The Merchant of Venice

This text is part of a series in which the standard Shakespearean texts have been slightly abridged to enhance student understanding of the essential story lines, characters and themes. The text is primarily designed for years 9 - 11 in the New Zealand curriculum, although it may be used at any level in English or drama classes. The author's aim is to make Shakespeare more accessible as the original texts are often regarded as too long and involved for many students. The abridgements take out just enough to make the play manageable and enjoyable, yet remain meaningful and "true" to the originals. Each title in the series has a different introduction, so that if different plays are used at different levels there is minimal repetition of supporting information. In one there may be an introduction to the Globe Theatre, while in another the introduction may be on Elizabethan society. This variation in treatment aims to ensure the series has the widest possible application in schools at all levels. The series is structured as follows to ensure the texts are effective with all students: each text is designed to be a complete unit; the abridged version is accompanied by "Word Banks" designed to give definitions and explanations of some of the more difficult words and phases; each text is followed by a series of activities designed to allow students to become confident with the text; character and theme information is presented in a student-friendly manner; and each text concludes with a collection of activities which are designed for teachers to form an individual programme best suited to their students' needs.

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