Why fear Shakespeare? By placing the words of the original play next to line-by-line translations in plain English, these popular guides make Shakespeare accessible to everyone. They introduce Shakespeare's world, significant plot points, and the key players. And now they feature expanded literature guide sections that help students study smarter, along with links to bonus content on the Sparknotes.com website. A Q&A, guided analysis of significant literary devices, and review of the play give students all the tools necessary for understanding, discussing, and writing about Merchant of Venice.

The expanded content includes:
Five Key Questions: Five frequently asked questions about major moments and characters in the play.

What Does the Ending Mean?: Is the ending sad, celebratory, ironic . . . or ambivalent?

Plot Analysis: What is the play about? How is the story told, and what are the main themes? Why do the characters behave as they do?

Study Questions: Questions that guide students as they study for a test or write a paper.

Quotes by Theme: Quotes organized by Shakespeare's main themes, such as love, death, tyranny, honor, and fate.

Quotes by Character: Quotes organized by the play's main characters, along with interpretations of their meaning.