Merchant of Venice

Synopsis
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Annotation
Presents the original text of Shakespeare’s play side by side with a modern version, with marginal notes and explanations and full descriptions of each character.

Booknews
In addition to the text of the play itself, edited by David Benington, approximately contemporary texts fill in the cultural context of its creation and reception. They look at Venice, finance, and love and gender. The play was probably written in the middle or late 1590s, near the end of Elizabeth’s reign; the texts span the 16th and 17th centuries. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)