Republic Central Colleges

High School Department

I. Objectives

At the end of the 60 minutes lesson, the students should be able to:

a. Define and unlock unfamiliar words in the story,

b. Identify the characters, theme, and elements of the plot in the story; and

c. Reflect on the moral values of the story

II. Topic

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

III. Materials

Powerpoint presentation and pop-up visual aids

Reference: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/explore-shakespeare/shakespedia/shakespeares
plays/merchant-venice/

IV. Lesson Proper

TEACHER’S ACTIVITY STUDENT’S ACTIVITY

I. Introduction

Good morning, Class! Good morning, Ma’am!

Let's all stand up and pray. Charlotte, please lead (The class stands up and Charlotte leads the
us in the prayer. prayer.)

Before you take your seat, please pick up the Charlotte: Yes, ma’am. Let’s bow our heads
trash around you and arrange your chairs and feel the presence of the Lord... Amen.
properly.
(The students will pick up the trash and
arrange their chairs.)

Once again, good morning, Class! Good morning, Ma’am!

You may now take a seat.

Let’s check the attendance first. Please say (The students will say ‘present’. No absences
present once your name is called. recorded.)

Very good! We have a perfect attendance. I bet

you wouldn't want to miss our lesson today and
miss hearing the lovely voice of your teacher.
Now I want you to please listen to our discussion and
instructions attentively. Lend me your ears. Also, avoid
making unnecessary noise, if you want to talk, raise
your right hand to be acknowledged. You are part of
the group and you can always share your ideas with
us. Am I making myself clear? Yes, ma’am.

Now before we proceed to our discussion, let us first

have a short recap about what we had last meeting.
What was the last meeting all about?
(Kiara raised her hand.)

Yes, Kiara. Kiara: We have talked about the five

elements of a plot ma’am.

That’s right Kiara, and what are these five elements? (Marco raised his hand.)
Can you name them?

Yes, Marco. Marco: We have exposition, rising action,

climax, falling action, and denouement.

Nice one, Marco. What are these 5 elements all (Luigi raised his hands.)
about?

Yes, Luigi? Luigi: Exposition describes the beginning part

of the story, next is the rising action which is
where the moments in the story that begins
to lead up to the climax, next is the climax
which is the turning point of the story, this is
where the problem of the character starts to
have conflicts, we also have falling action,
this is when the conflict was resolved, Lastly,
is the denouement, this is the ending part of
the story.

Yes, Luigi. Very good, you are correct about the

elements of a plot. We have exposition, rising action,
climax, falling action, and denouement. You see, these
5 elements of a plot are very important in a story.
These help the story to be in place and to make sense
to the reader and keep the story moving. This will help
the writer to write a good storyline that contains
conflict which will be resolved by the main characters
of the story.

Are we clear, class? Students: Yes, ma’am.

Do you have any questions? Students: None, ma’am.

II. Interaction

Okay, before we start our lesson we will first have an

activity and this activity is called “Wachu think?” For
the instruction, I will be presenting some pictures and
I want you to share your thoughts about these
pictures, I want you to share the first thing that comes
into your mind and answer the following questions.
Understand? Yes, ma’am.
(The teacher will present the pictures and ask
questions.)

(Sofi raised her hand)

Yes, Sofia. Are you raising your hand? Sofi: Yes, ma’am. For me, ma’am, they look
What do you think these people are doing? like they are trading something, like the
Do you think that they are selling something? traditional way of how Filipinos trade our
products or goods to the Chinese or other
people back then. And yes, I think they are
selling something.

Yes, you are actually correct, Sofi. These people are

called merchants, they are involved in wholesale
trade, dealing with foreign countries. Class, let’s give
Sofia a clap.

The next photo will be this one, I want you to share

your thoughts.

Yes, Geo. What have you observed? (Geo raised his hand)
Good observation. And I want you to answer this Geo: I think this has something to do with
question. justice. Because the seesaw can symbolize a
weighing scale wherein people are judged
based on what power or sin they commit.

