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Learning Project Guide *adapted from Signet Classic Teacher’s Resource Guide 2007

Learning Project Guide *adapted from Signet Classic Teacher’s Resource Guide 2007. f or William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. PRE-READING ACTIVITIES. Attitudes Survey. Common Themes. Concept Map Activity. Stereotypes Discussion. ON-GOING ACTIVITIES.

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Learning Project Guide *adapted from Signet Classic Teacher’s Resource Guide 2007

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  1. Learning Project Guide*adapted from Signet Classic Teacher’s Resource Guide 2007 for William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

  2. PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

  3. Attitudes Survey

  4. Common Themes

  5. Concept Map Activity

  6. Stereotypes Discussion

  7. ON-GOING ACTIVITIES

  8. Graphic Organizer for Plot Development

  9. Graphic Organizer for Character Development

  10. ACT 1 Study Guide

  11. Scene 1

  12. Discussion Questions • Antonio seems to have it all, but he is incredibly depressed. • Why is this the case? • Why doesn’t he know the cause? • What guesses do Solanio and Salerio have about the causes of his depression? • What lifts his depression?

  13. continued • Why has Bassanio set his sights on Portia? What stands in his way, and how does he plan to overcome these barriers? • Bassanio lives well beyond his means. Why does Antonio continue to lend him money when he doesn’t pay him back? • Although he has condemned usury in the past, Antonio is willing to go into debt for Bassanio. Why? What would he get out granting him a loan?

  14. Activities • Review AND write the term ALLUSION in your note books • Conduct a deeper research into the Biblical allusions in this scene. Explain the references to: • Holy church • Wheat and chaff • pilgrimage • What do these Roman mythological (classical) allusions way about the characters in the play? Who is: • Janus? • Nestor? • Cato? • Brutus? • Portia? • Jason and The Golden Fleece?

  15. Scene 2

  16. Discussion Questions • Shakespeare juxtaposes scenes, characters, and settings for a purpose. Read this scene carefully to see what purpose he had in placing these scenes next to one another. • How does Venice differ from Belmont? • How does Portia’s relationship with Nerissa differ from Antonio and Bassanio’s? • How does Portia feel about her deceased father’s method of finding a husband for her? • Portia mocks each of her potential suitors. What faults does she see in them? How do those faults reflect the Elizabethan viewpoints of each of these cultures? What is different about her criticism of Morocco? • Does Portia’s racism shock you? Justify your answer.

  17. Activities • Examine how Portia uses language. Find and explain her use of puns/words with double meanings.

  18. Scene 3

  19. Discussion Questions • Shakespeare juxtaposes scenes of Belmont and Venice once again. What contrasts does he want us to see in these locations? • Bassanio contacts Shylock regarding the loan. What are the terms of the loan? • Shylock does a risk analysis of Antonio’s ability to repay the loan. What are the risks? • Bassanio invites Shylock to eat with him and Antonio. Why does he refuse? • Define the term ASIDE. What does Shylock’s aside tell us about his feelings for Antonio and how do they reflect the political position Jews hold in Elizabethan society? • Examine Shylock’s speech patterns. What figures of speech does he tend to use? • Describe Shylock. What stereotypical characteristics do you notice? What do you see that defies these stereotypes? • Why does Shylock tell the story of Jacob and Laban? • What wrongs has Antonio committed against Shylock? How does Antonio react to these charges against him? • What is the difference between Bassanio’s and Antonio’s perceptions of the loan terms? • How does Shylock’s loan to Antonio differ from Antonio’s loan to Bassanio?

  20. Activities • Create a table listing good and bad qualities of each of these three characters: Shylock, Antonio, and Bassanio. Who qualifies as good. Who qualifies as bad? Why?

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