young a body with so old a head . I leave him to your gra- I it is not clear whether it is the Duke or a court official who reads the letter aloud 2 was 3 lawyer 4 case , action * 5 turned over = read through , searched ...
Page xv
... never are for Shakespeare , any surviving manuscripts ) are frequently careless as well as self - contradictory , I have been relatively free with the wording of stage directions - and in some cases have added brief directions , to ...
... never are for Shakespeare , any surviving manuscripts ) are frequently careless as well as self - contradictory , I have been relatively free with the wording of stage directions - and in some cases have added brief directions , to ...
Page xx
... never more than a couple of hundred at any given time , " have we any useful information about either Shakespeare or his play ?? On the other hand , knowing that " a villainous Jew- ish usurer was being portrayed on the London stage ...
... never more than a couple of hundred at any given time , " have we any useful information about either Shakespeare or his play ?? On the other hand , knowing that " a villainous Jew- ish usurer was being portrayed on the London stage ...
Page xxv
... any large , close ex- amination . For example , when he tells us , after the fact , why he thinks Shylock hates him , he claims circumstances never previ- ously mentioned and not fully consistent with what has been XXV INTRODUCTION.
... any large , close ex- amination . For example , when he tells us , after the fact , why he thinks Shylock hates him , he claims circumstances never previ- ously mentioned and not fully consistent with what has been XXV INTRODUCTION.
Contents
SOME ESSENTIALS OF THE SHAKESPEAREAN STAGE | xxxiii |
The Merchant of Venice | 1 |
AN ESSAY BY HAROLD BLOOM | 151 |
FURTHER READING | 159 |
FINDING LIST | 165 |
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Common terms and phrases
annotated argosies Arragon Barabas bear-baiting Belario Belmont blood bond Burton Raffel casket choose chooseth Christian clerk comes court daughter deed deserves divel doctor doth Duke Elizabethan English ENTER PORTIA EXEUNT eyes fair fair lady faith Falstaff father flesh fool forfeit fortune gentle give gold Gospel of John Gratiano Harold Bloom hast hath hear heart heaven honor house ENTER husband Jessica Jew's Jewish judge justice lady Lancelot learnèd leave letter live look Lord Bassanio Lorenzo madam married Master Lancelot means Merchant of Venice mercy messenger Morocco Nerissa never night noun oath Old Gobbo play Portia pray thee Prince Quarto ring Salarino Salerio SCENE servant Shakespeare Shylock Signior Antonio Solanio soul speak stand street ENTER swear sweet tell thou three thousand ducats true Tubal uneducated man's error unto wife wish words Yahwist young ΙΟ
Popular passages
Page xxiii - Signior Antonio, many a time and oft, In the Rialto you have rated me About my monies, and my usances : Still have I borne it with a patient shrug ; For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe : You call me — misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine, And all for use of that which is mine own.
Page xxiii - Jewish gaberdine, And all for use of that which is mine own. Well then, it now appears you need my help: Go to, then; you come to me, and you say "Shylock, we would have moneys...
Page xxx - How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. Sit, Jessica. Look, how the floor of heaven Is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold; There's not the smallest orb which thou behold'st But in his motion like an angel sings, Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins: Such harmony is in immortal souls; But, whilst this muddy vesture of decay Doth grossly close it in, we...
Page xxiii - Shylock, we would have monies', You say so; You, that did void your rheum upon my beard, And foot me, as you spurn a stranger cur Over your threshold; monies is your suit. What should I say to you? Should I not say, Hath a dog money? is it possible, A cur can lend three thousand ducats'?