What is justice for you? Geo: Justice should be fair and not be
biased. Government or the people with
power needs to close their eyes when it
comes to judgment so that they can’t give
the other party an exclusive exemption. They
judged people based on the sins they had
committed and not because they were a
daughter or a son of a rich or known man.

Very good, Geo!

Let’s give Geo a booming clap. (Students Clap)
The last picture will be this one.

Yes, Shiloh, you are raising your hand. What can you
(Shiloh raised her hand)
say about this picture?
Shiloh: It’s about choosing who will you
forgive.
Okay, with that here’s your question: Who would you
find most difficult to forgive? Someone who stole
I think I find it more difficult for me to
something from you or someone who spreads bad
forgive someone who stole something about
things about you? Why?
me, especially if I really trust that person.
Because I don’t care if you spread a lie about
me, as long as I know that I didn’t really do
such bad things.
Okay, nice one Shiloh. Let’s give Shiloh a snap-clap.
Your answers are all correct. In fact, in life, we may
(Students clap)
face some challenges that will require us to lose our
money, dignity, power, trust, and respect.
(Students answer in chorus)
But we have to know how that kindness will always
Students: we had fun ma’am, we enjoyed it.
save the day. How did you find the activity? Is it hard?
Did you have fun?

That's good. Now, fasten your seatbelts because we

will be meeting the author of the story, William
Shakespeare.

So, who is William Shakespeare?

(The teacher will give a brief explanation about the

author.)
William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet,
playwright, and actor born in Stratford-upon-Avon
England, in April 1564 and died in 1616. He was an
English prolific writer during the Elizabethan and
Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes called
the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period).
Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring
legacy. Shakespeare’s poems also remain popular to
this day.

He is also the author of the famous “Romeo and

Juliet”. He also authored Hamlet. It is arguably the
greatest drama ever written.
That’s very much about the great poet. Do you have None, Ma’am.
any questions?

Now that we were able to get to know the great

author, before we dive into the story of The Merchant
of Venice, let us first unlock a few important terms
that you will be meeting along the way:

Merchant - a person or company involved in

wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign
countries or supplying merchandise to a particular
trade
Example: The greedy merchant raised the price of
bread and milk during the blizzard.
Flesh - the soft substance consisting of muscle and fat
that is found between the skin and bones of an animal
or a human
Example: "She grabbed Anna's arm, her fingers sinking
into the flesh.
Compensation - something, typically money, awarded
to someone as a recompense for loss, injury, or
suffering
Example: "seeking compensation for injuries suffered
at work"
Antisemitism - hostility to or prejudice against Jewish
people
Example: "he is a leader in the fight against anti-
Semitism"
Elope - runaway to get married, especially without
parental consent.

(The teacher will also ask the students to correspond

the terms defined to the definition on the other side
of the words)
(The teacher will ask the students to provide an
example with the terms defined on the board)

Thank you for your active participation. Now that we

have already unlocked the unfamiliar words in the
play that you might encounter, let us now move on to
getting to know the characters first.

And since you met the characters already, let us now None ma'am
proceed to the play by William Shakespeare entitled.
“The Merchant of Venice”.

(The teacher will present the summary of the story in

each part. And she will be asking one student to read
it)

Alright. Angelo, please read. Angelo: Yes ma'am.

(Angelo Reads Act I narration)
The Merchant of Venice (Narration)

Act I

In Venice, a merchant named Antonio worries that his

ships are overdue. As his colleagues offer comfort, his
young friends—Bassanio, Gratiano, and Lorenzo—
arrive. Bassanio asks Antonio for a loan so that he can
pursue the wealthy Portia, who lives in Belmont.
Antonio cannot afford the loan. Instead, he sends
Bassanio to borrow the money on the security of
Antonio's expected shipments.

At Belmont, Portia and her maid, Nerissa, discuss the

suitors who have come in response to Portia's father's
strange will. The will says Portia may only marry a man
who chooses the correct casket made from three
possible options: gold, silver, and lead. Much to
Portia's distress, all her suitors are unsatisfactory.
However, she does fondly remember a time when
Bassanio came to Belmont, and that leaves her with
some hope.

