William Shakespeare is an English writer of plays and poems, who is generally regarded as the greatest of all English writers. He wrote tragedies, comedies and historical plays, and as a poet he wrote sonnets.
( ) How much do you know about Shakespeare ?
Macbeth King Lear Hamlet Othello tragedies 《麦克白》 《李尔王》 《哈姆雷特》 《奥赛罗》
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Twelfth Night As You Like It The Merchant of Venice comedies 《仲夏夜之梦》 《第十二夜 》 《皆大欢喜》 《威尼斯商人》
King Henry IV Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
A person who has great responsibilities, such as a king, is constantly worried and therefore doesn't sleep soundly.
Hamlet To be or not to be: that is the question.
That is a question whether to live on in this world or to die, that is, to take action or to do nothing.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Hamlet
It is best not to lend money to others and not to borrow from others. When we lend something. We risk losing both the thing we lend and the friendship with that other person.
Romeo & Juliet Romeo, Romeo, why are you Romeo? Deny your father, and refuse your name…
Why must you be the son of my family’s greatest enemy? Refuse your family for my love.
Troilus & Cressida Words, words, only words, no matter from the heart.
Empty words, not real thoughts or ideas from the heart.
Listening
1. In which city does the play take place? 2. How much time passes between the beginning of the play and the end? Listen to the tape and answer the following questions. Venice About three months
3. How much money does Bassanio need to marry Portia? 4. What must Antonio give Shylock if he cannot pay back the debt? 3,000 ducats A pound of flesh from any part of his body
Listen to the tape again and fill in the following chart that explains who is who in The Merchant of Venice. Who are they? What do they do in the play? What is their relation to the other characters in the play?
Antonio: Bassanio: Duke: Shylock: Portia: the moneylender Bassanio’s wife Antonio’s friend the merchant of Venice What is their relation to the other characters in the play? the judge listening
Duke Antonio Shylock BassanioPortia enemies husband & wife friends
Speaking
Shylock Antonio (vengeful) (merciful) Create a chance to kill Antonio. He used the chance. Has a chance to punish Shylock. He forgave him. Speaking Mercy VS Vengeance
Correct me if I ’ m wrong, but … You shouldn't forget that … What shouldn't be forgotten is … One of the most important facts is … You could, for example, say … As far as I know … After all … Useful expressions What would you do if you had your worst enemy in your power? Group Work
VS It happens everywhere around the world: two young people love each other, but when the boy is poor or doesn't have a good job, often the parents of the girl don’t allow them to get married.
Maybe you even know some examples in your hometown. Are the parents right? If not, what do you think about the situation like that? What should be done? Discussion:
Further discussion: ---We all know the story of Romeo & Juliet, in the play the lovers didn't have a happy ending because of revenge. If you were Juliet’s father, in order to let your daughter live a happy life, do you want to give up the revenge? Do you want to have mercy on Romeo? After you forgive Romeo, there is another man who loves Juliet very much. What’s more, he is richer than Romeo, but Juliet doesn’t love him, will you marry your daughter to him instead of Romeo?