TEACHERS´ MATERIALS.

Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play

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The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays written around 1597. It is sometimes classified in the Shakespearian sense as a “comedy” in that it has a happy ending for the characters involved in the romantic sub-plot. Nonetheless, it is often best remembered for its tensely dramatic scenes with the figure of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, one of the Bard’s most brilliant and ambiguous creations…
The “merchant” in the title is the empresario Antonio who helps financially his young friend Bassanio so that he can woo the beautiful Portia. As Antonio’s money is tied up, he seeks help from Shylock who lends him 3,000 ducats, but with a condition: Antonio must deliver up one pound of his own flesh if he fails to return the money by the agreed date. There is a reason for the Jew’s cruel demand, (see THE STORY below) and his actions have sparked much discussion. Is he a tormented figure or is he a tormentor? Is he the victim, or the abuser? Whatever you believe, the words of the old Jew still manage to impress the sensitive reader today: Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, .....warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? ... And if you wrong us, shall we not take revenge?
(See the full text below in THE EXTRACT.)
Whether Shylock is to be hated or pitied is completely up to the audience. Shakespeare does not judge him and, in keeping with the Bard, The Lingua-Arts Theatre Company also allows young audience to decide for themselves.

SYNOPSIS IN SPANISH

EL MERCADER DE VENECIA, escrita por Shakespeare alrededor de 1597, podría clasificarse como “comedia”, dentro del sentido shakesperiano, por su desenlace feliz en la trama romántica; pero contiene a su vez un elemento tremendamente dramático en las escenas que giran en torno a Shylock, el viejo judío usurero, una de las creaciones más brillantes y ambiguas del Bardo…
El joven Bassanio quiere conquistar a la bella y rica heredera Portia, y para ello necesita proveerse de dinero. Así que pide ayuda a su buen amigo Antonio (el “mercader” en el título), que se ve obligado a hacer un trato con el avaro Shylock, prestamista judío, que le pondrá una condición: la de devolverle una libra de su propia carne en caso de no pagarlo en el tiempo acordado.
Esta célebre obra gira en torno a dos historias entrelazadas: el amor entre Bassanio y Portia y el odio mutuo entre Shylock y Antonio, consecuencia del profundo desprecio de éste hacia los judíos, un desprecio que, por desgracia, aún persiste en nuestros días. Algunos dicen que el Shylock de Shakespeare es una víctima; otros lo ven como un verdugo. Sin embargo, las palabras del viejo judío impresionan siempre al lector sensible: ”¿El judío no tiene manos, sentidos, afectos, pasiones? ¿No es alimentado con la misma comida?... ¿No tiene calor en verano y frío en invierno, como el cristiano?... ¿Si nos pincháis, no sangraremos?... ¿Si nos hacéis daño, no nos vengaremos?"

Bassanio, a young Venetian, would like to travel to Belmont to woo(1) the beautiful heiress(2) Portia. He asks his friend Antonio, a shipping merchant, for three thousand ducats to make the journey. Antonio doesn’t have the money to lend(3) as all of his ships are busy at sea, so Antonio approaches the Jewish moneylender(4) Shylock for a loan(5).
Shylock, who hates Antonio because he insulted him for being a Jew(6) , sets a condition. If Antonio cannot pay the loan by a certain date, Shylock will take a pound of flesh(7) from the merchant's body(8). Antonio agrees and signs the contract. So now Bassanio borrows(9) the 3.000 ducats from Antonio and leaves for Belmont.
At Belmont, Portia has many suitors(10) . Portia's dead father, however, has indicated in his will(11) that each suitor must choose correctly from one of three boxes(12) – one gold, one silver and one lead(13). If he chooses the correct box(14), the one with a portrait of Portia inside, he can marry(15) his daughter. If not, he must remain single forever. After two suitors, the Princes of Marbella and of Qatar, choose incorrectly, Bassanio selects the correct box. Portia is happy because Bassanio is the man she loves.

At Venice, all of Antonio’s ships are reported lost at sea, so he cannot pay back(16) the money he borrowed from the old Jew. Shylock now has two reasons to be furious with Christians: his daughter Jessica has run away(17) from home to convert to Christianity and marry her lover Lorenzo, taking with her part of her father's wealth(18). Shylock seeks revenge(19). He has Antonio brought to court(20) insisting that the Christian merchant meet his condition: give him a pound of Antonio’s own flesh.
At Belmont, Portia and Bassanio get married. They hear news that Antonio has been arrested(21). Shocked, Bassanio leaves with money from his wife to pay Antonio’s debts and try to save his life(22). Then Portia begins to plan in secret a way to help her husband’s friend.
Back in Venice, Shylock refuses(23) Bassanio’s offer of 6.000 ducats (double the original sum.) The Jew insists on the pound of flesh. Then a strange young lawyer(24) enters the scene. This mysterious “lawyer” asks Shylock to show mercy(25) but again he refuses. The law is on the Jew’s side(26) and Shylock can proceed. He takes a knife and prepares to cut into Antonio...

