The Merchant of Venice, even in its own time, was considered Shakespeare’s most controversial play. Now, one of the most popularly read and performed works, the play raises even more important issues for our day, particularly anti-Semitism and the treatment of Jews. Shakespeare scholar Jay Halio brings together his fascinating literary insights and his considerable knowledge of Shakespeare’s world to this student casebook. His analysis of the play helps students interpret Shakespeare’s plot and

The third sign is her speech, or rather her silence; for the ornament of a woman is silence. And therefore the law was given to the man rather than to the woman, to show that he should be the teacher and she the hearer. As the echo answereth but one word for many which are spoken to her, so a maid's answer should be a word, as though she sold her breath. The eye and the speech are the mind's glasses [i.e., mirrors]; "for out of the abundance of the heart," saith Christ （Matt. 12.34-36）, "the mouth speaketh"; as though by the speech we might know what aboundeth in the heart. And therefore he saith, "By thy words thou shalt be condemned." That is, thou shalt be justified to be wise, or thou shalt be condemned to be foolish; thou shalt be justified to be humble, or thou shalt be condemned to be proud; thou shalt be justified to be loving, or thou shalt be condemned to be envious. Therefore Solomon saith, "A fool's lips are a snare to his own soul" （Prov. 18.7）. Snares are made for other, but this snare catcheth a man's self, because it betrayeth his folly and causeth his trouble and bringeth him into discredit. Contrariwise,"The heart of the wise," saith Solomon （Prov. 17.23; Eccles. 12.10）, "guideth his mouth wisely, and the words of his mouth have grace." Now, to show that this should be one mark in the choice of a wife, Solomon saith,"She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of grace is in her tongue" （Prov. 19.15） The fourth sign is the apparel. For as the pride of the glutton is noted,in that he went in purple every day, so the humility of John is noted in that he went in haircloth every day. A modest woman is known by her sober attire, as the Prophet Elijah was known by his rough garment （2Kings 1.8）. Look not for better within than thou seest without; for every one seemeth better than he is, if the face be vanity, the heart is pride.He which biddeth thee abstain from the show of evil would have thee to abstain from those wives which have the sh
…… When Barbara Rader first invited me to do this casebook on TheMerchant of Venice, I was not sure I could or should accept her kind invitation. Although I had written and edited many books,including conventional casebooks---collections of essays by modern critics-I had never done the kind of book she proposed, especially one for high school students and teachers. But the more I thought about it, the more I found the invitation appealing.High schools, after all, are where many more students study and learn than in colleges and universities, where I have spent all of my professional life. It seemed like an opportunity to make a real difference in the way students and their teachers approach Shakespeare's most controversial play.
Although I had done a scholarly edition of The Merchant of Venice in 1993, I found-as scholars inevitably do when they restudy one of Shakespeare's plays-that there was still a good deal more to learn. I am grateful to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, where most of the basic research was carried on, for once again affording me the use of their excellent resources and for the many kindnesses of their incomparable staff. I am grateful,too, to the University of Delaware for granting me a leave of absence to continue my research.

Preface
Introduction
1. Literary and Dramatic Analysis

2. Venice and Its Treatment of Jews
FROM:
Laurence Aldersey's Account of Venice （1581）
Thomas Coryat, Coryat's Crudities （1611）
Fynes Moryson, An Itinerary （1617）
Fynes Moryson, Shakespeare's Europe （1617）
William Thomas, The History of Italy （1549）

3. Attitudes Toward Jews
FROM:
Martin Luther, "Christ Was Born a Jew" （1523）
Richard Hooker, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity,Book 5 （1597）
An Enterlude of the Vertuous and Godly Queene
Hester （ca. 1522-27）
The Trial of Dr. Roderigo Lopez （1594）
William Camden's History of the Reign of Queen
Elizabeth （1607-17, 1625）

4. Classical and Renaissance Concepts of Male Friendship
FROM:
Cicero, De Amicitia （44 B.C.）
Sir Thomas Elyot, The Governor （1531）
Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene （1596）
Michel de Montaigne, "Of Friendship" （ca. 1580）
Sir Francis Bacon, "Of Friendship" （1625）

5. Elizabethan Marriage
FROM:
Heinrich Bullinger, The Christian State of
Matrimony （1541）
Edwin Sandys, Sermons （1585）
Henry Smith, A Preparative to Marriage （1591）

6. Usury, Interest, and the Rise of Capitalism
FROM:
The Geneva Bible （1560）
An Act against Usury （1571）
John Woolley's Speech in Parliament （1571）
Thomas Wilson, A Discourse upon Usury （1572）
John Calvin, Commentaries on the Last Books of
Moses （1554）
Yehiel Nissim da Pisa, The Eternal Life （1559）
Phillip Stubbes, The Anatomy of Abuses （1583）

7. Contemporary Applications and Interpretation
FROM:
Tom Tugend, "Synagogue arson suspects kept
'hit-list' of Sacramento-area Jews" （1999）
Bob Herbert, "Endless Poison" （1999）
A Letter by John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of
New York （1999）
A. Engler Anderson, "Male Bonding" （1994）
William Triplett, "The Shylock Within" （1999）
Index
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