Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice': Study Prompts

This 24-page resource is a set of short writing tasks, and formal essay questions in the style of AP and IB examinations. The initial tasks focus student attention on significant aspects of each scene, and build up a full understanding of what Shakespeare is trying to achieve, how he is trying to achieve it, and how successful he has been. The scene-based questions can, additionally, be used as a basis for class discussion, and the essay topics as an invaluable tool for pre-examination revision and rehearsal. At a time-saving level, teachers will be relieved of the need to develop their own units of study for the play, and to seek out relevant questions from past examinations. The resource effectively promotes the Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1-6 and CC.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11.12.1-6.