Literary Classics are indispensable masterpieces, which help us understand our world irrespective of changing times. Timelessness of such works make them even more relevant for younger minds that are in their formative years. But the children, when they are just brushing their linguistic teeth might find Elizabethan English a little harder to chew and might choose to stay away.
Wisemen Publication’s – Wisemen World Classics is an attempt to befriend your growing child with Great Masters of world literature, retelling their content in contemporary prose with vivid illustrations, while retaining the music of the original work.
ABOUT THE MERCHANT OF VENICE STORY.
One of the most popular comedies of Shakespeare, written around 1598. The story revolves around two central problems. The first issue is that of Bassanio. He needs money to go to Belmont. He borrows it from Shylock, the cruel moneylender, on Antonio’s surety.
He then goes to try his luck at winning Portia. Winning Portia is also an obstacle. Bassanio is presented with three caskets of gold, silver, and lead. He has to choose the right casket i.e. the one that contains her portrait.
The climax of this plot is reached when Bassanio chooses the leaden casket, which contains Portia’s portrait.
The problem is that of Antonio whose ships get lost and who is not able to pay back the money borrowed from Shylock on time.
Consequently, as per the bond signed at the time of borrowing Shylock can take a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body. The case is brought to court, where Portia who is now Bassanio’s wife defends it disguised as a lawyer. Read this book to find out he she defeats Shylock’s revenge.
About William Shakespeare – William Shakespeare has ruled the English literature for 400 years. Born on 23 April in 1564 in the village of Stratford-on-Avon as the third child of John Shakespeare, he had to support his family as his father’s business fell apart. While 18, he married Anne Hathaway, a peasant girl, eight years older to him. About 1589, Shakespeare joined a theatre company in London as a general helper but soon started acting and writing plays.
Initially, he worked with other writers, before writing his own plays. Love’s labour lost, Comedy of Errors, Two gentleman of Verona, Romeo & Juliet and many other masterpieces were written during this period.
He got popular very soon. Within 10 years of coming to London, he had become the most famous actor and writer of plays in English. His monetary troubles were gone.
But some personal sorrow seems to have struck him around this time as now he started writing tragedies. He wrote his greatest plays during this time – The Merchant of Venice, as you like it, Twelfth Night, Julius Ceaser, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and King Lear.
He was at the prime of his literary carrier, but it seems that name, fame and money did not interest him any more. In 1597 he bought the finest house in Stratford and in 1611 he left London to settle there, permanently. He died on the anniversary of his birth 23 April 1616.
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