ANTONIO is a wealthy shipping merchant who is owed money by his intimate friend Bassanio. He acts as guarantor for Bassanio when his friend wants to borrow 3000 ducats from Shylock.
BASSANIO owes Antonio a lot of money, but he wants to borrow even more so that he can court the wealthy heiress, Portia. Although he loves Portia, a marriage to her will help him pay off all his debts.
PORTIA is the heroine of the play. She is very wealthy and beautiful and is desired by many suitors. More importantly, she is extremely intelligent and her clever mind helps to save Antonio from Shylock.
SHYLOCK is a successful Jewish moneylender in Venice. Although he is successful, he is constantly treated badly by the Christians simply because he is a Jew. Antonio has often insulted Shylock. Shylock also suffers greatly when his daughter runs away to marry a Christian.
NERISSA is Portia’s lady-in-waiting (dama o doncella) and her loyal confidante.LEO is a servant in the house of Shylock, but he wants to leave Shylock to go and work for Bassanio.
THE PRINCE OF QATAR is a Arab Prince and one of Portia’s suitors.
THE PRINCE OF MARBELLA is a Spanish Prince and another of Portia’s suitors.
JESSICA is Shylock’s daughter who hates life with her father. In secret, she converts to Christianity in order to marry her loved one, Lorenzo.
LEO is a servant in the house of Shylock, but he wants to leave Shylock to go and work for Bassanio.

√ NOTES FOR TEACHERS

√ AN EXTRACT

Treatment One of the main themes of this play is RACISM reflected in the Christians’ treatment of Shylock. As the problem of racism never seems to disappear from our troubled world, we have decided to give The Merchant of Venice a modern treatment. In other words, we have set the action in the PRESENT DAY so that your students can more easily identify with the UNIVERSAL themes, such as racism, Shakespeare is so famous for. (See page 9). In addition, we have simplified the storyline slightly, reducing the original 18 characters to only 10 – these characters being played by 4 actors. We also decided that the actors will NEVER leave the stage. When an actor is not in a scene, he or she will sit upstage, outside of the main action. This way, the audiences will be able to see how the actors change from one character to another in the hope that they can better appreciate the skills of the artists in our company.
Language We also decided to simplify and modernize ALL the 16th century Shakespearian English for the students. As such, there is very little of the original text by the Bard left as we realize it is very difficult for the majority of the students. We have, however, maintained the famous monologue delivered by Shylock. (See page 6 – extract 5) “Hath not a Jew eyes?”
Bilingualism About 80% of the play is in English, and modern English at that. The rest is in castellano. In general the Jews in the play speak amongst themselves in Spanish (Shylock, his daughter, Jessica, and Túbal) and when they speak to the Christians, in English. All the other characters speak English, except the Prince of Marbella, who speaks both English (badly) and Spanish.

TEACHERS’ MATERIALS. Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play (and for use AFTER seeing it).

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This is the famous monologue by Shylock. He has just been asked why he insists on taking Antonio’s pound of flesh after the merchant fails to pay his debts. Shylock replies…

“He hath disgraced me…. laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains, scorned my nation… cooled my friends, heated mine enemies, and what’s his reason? - I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.”
On YouTube, you can watch this monologue performed brilliantly by Al Pacino as Shylock in the 2004 film directed by Michael Radford

Translation in Spanish
«Me ha deshonrado… se ha reído de mis pérdidas y burlado de mis ganancias, ha afrentado a mi nación, ha desalentado a mis amigos y azuzado a mis enemigos. ¿Y cuál es su motivo? Que soy judío. ¿El judío no tiene ojos? ¿El judío no tiene manos, sentidos, afectos, pasiones? ¿No es alimentado con la misma comida y herido por las mismas armas, víctima de las mismas enfermedades y curado por los mismos medios? ¿No tiene calor en verano y frío en invierno, como el cristiano? ¿Si nos pincháis, no sangramos? ¿No se ríe si le hacen cosquillas? ¿Si nos envenenáis no morimos? ¿Si nos hacéis daño, no nos vengaremos? Si nos parecemos en todo lo demás, nos parecemos también en eso. Si un judío insulta a un cristiano, ¿cuál será la humildad de este? La venganza. Si un cristiano ultraja a un judío, ¿qué nombre deberá llevar la paciencia del judío, si quiere seguir el ejemplo del cristiano? Pues venganza. La villanía que me enseñáis la pondré en práctica, y malo será que yo no sobrepase la instrucción que me habéis dado.”