The Merchant of Venice

by William Shakespeare

Overview

The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in 16th century Venice must default on a large loan provided by an abused Jewish moneylender. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for Shylock and the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596252035
Publisher:	Neeland Media LLC
Publication date:	01/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

M. M. Mahood was Professor of English Literature at the University of Kent.

Tom Lockwood is Reader in English Literature at the University of Birmingham.

Table of Contents

Introduction; Note on the text; List of characters; The play; Supplementary note; Textual analysis; Appendix: Shakespeare's use of the Bible in The Merchant of Venice; Revised reading list.

Editorial Reviews

"The introduction and commentary reveal an author with a lively awareness of the importance of perceiving the play as a theatrical document, one which comes to life, which is completed only in performance." The Review of English Studies

From the Publisher