The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama)
By William Shakespeare (1596)
Bassanio's quest for Portia at Belmont, the riddle of the three caskets, Shylock's fatal bond for a pound of flesh, and Portia's glorious courtroom plea for divine mercy. Dramatis Personae: Portia, Shylock, Antonio, Bassanio, Nerissa, Gratiano, Jessica, Lorenzo.
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Week 1 — Act I, Sc 1–2: The Sad Merchant and the Caskets
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 1 of 12
Week 1 — Act I, Sc 1–2: The Sad Merchant and the Caskets
Scene Summary & Living Narrative: Antonio's ships at sea; Bassanio asks for a loan to woo Portia; Portia mocks her foolish foreign suitors in Belmont.
Key Quotation for Recitation & Copywork: 'I hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; a stage where every man must play a part, and mine a sad one.'
[Public Domain: William Shakespeare, First Folio / Globe Edition.]
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Table of Contents
12 ChaptersEvery chapter below is pre-indexed for oral narration and easy 1-click scheduling into your weekly Charlotte Mason lesson plan.
Week 1 — Act I, Sc 1–2: The Sad Merchant and the Caskets
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 1 of 12
Week 2 — Act I, Sc 3: Shylock and the Pound of Flesh
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 2 of 12
Week 3 — Act II, Sc 1–7: The Caskets of Gold and Silver
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 3 of 12
Week 4 — Act II, Sc 8–9 & Act III, Sc 1: Hath Not a Jew Eyes?
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 4 of 12
Week 5 — Act III, Sc 2: Bassanio Chooses the Lead Casket
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 5 of 12
Week 6 — Act III, Sc 3–5: The Letter from Venice
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 6 of 12
Week 7 — Act IV, Sc 1 (Part I): The Duke's Court of Justice
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 7 of 12
Week 8 — Act IV, Sc 1 (Part II): The Quality of Mercy
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 8 of 12
Week 9 — Act IV, Sc 1 (Part III): Tarry a Little, Jew
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 9 of 12
Week 10 — Act IV, Sc 1 (End) – Sc 2: The Ring Demanded
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 10 of 12
Week 11 — Act V, Sc 1 (Part I): In Such a Night as This
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 11 of 12
Week 12 — Act V, Sc 1 (Part II): The Jest of the Rings Resolved
The Merchant of Venice (Comedy / Drama) • Term Study Week 12 of 12
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