The Merchant of Venice (SparkNotes No Fear Shakespeare) [Paperback]

SparkNotes Editors (Author), William Shakespeare (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1586638505 | ISBN-13: 978-1586638504 | Publication Date: July 3, 2003

No Fear Shakespeare gives you the complete text of The Merchant of Venice on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right.

 

Each No Fear Shakespeare contains

• The complete text of the original play
• A line-by-line translation that puts Shakespeare into everyday language
• A complete list of characters with descriptions
• Plenty of helpful commentary

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: SparkNotes (July 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586638505
• ISBN-13: 978-1586638504
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > British & Irish

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 Helpful Study Aid, June 23, 2011

By 

David - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (SparkNotes No Fear Shakespeare) (Paperback)

It is the same kind of study aid just as any other book from the No Fear Shakespeare series. Helpful and easy-to-understand modern translations. Text is clear and fonts are natural. I only wished it also contained summaries and sample questions / essays. But you can always find those on SparkNotes' website.

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading--quick learning, April 14, 2011

By 

philip c nessralla - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (SparkNotes No Fear Shakespeare) (Paperback)

As a person who has not read Shakespeare since high school, understanding the Old English was a challenge. I purchased the book to help me understand the stage production and did not want to miss the meaning of the language. "No Fear" allowed me to read each passage and understand its meaning and full impact. Without the book, I would not have understood much of the play; it was like listening to a foreign language. There are no frills or additional explanations about the circumstances, simply a translation from the old english to modern--and that served me well.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful if you don't understand Shakespearean English, July 6, 2010

By 

T. Olsen "Book buyer" (everywhere and nowhere) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Merchant of Venice (SparkNotes No Fear Shakespeare) (Paperback)

For our 5th Form (11th grade) Lit class our Lit teacher recommended that we all use this book to help us with the drama. The original books which were given to us were difficult for many of us to understand. However, with No Fear Shakespeare and our wonderful Lit teacher we all passes Lit, most of us passed with B+ and up and I received 100 % on my English Lit exam as well as a 98% year average in Lit for that year !!! Recommended by me, my Lit teacher and my entire Lit class