"For this updated edition of one of Shakespeare's most problematic plays, Tom Lockwood has added a new introductory section on the latest scholarly trends, performance and adaptation practices which have occurred over the last two decades. Investigating the latest critical frames through which the play has been interpreted, the updated introduction also focuses on recent international performances on stage and screen (including Al Pacino's performances...

Shylock loans money to a man he despises, the merchant Antonio, only if a pound of Antonio's flesh will be due, in a court of law, upon default. Antonio borrows the money so that his friend Bessanio can travel to woo the woman he loves, Portia, whose freedom to marry is bound up in a fairy-tale decree of her father's.

Set in 1860's Venice, a young Venetian borrows money from a Jew who gives him the money on the security of one pound of flesh. Upon default the Jew insists on payment of his bond and the young Venetian is rescued by the heroine disguised as a male lawyer.

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, discusses the author and the theater of his time, and provides quizzes and other study activities.

Blending tragedy and comedy, this play presents contrasts and ambiguities, the complexities of which lie in the character Shylock, its captivating villain. Is he a villain, a buffoon, or tragic hero?