Bassanio approaches Shylock, a Jewish moneylender,

about the loan. Shylock holds a grudge against
Antonio for his lending practices and apparent
antisemitism. Still, he offers Bassanio the loan.
Instead of charging interest, seemingly as a kind of
joke, he asks for a pound of Antonio's flesh if the loan
isn't repaid within three months. The bond is agreed
to and Bassanio prepares to leave for Belmont with
his friend Graziano.
(This is the part where the main characters are
successfully introduced by the author. This makes it
the Exposition of the story. This is also the part where
Antonio and Bassiano ask a moneylender Shylock to
lend him money but…?)

Thank you for reading, Angelo. Now, what comes Kia: Shylock tells Antonio that he will be
next? Yes, Kia getting Antonio a pond of his flesh if he
won’t be able to pay him on time.

That is right, Kia.

Why do you think Shylock wants a pound of flesh (A student will raise his/her hand and shares
from Antonio instead of money or a treasure in his/her idea.)
return?
It is because Antonio was Shylock's enemy
and instead of getting the money he needs a
pound of flesh.
(Janela raised her hand)

Okay, anything else?

Yes, Janela. Janela: because he was merciless, he hated

You are all correct. Antonio because he would insult him for
cheating people with high rates of interest.

And why do you think Antonio agreed with what (Students: because he is confident?)
Shylock wanted to do once he wasn’t able to pay him
on time?

Yes. Antonio had agreed to this particular condition

for he was confident that his ships would all arrive
safely at their destinations and that he would easily
settle the debt within the three-month period. He
acted against Bassanio's advice to sign the bond for he
was putting himself at risk. Bassanio, unlike Antonio,
had the presence of mind to realize that there always
existed the possibility that things might go awry.

Are we clear? Yes, Ma’am.

(Kendall stands up and reads)
Kendall, please read the next slide.

Act II
Meanwhile, one of Shylock's servants, Launcelot,
wishes to change masters and persuades Bassanio to
employ him. Shylock's daughter, Jessica, also longs to
leave home. She wants to become a Christian and
marry Antonio's friend Lorenzo. Before he departs to
serve his new master, Launcelot takes a letter to
Lorenzo that contains plans for Lorenzo and Jessica to
elope that night. When Shylock goes out, Jessica
escapes to elope, taking gold and jewels with her. The
following day, Bassanio sets sail for Belmont, while
Shylock rages over the loss of his daughter and the
treasures she has stolen.
In Belmont, one of Portia’s suitors (the Prince of
Morocco) chooses the golden casket, while another
(the Prince of Aragon) selects silver. Both chose the
the wrong casket and were unsuccessful. As Aragon
leaves,

Bassanio is announced. Portia eagerly goes to greet

him.

(This is where the part wherein characters are starting

to develop. This is the rising action of the story.)

Do you have questions?

Can we proceed? None, Ma’am.
Clara, please read the next slide. Yes, Ma’am.
(Clara stands up and reads.)

Act III
After a few days, Shylock hears that his daughter
Jessica is squandering her stolen wealth in Genoa. He
begins to rail bitterly against Christians. He reminds
Antonio's friends that if the loan is not repaid on time,
he will insist on the original agreement of one pound
of flesh.

Back in Belmont, Bassanio chooses the lead casket,

and in so doing, he wins Portia. His friend Graziano
asks for Portia's maid Nerissa to be his wife. Portia
gives her ring to Bassanio, making him promise never
to give it to another. As Lorenzo and Jessica come to
Belmont, news arrives that Antonio's ships have been
lost at sea, and he is now bankrupt. They are also told
Shylock insists on the fulfillment of his bond and has
had Antonio arrested. Bassanio and Graziano leave in
haste to help Antonio. Portia and Nerissa resolve to
follow afterward, disguised as lawyers.

So, why did Antonio fail to pay Shylock on time?

(Ana raised her hand)
Yes, Ana?
Ana: because his ship was destroyed at the
sea. He has no way to repay Shylock and will
have to face him in court.
Very good, Ana. As it turned out, fortune favored
Shylock since Antonio suffered disaster when all his
ships and their precious cargo were destroyed. It
seems as if the Christian merchant had tempted fate
too much and suffered unfortunate consequences.
In addition, Shylock believed that the law was on his
side and that his appeal for restitution was justified.
Antonio was, after all, of sound body and mind when
he signed their agreement. He knew exactly what the
conditions were and signed the bond even against his
best friend's admonition that he did not trust Shylock.
This is the climax of the story, the conflict already
occurred.

Do you have any questions or reactions, class, before

we proceed? Students: None, ma’am.

Alright, let us now proceed with Act IV. Samantha,

please read. (Samantha stands up and reads)

Act IV
In the court in Venice, Shylock demands his pound of
flesh. The Duke, presiding over the court, seeks legal
advice from the lawyer "Balthazar," who is Portia in
disguise. Portia pleads for Shylock to have mercy on
Antonio. Bassanio offers his wife's money, which
would more than pay the debt, but Shylock refuses to
accept. Antonio's death is only prevented as Balthazar
explains the bond is for flesh but not for a single drop
of blood. So Shylock cannot collect the pound of flesh.
For threatening the life of a Venetian, Shylock forfeits
his goods to Antonio and Bassanio. Antonio refuses his
share of the compensation and asks for it to be put in
a trust for Lorenzo and Jessica. He also demands that
Shylock becomes a Christian. Broken and in
submission, Shylock leaves the court. Bassanio and
Graziano thank the lawyers, who ask for their rings as
legal fees. Bassanio and Graziano refuse until Antonio
intervenes and makes them give the rings to the
lawyers.

How did the ladies save Antonio?

(Jam raises her hand)
Yes, Jam?
Jam: They disguised as lawyers.
Yes, very good. In fact, Shylock is pressing Antonio in
court to fulfill his bond, made legally, and Antonio has
agreed that if Antonio does not repay the loan from
Shylock within the agreed time, Shylock can cut a
pound of flesh from his body. Antonio does not repay
the loan - and Shylock is therefore entitled to his
bond.
This is the falling action, conflict is starting to be
resolved.

And the court does not dispute this fact - until, of

course, Portia realizes that the bond does not say
anything about blood. Shylock is allowed to cut a
pound of Antonio's flesh, but if he removes a single
drop of blood, he has taken more than he is entitled
to - and the bond is forfeit. And that's how she
manages to prevent Antonio from being cut to pieces:
even if she does do it at the very last moment.

Any questions, class? Students: None, ma’am.

Renz, please read the next part. (Renz stands up and reads)

Act V
Undisguised, Portia and Nerissa return home at night
to find Lorenzo and Jessica enjoying the tranquility of
Belmont. When their husbands arrive, Portia and
Nerissa scold them for giving away their rings,
pretending they had been given away to other
women. Before long, they reveal themselves as the
lawyers from the trial. Antonio receives news that his
ships have returned safely after all. The play ends as
the three couples prepare to celebrate their
marriages.

Thank you, Ren. You may seat down.

So before we dive into the last part of the story, as it

was discussed in the 4th act, Portia concealed as a
lawyer, agrees that it is legally acceptable to collect
the flesh of the merchant. However, Portia reminds
shylock that he must do so without causing Antonio to
bleed, as the contract does not entitle him to collect
blood. He was charged to pay a specific amount of
money to the state and turn over half of Shylock’s
property to Antonio as compensation for threatening
his life. Antonio refused and demanded that he shall
surrender his whole estate to his daughter Jessica and
her partner, Lorenzo.

Meanwhile, they rejoiced at the fact they won the

case and were pressured to give their rings to the
disguised lawyers as a sign of their thankful gesture.

Now, on the denouement part, from the court, Portia

and Nerissa return to Belmont, they were happy
witnessing Jessica and Lorenzo together.

