Foreward
BEFORE YOU BEGIN ...
Shakespeare's World
What it was like when Shakespeare was writing
Understanding Shakepeare's English
Guidelines to reading Shakespeare successfully
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
'A stage where every man must play a part'
Characters in the play
THE PLAY
... AFTER READING THE PLAY
Plot Summary
A condensed prose version of the play
Finding your way around the text
Activities designed to get students working confidently with the text
Important quotations
Translating Shakespeare into modern prose
The paper trail
Staging a scene
Quick-fire test
Characters
A general outline of the main characters with accompanying written work and essay questions
Themes
A general outline of the main themes with accompanying written work and questions
Pick 'n' Mix
Further options of class work divided into common segments - oral, visual, written etc.
Glossary
A short introduction that will allow students to position the text historically
Notes and 'wordbanks' designed to give definitions and explanations of some more difficult words and phrases
Character and theme exercises presented in a student-friendly manner
A wide range of activities allowing students to become confident with the text.