The Merchant of Venice Act 4 scenes 1 and 2

This PowerPoint lesson (possibly several lessons) guides the class through the climactic scene Act 4 scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice. Detailed exploration of the language is shown with particularly reference to links to and repetitions from earlier scenes. The dramatic tensions are highlighted as the distinctions between Shylock and his Christian enemies crystallize and sympathy for the moneylender dissipates. A sequence of questions on both ‘The Quality of Mercy’ speech and the following trap are outlined, along with some suggested answers for the former, to ensure understanding of the key line of argument as well as the rhetorical skill of Portia acting as Balthazar. This is followed and juxtaposed with the lighter ‘trap’ that catches Bassanio and Gratiano in the exchange of rings. The 32-slide resource concludese with three exam-style questions to provide practice opportunities for students working on OCR, AQA and Edexcel GCSE courses.