The Merchant of Venice: Campfire Graphic Novel

by William Shakespeare, John F. McDonald (Adapted by), Vinod Kumar (Illustrator)

Overview

A gamble on trading ships at sea, a pound of flesh as the penalty, a contest to win the hand of a rich heiress, and the final rescue in a court of law—The Merchant of Venice has all the ingredients required which make it one of Shakespeare's most dramatic romantic comedies.

Antonio is the merchant of Venice who borrows money to help his friend Bassanio win Portia in marriage. He borrows the money from Shylock, a shrewd moneylender who devises a retribution unprecedented in the annals of law...

...till a young lawyer defeats him in his own game. Who is this young lawyer? What is the clinching argument? The Merchant of Venice is memorable as much for its dramatic scenes as for its strong characters, all of which remain etched in the mind long after the story has been read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789380028590
Publisher:	Steerforth Press
Publication date:	05/24/2011
Series:	Campfire Graphic Novels Series
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	931,346
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564 in Warwickshire, England.
The theme of Shakespeare's work tended to be human feelings such as fear, ambition, and jealousy. His most well known works such as Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth thrived on the weaknesses of human emotions. In Romeo and Juliet he would play on the eternally popular theme of the doomed lovers whose parents object to their union.
Although he died in 1616, Shakespeare's enduring popularity shows no sign of weakening. His work is constantly performed with a plethora of yearly stage plays, and the numerous television adaptations and popular Hollywood films released over the years.

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Editorial Reviews

"A nice first introduction to the play or a new way to experience a classic." — Nicola Manning, Back to Books


"I highly recommend Campfire’s comics. They do what they are intended to do and do it in  a way that excites kids about classic literature."

— Chris Wilson, The Graphic Classroom (a resource for teachers and librarians)

From the Publisher

A graphic-novel treatment of Shakespeare that fails miserably where others have succeeded. In this brutally savaged graphic adaptation of the play, the Bard's lines have been transformed into conversational banality ("How is it going, Shylock?"; "That goes for me too!") within often-misplaced dialogue balloons. Astonishingly, there's nary a mention of Jews, leaching all the power from Shylock's "Has not a Jew..." speech ("And why has [Antonio] done this? Do I not have eyes like everyone else..."). Actually, just about all of the set speeches are nearly unrecognizable: "The quality of mercy is not strained" becomes "You don't need to have a reason to show mercy." Visually, the floridly dressed Venetian figures in Kumar's showy illustrations just stand about in panel after panel, gesturing awkwardly and looking past one another's shoulders. Portia's taste for revealing, off-the-shoulder gowns may give adolescent gawkers pause, but as an invitation to read the original or see it performed here's sure proof that all that glisters is not gold. A closing set of riddles is offered as an activity link to Portia's three boxes in the play. Skip. (Graphic adaptation. 12-14)

Kirkus Reviews