But on the next day, when their husbands arrive, they

accused them of giving away their rings easily to other
people. But before the deception gets too far, they
admitted that they were there during the trial and in
fact, concealed themselves as their legal advisers.
Jessica and Lorenzo were both pleased to know about
the inheritance that will be surrendered to them by
her father. And all of them were joyful about the great
news that Antonio’s ships traveled back safely. And in
the end, they were able to celebrate their love and
great fortune.

III. Integration

That is the end of the story, class. Now, let us talk (No one is raising a hand)
about the main themes of the story. One of the
themes is self-interest vs. love. Why do you think
these two are one of the themes in the story?

Or can you give me a scenario in the story of how self-

interest vs. love is portrayed in the story?

Yes, Nicole? Please stand. Nicole: It can be emphasized by their desire

to pursue money over the relationship they
have with the people close to them.

Thank you, Nicole. So you’ll notice that in the story,

there are scenarios that the characters portray that
they value money over their relationship. One
example of this is how Shylock the Jew, values tangible
treasures more than his relationship with her daughter
(e.g. calling his ducats his daughter) and how the
Christian characters value their relationship with
people more than money (e.g. Antonio giving away his
flesh for as an interest for the money Bassanio
borrowed).

But also, their characters are a bit difficult to pin

down.

(the teacher provides examples)

Example: Shylock laments over the ring that his
daughter sold not because of monetary loss but it is
because the ring is a remembrance of his dead wife.
Example: Bassanio initially tried to pursue Portia to
pay his debts.

Another theme in the story is friendship. How do you (Ash raises her hand)
think friendship is one of the themes in the story? Yes, Ash: An example of this is when Antonio
Ash? willingly provided financial support for his
friend, Bassanio.
Very good, Ash. Antonio sacrificed his flesh for the
sake of his friend, Bassanio. And just like how Portia
and Nerissa disguised as lawyers to save Bassanio and
Antonio.

Alright, with all this importance, can anyone share

(Clarisse raised her hands)
what they have learned from the story?
Clarisse: If you borrowed anything from
Yes, Clarisse?
anyone, you should know how to give it
back to them on time. You owe them and it
is your responsibility to pay them.

Thank you so much for that, Clarisse. Another

(John raises his hands)
response from, John. Yes, John?
John: Sometimes as the lender, you should
not be greedy and consider the person or
people that owe you something.

You are all correct, thank you so much for those

wonderful reflections, I’m glad that you have learned
something from our lesson today.

So we must always make sure what we do for our

friends will not put us in danger. Saving money is also
important. We must manage our money more
efficiently starting by learning how to spend
responsibly and setting aside the things that are not
necessary. We must also know that once we borrow
something from someone, we need to pay them on
time. At the same time, financial decisions must be
taken seriously if you want a better life for your family.
It is okay that sometimes we buy things we want
because we deserve them because we did some great
things. But the most important lesson here is, not all
that glitters is gold. Things that look more valuable or
attractive from the outside don’t mean that they are
worthy to be pursued. That is why we need to be
careful with the people we choose to surround
ourselves with, and the decisions that might put our
lives at stake.
Students: None, ma’am.
Do you have any questions, class?

With that, thank you all for your participation.

IV. Evaluation

Now, let us have our activity,

Instruction: On a yellow sheet of pad paper, read and
answer the questions substantially with no less than 3
sentences, a maximum of 6 sentences on each
response. Each answer is equivalent to 5 pts.

1. What is the main message of “The Merchant

of Venice” by William Shakespeare?

2. What is the significance of the story in today’s

generation?

3. Is Shylock a victim, a villain, or a combination

of both? Explain your answer.

V. Assignment

Direction: On a one-sheet yellow pad, answer and

explain your response to the question below in 3-5
sentences.

Question: What will you do when someone

borrowed something from you and didn’t follow the
terms and conditions that you agreed upon?

Your response will be graded on the following

rubrics.

Content - 10

Organization of thoughts - 10

Grammar - 5

Total: 25 pts.