The Arden Shakespeare, in association with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, presents a new series of volumes on Shakespeare's plays in performance.The series discusses and analyses the wide range of theatrical interpretation stimulated and provoked by the most frequently performed plays. Each volume explores how different directors, designers and actors have interpreted and adapted an individual play in terms of narrative focus, themes and characters, scenery and costume. The focus is on productions at Stratford-upon-Avon since 1945, on the basis that the record of Shakespeare performances at Stratford's theatres offers a wider, fuller and more various range of interpretation than is offered by any other theatre company. The volumes also set this record in a wider geographical and chronological context by means of a historical overview of earlier productions and of productions beyond Stratford.Published in conjunction with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, each volume features a wealth of photographs (many of them not previously seen in print) drawn from the archive of RSC performance materials held in the Trust's library at the Shakespeare Centre in Stratford.Shakespeare at Stratford will surprise, inform and delight both students and scholars of Shakespeare and performance history and the general reader with an interest in theatre.
This book is part of a book series called Shakespeare At Stratford .
There are 200 pages in this book.
It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.
This book was published in 2001 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC .
Miriam Gilbert is professor of English at the University of Iowa. She is coauthor of Modern and Contemporary Drama (Bedford/St. Martin's, 1994), and author of Shakespeare in Performance: Love's Labour's Lost (1993). She has written and taught widely on using performance strategies in the classroom. Rene Weis is Professor of English at University College London and a distinguished editor and biographer of Shakespeare.
This book contains the following story:
The Merchant of Venice
"The Merchant of Venice" is a play written by William Shakespeare that revolves around themes of love, justice, prejudice, and the complexities of human relationships.
Act 1: The play opens in Venice, where Antonio, a wealthy merchant, is sad and anxious without any apparent reason. His friend Bassanio seeks financial assistance from Antonio to woo Portia, a wealthy heiress from Belmont. However, Antonio's assets are tied up in his ships at sea. To help Bassanio, Antonio borrows money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, who despises Antonio for his anti-Semitic behavior.
Act 2: Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia is bound by her father's will, which states that she must marry the suitor who correctly chooses between three caskets (gold, silver, and lead) to win her hand. Many suitors attempt, but only Bassanio chooses the lead casket, revealing Portia's portrait and winning her heart. Back in Venice, news arrives that Antonio's ships have been lost at sea, and he is unable to repay the loan to Shylock. Shylock, seeking revenge for past mistreatment, insists on taking a pound of Antonio's flesh as collateral, as stated in their contract.
Act 3: At Belmont, Portia learns about Antonio's predicament and, disguised as a lawyer, travels to Venice to assist in the trial. She arrives in court just as Shylock is about to take his pound of flesh from Antonio. Portia cleverly points out that the contract allows Shylock to take the flesh but not a drop of blood. Outwitted and defeated, Shylock is forced to convert to Christianity and forfeit his wealth.
Act 4: In Belmont, a series of comic and romantic subplots unfold. Portia's lady-in-waiting, Nerissa, disguises herself as a lawyer's clerk and marries Gratiano, a friend of Bassanio. However, their happiness is short-lived when they discover that their husbands have given away their rings as tokens of gratitude to the lawyer and the clerk, who are actually Portia and Nerissa in disguise.
Act 5: Back in Belmont, the truth about the rings comes to light, and Portia and Nerissa confront their husbands. They cleverly trick them into revealing their actions. Despite the deceit, all is forgiven, and they celebrate their reunion.
The play ends on a note of reconciliation and forgiveness, but also with a sense of unease regarding the treatment of Shylock, as the Christians triumph over him without any remorse for the cruelty they inflicted upon him.
"The Merchant of Venice" remains a thought-provoking play that explores the complexities of justice, the consequences of prejudice, and the true nature of mercy and forgiveness. It remains one of Shakespeare's most controversial works, sparking discussions about its portrayal of anti-Semitism and the complexities of its characters and themes.
This book features the following characters:
John Shakespeare
This book features the character John Shakespeare.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He wrote plays, sonnets and verse and is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English Language. Son of a glove maker, he grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway and had three children, though one died very young. Shakespeare left Stratford to pursue theatre in London, where he acted at the Globe Theatre, wrote and was part owner of a playing company called 'The Lord Chamberlein's Men' (later 'The King's Men').
Shakespeare
This book features the character Shakespeare.
Mary Arden
This book features the character Mary Arden.
Anne Hathaway
This book features the character Anne Hathaway.
