Project Gutenberg 2004-06-01 Public domain in the USA. 385 Shakespeare, William 1564 1616 Shakspeare, William Shakspere, William Kean, Charles John 1868 Shakespeare's play of the Merchant of Venice Arranged for Representation at the Princess's Theatre, with Historical and Explanatory Notes by Charles Kean, F.S.A. Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Merchant_of_Venice E-text prepared by Curtis Weyant, David Starner, Charles Aldarondo, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Shakespeare's Play of the Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare is a celebrated play from the early 17th century. This work delves into themes of mercy, justice, and the complexities of human relationships through the interactions between various characters, most notably Antonio, the merchant, and Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. The play presents a rich tapestry of love, prejudice, and the quest for identity, unfolding primarily in the vibrant setting of Venice and Belmont. The opening of the play introduces us to the melancholy Antonio, who is distressed but unsure of the cause of his sadness. He is soon joined by his friends Salarino and Salanio, who speculate that his sorrow stems from love, although he dismisses their accusations. Bassanio is introduced as Antonio's close friend, who reveals his desire to court the wealthy heiress Portia. In Belmont, Portia expresses her frustration over being unable to choose her own husband due to her deceased father's will, which designates a peculiar method for potential suitors to win her hand through a casket selection. The scene sets in motion the intertwining lives of the characters, highlighting the impending challenges Antonio faces and Bassanio's ambitions to win Portia's love. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 78.9 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Comedy plays Jews -- Italy -- Drama Moneylenders -- Drama Venice (Italy) -- Drama PR Text Category: Plays/Films/Dramas Category: Classics of Literature Category: British Literature 376708 2025-08-05T16:07:49.370891 text/html 192647 2024-10-28T19:37:52 text/html 178493 2025-08-05T16:08:01.158890 application/epub+zip 184594 2025-08-05T16:07:53.576917 application/epub+zip 152457 2025-08-05T16:07:51.840892 application/epub+zip 480601 2025-08-05T16:08:05.538916 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 381497 2025-08-05T16:07:59.932835 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 222404 2022-09-06T21:30:20.668295 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 161938 2025-08-05T16:07:46.134914 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 141976 2024-10-28T19:37:52 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18133 2025-08-05T16:08:05.933839 application/rdf+xml 21750 2025-08-05T16:07:52.533870 image/jpeg 4635 2025-08-05T16:07:52.131942 image/jpeg 172525 2025-08-05T16:07:49.390885 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia