About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherBloomsbury Publishing

ISBN-100313310114

ISBN-139780313310119

eBay Product ID (ePID)1649024

Product Key Features

Educational LevelHigh School, Elementary School

Number of Pages200 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameUnderstanding the Merchant of Venice : A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents

SubjectSubjects & Themes / Religion, Shakespeare, General, Comedy, European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

Publication Year2000

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaLiterary Criticism, Drama, Performing Arts

AuthorJay Leon Halio

SeriesThe Greenwood Press Literature in Context Ser.

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.5 in

Item Weight16.4 Oz

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceElementary/High School

LCCN99-462053

Dewey Edition21

Reviews",,,shows the benefit of Halio's editing of the play and provides thirty short extracts on important topics: Venice and its treatment of Jews, attitudes toward Jews in England, male friendship in the period, marriage, usery and capitalism. The range of selections is fiâ‰ the volume concludes with a section on contemporary anti-Semitism and "male bonding" designed to help instructors make the play's themes engage with contemporary social concerns." Studies in English Literature, ",,,shows the benefit of Halio's editing of the play and provides thirty short extracts on important topics: Venice and its treatment of Jews, attitudes toward Jews in England, male friendship in the period, marriage, usery and capitalism. The range of selections is fine; the volume concludes with a section on contemporary anti-Semitism and "male bonding" designed to help instructors make the play's themes engage with contemporary social concerns."- Studies in English Literature

Number of Volumes1 vol.

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal822.3/3

Table Of ContentPreface Introduction Literary and Dramatic Analysis Venice and Her Treatment of Jews Attitudes Towards Jews Classical and Renaissance Concepts of Male Friendship Elizabethan Marriage Usury, Interest, and the Rise of Capitalism Contemporary Applications and Interpretation Index

Edition DescriptionStudent edition

SynopsisThe Merchant of Venice , even in its own time, was considered Shakespeare's most controversial play. Now, one of the most popularly read and performed works, the play raises even more important issues for our day, particularly anti-Semitism and the treatment of Jews. Shakespeare scholar Jay Halio brings together his fascinating literary insights and his considerable knowledge of Shakespeare's world to this student casebook. His analysis of the play helps students interpret Shakespeare's plot and interwoven subplots, the sources that helped shape the play and the characters, and the thematic issues relating to justice, mercy, and the myriad bonds of human relationships. These themes serve as starting points for a broader understanding of the issues discussed and documented: Elizabethan marriage and women's matrimonial rights; Renaissance concepts of male friendship; legal, moral, and religious views of usury; and the treatment of Jews in Venice and beyond. The concerns raised by the play are put into context with historical materials including Sir Francis Bacon's essay Of Friendship, excerpts from Henry Smith's 1591 A Preparative to Marriage , extracts from Phillip Stubbes' 1583 Anatomy of Abuses , and Travel Accounts by Fynes Moryson that describe Venice and how Jews lived there in the early 1600s. This casebook also considers contemporary applications, with essays and editorials on current hate groups in the United States, the treatment of women, and male bonding. This section, culminating with a poignant interview in which actor Hal Halbrook discusses his stage portrayal of Shylock, will leave readers with an appreciation for how profoundly relevant The Merchant of Venice remains for our time. This casebook introduces students to the many issues in the play with a Literary and Dramatic Analysis chapter. Six topic chapters examine the play in its historical context, combining expert discussion and primary documents, making this ideal for interdisciplinary study. Each topic section contains ideas for classroom discussions, research papers, and further suggested readings to help students get the most out of their study of The Merchant of Venice .

LC Classification NumberPR2825