The Merchant of Venice Act 2 Quiz, Close Readings, and Vocabulary Games Bundle

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. A plot-based quiz, nine close reading worksheets (one per scene), a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:

• Read for literal comprehension
• Determine the meanings of unfamiliar and archaic words
• Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
• Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
• Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and dramatic techniques
• Describe tone in context
• Determine the functions of various passages
• Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
• Compare and contrast two characters (Jessica and Portia)
• Consider the motif of the guest-host relationship and argue whether Portia conforms to the expectations of a good host, or whether she fails to meet expectations and represents a bad host
• Apply knowledge of many literary devices with emphasis on allusion, hyperbole, dramatic irony, situational irony, personification, symbolism, invective, juxtaposition, and metaphor
• Conduct brief online research (if necessary) to determine the symbolic value of a particular object
• Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
• Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
• Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works