The Merchant of Venice (Cambridge School Shakespeare) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Jonathan Morris (Editor), Robert Smith (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521618754 | ISBN-13: 978-0521618755 | Publication Date: December 19, 2005 | Edition: 2

This new edition of The Merchant of Venice is part of the established Cambridge School Shakespeare series and has been substantially updated with new and revised activities throughout. Remaining faithful to the series' active approach it treats the play as a script to be acted, explored and enjoyed. As well as the complete script of The Merchant of Venice, you will find a variety of classroom-tested activities, an eight-page colour section and an enlarged selection of notes including information on characters, performance, history and language.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This new edition of The Merchant of Venice is part of the established Cambridge School Shakespeare series and has been substantially updated with new and revised activities throughout. Remaining faithful to the series' active approach it treats the play as a script to be acted, explored and enjoyed. As well as the complete script of The Merchant of Venice, you will find a variety of classroom-tested activities, an eight-page colour section and an enlarged selection of notes including information on characters, performance, history and language.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (December 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521618754
• ISBN-13: 978-0521618755
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #386,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Europe > England > General
  • #51 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Literary Criticism & Collections
  • #64 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Europe > General

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent teacher's resource, May 15, 2011

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K. Blaine (Peninsula, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (Cambridge School Shakespeare) (Paperback)

The Cambridge School Shakespeare editions of all of Shakespeare's plays are wonderful. Each one includes dozens of ideas for class activities and writing assignments, many more than a teacher could possible use. The notes are excellent and the commentary on themes, characters, imagery and the like at the back of each book are insightful. Whether you are teaching a play for the first time or have taught it many times before, you will find something fresh and new in these superb editions. The cost of these books is a bit high to require that each student buy a copy, but students could make do with less expensive editions if the teacher has a Cambridge. I recommend these books without reservation.