Lingua inglese - Scuola secondaria di secondo gradoPerformer Shaping Ideas (Second Edition) Performer Shaping Ideas (Second Edition) / Volume 1William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

EXTEND – Shylock’s fate

4 esercizi
SVOLGI
INFO

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STEP 1 Skim for gist and find out about what happens to Shylock
Read the text and select the correct sentences.
A: The Duke offers Shylock his life without him asking for it.
B: According to the law, Shylock can keep a half of his possessions.
C: Shylock refuses the offer saying that losing all his possessions would mean to lose his life as it is founded on them.
D: Portia asks Antonio what further act of mercy he can offer Shylock.
E: Gratiano shows the same merciful attitude as that of Portia and the Duke.
F: Antonio agrees to allow Shylock to keep half his wealth and use the other half.
G: Antonio poses no conditions for this act of mercy on his part.
H: One of the conditions Antonio poses is that Shylock becomes a Christian.
Extend
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STEP 4 Think further and prepare for your test: the irreconcilable forces at play in 'The Merchant of Venice'
Read the text which reflects on the play's ambivalence and decide if the statements are true or false. Then, use the extract and the information given in STEP 3 to reflect on the play's complexities.
A: The extract suggests that Shakespeare intentionally created Shylock as a purely evil villain to conform to the antisemitic stereotypes of his time.
B: The extract argues that the play not only focuses on Shylock's villainy, but also on the prejudice he faces from the Christian characters.
C: The term 'negative capability' refers to Shakespeare's ability to present complex characters and events with both positive and negative traits.
D: The extract suggests that the play's comedic elements, particularly the romantic subplot, undermine the serious themes of prejudice and conflict.
E: The extract argues that the play ultimately condones Shylock's treatment by the Christian characters.
F: The extract implies that the issues of religious intolerance and conflict explored in The Merchant of Venice are still relevant in contemporary society.
Extend
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STEP 2 Say what happens in your own words
Imagine you are an aspiring lawyer and are following the court case. Complete the notes you have taken with the expressions given.

The tension in the courtroom was palpable. The Duke offered Shylock an unprecedented ________ – his life, freely given, in exchange for his money and possessions. But Shylock, refused. He argued that the loss of his wealth ________.
When Portia asked Antonio for an act of mercy on his part, he proposed a ________. He offered a solution that allowed Shylock to keep ________ while he could administer the other half and give it back upon his death. However, this offer came with significant conditions: ________ and the inheritance of his riches left to Lorenzo.
Extend
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STEP 3 Spotlight on Antonio's 'apparent' mercy and Shylock's downfall
Match the sentences half in order to understand the ambiguity of Antonio's mercy. Write the correct letters (A-E) in the gaps.

1 When Portia asks him to follow-up on the Duke's granting of Shylock's life, ________
2 His decision, if analysed carefully, is a pretence of generosity ________
3 As a Christian, ________
4 This is a significant blow to his identity ________
5 No longer being able to practise usury, Shylock becomes ________

A that determines Shylock's downfall.
B and a source of immense suffering.
C Antonio does not act as a merciful Christian.
D a shell of his former self, an imitation of the Christian merchants around him, another 'Antonio'.
E Shylock can no longer practise his Jewish faith.
Extend
Completamento aperto
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