The Merchant of Venice

William Shakespeare

• Editore: William Collins
• Anno: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780007535279
• Argomento: Literature
• Categoria: Classics

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. 'The quality of mercy is not strain'd, 'The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven'Bassiano, a noble Venetian, hopes to woo the beautiful heiress Portia. However, he requires financial assistance from his friend Antonio. Antonio agrees, but he, in turn, must borrow from the Jewish moneylender Shylock. As recourse for past ills, Shylock stipulates that the forfeit on the loan must be a pound of Antonio's flesh. In the most renowned onstage law scene of all time, Portia proves herself one of Shakespeare's most cunning heroines, disguising herself as a lawyer and vanquishing Shylock's claims; meanwhile, Shylock triumphs on a humanitarian level with his plea for tolerance: 'Hath not a Jew eyes? 'Bassiano, a noble Venetian, hopes to woo the beautiful heiress Portia. However, he requires financial assistance from his friend Antonio. Antonio agrees, but he, in turn, must borrow from the Jewish moneylender Shylock. As recourse for past ills, Shylock stipulates that the forfeit on the loan must be a pound of Antonio' s flesh. In the most renowned onstage law scene of all time, Portia proves herself one of Shakespeare' s most cunning heroines, disguising herself as a lawyer and vanquishing Shylock' s claims; meanwhile, Shylock triumphs on a humanitarian level with his plea for tolerance: ' Hath not a Jew eyes? 'Viewed paradoxically as anti-Semitic, while at the same time powerfully liberal for its time, The Merchant of Venice is at its core a bittersweet drama, exploring the noble themes of prejudice, justice and honour. Viewed paradoxically as anti-Semitic, while at the same time powerfully liberal for its time, The Merchant of Venice is at its core a bittersweet drama, exploring the noble themes of prejudice, justice and honour.

Shakespeare: Words and Phrases

adapted from the Collins English Dictionary

abate 1 VERB to abate here means to lessen or diminish

There lives within the very flame of love/A kind of wick or snuff that will abate it (Hamlet 4.7) 2 VERB to abate here means to shorten

Abate thy hours (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 3.2) 3 VERB to abate here means to deprive

She hath abated me of half my train (King Lear 2.4)

abjure VERB to abjure means to renounce or give up

this rough magic I here abjure (Tempest 5.1)

abroad ADV abroad means elsewhere or everywhere

You have heard of the news abroad (King Lear 2.1)

abrogate VERB to abrogate means to put an end to

so it shall praise you to abrogate scurrility (Love’s Labours Lost 4.2)

abuse 1 NOUN abuse in this context means deception or fraud

What should this mean? Are all the rest come back?/Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? (Hamlet 4.7) 2 NOUN an abuse in this context means insult or offence

I will be deaf to pleading and excuses/Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase our abuses (Romeo and Juliet 3.1) 3 NOUN an abuse in this context means using something improperly

we’ll digest/Th’abuse of distance (Henry II Chorus) 4 NOUN an abuse in this context means doing something which is corrupt or dishonest

Come, bring them away: if these be good people in a commonweal that do nothing but their abuses in common houses, I know no law: bring them away. (Measure for Measure 2.1)

abuser NOUN the abuser here is someone who betrays, a betrayer

I … do attach thee/For an abuser of the world (Othello 1.2)

accent NOUN accent here means language

In states unborn, and accents yet unknown (Julius Caesar 3.1)

accident NOUN an accident in this context is an event or something that happened

think no more of this night’s accidents (A Midsummer Night’s Dream 4.1)

accommodate VERB to accommodate in this context means to equip or to give someone the equipment to do something

The safer sense will ne’er accommodate/His master thus. (King Lear 4.6)

according ADJ according means sympathetic or ready to agree

within the scope of choice/Lies my consent and fair according voice (Romeo and Juliet 1.2)

account NOUN account often means judgement (by God) or reckoning

No reckoning made, but sent to my account/With all my imperfections on my head (Hamlet 1.5)

accountant ADJ accountant here means answerable or accountable

his offence is … /Ac...