Unit 19 The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare ( )

Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford on the river Avon and died there in He was brought up in a comfortable house on Henley Street along with several small brothers and sisters. He was a great British playwright and poet in the world’s history of literature.He wrote about 37plays and a large number of poems in his life.

Shakespeare’s Birth place

Comedy 喜剧 Tragedy 悲剧 History 历史剧 Poetry 诗歌 His Works

Comedies Measure for Measure 一报还一报 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 仲夏之夜 The Merchant of Venice 威尼斯商人 Twelfth Night(What You Will) 第十二夜 All’s Well That Ends Well 皆大欢喜 Much Ado About Nothing 无事生非

Tragedies Hamlet 哈姆莱特 Othello 奥赛罗 King Lear 李尔王 Macbeth 麦克白 Coriolanus 考利欧雷诺斯 Romeo and Juliet 罗密欧与朱丽叶

Henry IV, part 1 亨利四世，第一卷 Henry IV, part 2 亨利四世，第二卷 Henry V 亨利五世 Henry VI, part 1 亨利六世，第一卷 Henry VI, part 2 亨利六世，第二卷 Henry VI, part 3 亨利六世，第三卷 Henry VIII 亨利八世 King John 约翰国王 Richard II 理查德二世 Richard III 理查德三世 Historical plays

The Sonnets 十四行诗 A Lover's Complaint 爱人的怨诉 The Rape of Lucrece 鲁克丽丝失贞记 Venus and Adonis 维纳斯和阿多尼斯 The Passionate Pilgrim 热情的朝圣者 The Phoenix and the Turtle 凤凰和斑鸠 Poetry

1. Some pictures about the plays mentioned in this part Warming up

2. Question: Do you know what are these plays about? Please read the references on your book. Page 163

Warming up 3. Match the quotations with the right play; Then explain the meanings

To be or not to be: that is the question.

It is a question whether to live on in this world or to die, that is, to take action or to do nothing.

King Henry IV Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

A person who has great responsibilities, such as a king, is constantly worried and therefore doesn't sleep soundly.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be.

It is best not to lend money to others and not to borrow from others. When we lend something. We risk losing both the thing we lend and the friendship with that other person.

Romeo & Juliet Romeo, Romeo, why are you Romeo? Deny your father, and refuse your name…

Why must you be the son of my family’s greatest enemy? Refuse your family for my love.

Troilus & Cressida Words, words, only words, no matter from the heart.

It’s all empty words,and there is not any truth in them. You just talk, but you don’t mean it!

Listening 1. Listen to the tape and answer some questions

Questions: 1.In which city does the play take place? 2. How much time passes between the beginning of the play and the end? 3. How much money does Bassanio need to marry Portia? 4. What must Antonio give Shylock if he can’t pay back the debt?

Answers: 1. In which city does the play take place? 2. How much time passes between the beginning of the play and the end? Venice. Three months.

3. How much money does Bassanio need to marry Portia? 4. What must Antonio give Shylock if he can’t pay back the debt? Three thousand ducats. A pound of flesh.

2. Match the two columns 1. Antonio 2. Shylock: 3. Bassanio 4. Portia 5. Duke: a. the judge b. the moneylender c. the merchant of Venice d. Antonio’s friend e. Bassanio’s wife

Shylock Bassanio Po r tia Antonio

1. He is _____ _____ to help others. Fill in the blanks alwaysready 2. His ships are ___ ___ ___to ____ ____ foreign countries. 3. _____ ____ ___ money just then,Antonio goes to Shylock……. 5.The Duke accepts Portia to ____ ___ ____ ___ the famous lawyer 4. ______ ___a lawyer, she arrives at the court 6. Antonio has often shown __ _____ how ____ and ______ Shylock is. atallseatradewith Beingshortof Dressedas taketheplace of inpublic cruel terrible

Antonio is a rich businessman of the city of Venice.Everyone likes him because he is always ready to help others. At the time of this story his ships are all at sea to trade with foreign countries. Bassanio,Antonio’s best friend,is in love with Portia.Portia is a rich and beautiful lady.She loves Bassanio but they cannot get married because he is poor.Then, Bassanio asks Antonio to lend him three thousand ducats.Being short of money just then,Antonio goes to Shylock to borrow the money.Shylock has always hated Antonio,because Antonio has often in public shown how cruel and terrible Shylock is. Shylock agrees to lend Antonio the money,but Antonio must promise to allow Shylock to take a pound of his flesh from any part of his body if he cannot pay the money back after three months.Antonio agrees to this,takes the money and gives it to Bassanio

On the day Bassanio and Portia get married,they receive a letter from Antonio saying that all his ships have been lost at sea.Now he himself does not have enough money to pay back the three thousand ducats and he must give Shylock one pound of his flesh.Portia thinks of a clever plan to save Antonio.She asks a good friend who is a doctor of law.to lend her some of his lawyer’s clothes and books. Dressed as a lawyer, she arrives at the court of the Duke,where Antonio’s case is decided. As the Duke is wondering what to do,Portia gives him a letter from the famous lawyer whom she has visited.In the letter is says that Portia is a learned doctor from Rome who is young but very wise.The Duke accepts Portia to take the place of the famous lawyer and handle this difficult case.