5 Annotated Sources on "The Merchant of Venice"

Shakespeare Biography

Gray, Terry. "A Shakespeare Timeline." Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet. 1998. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .

Terry Gray’s timeline of Shakespeare’s life provides the same information as one could expect in any biography, but the format for the information is unique. The site is developed into an interactive timeline, where one can click on the links to see information pertaining to The Lost Years or Shakespeare’s Death. Because the site is designed in a unique fashion, I would greatly use this in a classroom setting. The flow of the site would engage some students and cause them to pay attention when the information gets a bit dry. Many people could use this site to find information because, first, it is easy to follow and understand; and second, the site comes from Palomar Community College, providing credibility.

The Merchant of Venice: The Play

Hadfield, Andrew. Rev. of Blood Relations: Christian and Jew in "The Merchant of Venice", by Janet Adelman. Comparative Drama (2009): 412-14. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

“Christians were, of course, converted Jews and, however hard they denied their origins or despised the Jews, they could not erase this fundamental understanding of their identity” (412). Hadfield’s previous line becomes a major focus during her paper; she would argue that this idea shows how The Merchant of Venice is about more than just prejudice beliefs. Adelman examines the relationship between Antonio—a Christian Merchant—and Shylock—a Money lending Jew. The article being examined is only a review from Adelman’s book on the same subject, but the work is still something that can be examined. Adelman creates a strong argument about our ideas of prejudice. The Merchant of Venice has many situations where religious beliefs play a vital role, and Adelman brings these ideas to the surface in her book. Hadfield presents the ideas in a way that, if the book were available, I would use it for a classroom presentation. This theme is important and one that needs to be addressed when covering The Merchant of Venice.

William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. By Michael Radford. Dir. Michael Radford. Perf. Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins. Sony Pictures Classics, 2004. Movie Trailer.

The nicest part of this movie trailer is the way the characters are displayed. From just the few moments and glimpses at the work, one is able to decipher that, while a comedy, this play is not family friendly. The tension and turmoil that build in The Merchant of Venice is easily recognized in the movie trailer. Many people could watch this trailer, and later the movie, and create their own depiction of the play. A nice aspect of the movie trailer is the use of lighting and quotes from the play that set up the action that is bound to take place. Students will be able to recognize characters (if they already read the work) and can decide whether the story follows the idea they constructed in their head. Ultimately, I would use the movie for a classroom presentation, but it would be interesting to show the trailer before beginning the play and discovering students’ first impression of the work.

Teaching Shakespeare in School

Cohen, Paula M. "Shylock, My Students, and Me: What I've Learned from 30 Years of Teaching "The Merchant of Venice"" American Scholar 79.1 (2010). MasterFILE Premier. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Cohen mentions first in her article that she has taught The Merchant of Venice for the last 30 years and it has yet to lose its excitement. Right away, this signals that this play offers a lot of information for students and can keep them entertained. Cohen notes that her students, even after all the years, still agree with the basic ideas of the play: Shylock is the villain, Portia and Bassinio are the pair of lovers, and Antonio is the noble who goes out of his way to save his friend. Regarding practical use, it does not so much come down to this article, but the idea behind it that could become relevant in a classroom setting. Thanks to Cohen’s story, one can look at the play and know that students can find something to relate to.

Salomone, Ronald E., and James E. Davis, eds. Teaching Shakespeare into the Twenty-first Century. Athens: Ohio UP, 1997. Print.

Teaching Shakespeare to students is a challenge; getting these students to understand Shakespeare is more of a challenge. Therefore, this book provides an excellent starting point when it comes to instructing Shakespeare. The book focuses on several aspects of teaching Shakespeare, such as role-playing, paraphrasing, and using plays to teach Shakespearean plays. The book provides many significant teaching techniques and I know that, if I had to teach this play in the classroom, I could use this textbook as a great starting point. The practical usage from this book comes from its ability to approach Shakespeare in a variety of ways. If one method is not sufficient, the next may be. The text provides possible ways to allow students to connect to Shakespeare.