Author Description

<p>With Shylock's pound of flesh and Portia's golden ring,The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most controversial, disturbing and unforgettable plays.<br> Combining accessible commentary with a range of reprinted materials, S. P. Cerasano:<br> *explores the contexts of the play, including early modern images of Venice, the commercialism of the play, Shakespeare's theatre and London, and images of Jewishness<br> *samples modern criticism of Shakespeare's Merchant, grouped into sections on The Economic Framework, Choosing and Risking, and Shylock and Other Strangers<br> *offers an invaluable discussion of the play in performance, considering crucial staging issues and changing interpretations of the roles of Portia and Shylock<br> *closely examines key passages of the work, providing both commentary and extensively annotated sections of play text<br> *prepares readers for additional study of the play with a useful guide to further reading.<br> Assuming no prior knowledge of the play, this sourcebook is the essential guide to one of the most haunting works of English drama.</p>