Welcome everyone to Lovers of Literature, including first formers who are just entering secondary schools in the Caribbean! I want all of you to embrace literature. It is one of those subjects that will allow you to think critically and write even better than how you were writing in primary school. We will be looking at the Merchant of Venice, a classic comedy by one of the greatest playwrights that ever lived, William Shakespeare. In order to understand any literary piece, it is important that you always do the following background check, in order to understand the text. So start your research by answering three (3) questions.
Background Check
- Do a quick research on the author's biography: Who is he? Where is he from? What type of life did he have?
- Examine the period (setting) in which the author lived. Is the play set, for example, in the 18th century? Did women have the same rights as men? How important was one's status or social position during this time? How did Venetians view or treat Jews? How were Christians perceived?
- Identify the genre or type of literature. Is the Merchant of Venice a play a comedy? Is the Shakespearean comedy different from other comedies?
The beginning of the blog starts from the bottom, so read from the bottom first.
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