This GCSE English Literature quiz takes a look at context in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Setting and context bear many similarities, although context means the environment in which a text is written and a text’s setting is one key aspect of its fictional context. Social issues, geographical location and political events together create the context of any particular text. Authors often respond to contemporary or recent issues in a work of fiction. Personal views also shape the text to an extent and are therefore a component of a work’s context.
How to write about context
The context of a fictional work affects the meaning of text. Making an effort to understand context is an important part of analysing a text.
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The relationship between text and context is not simple, nor necessarily straightforward. History is complex and certainly does not dictate the meaning of any text. Instead, the context of any piece of fiction is mediated through the work, the aims and outlook of the author. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare will have consciously responded to ideas circulating at the time and, like any other author, was probably affected by context in ways he might not have been aware.
Pay especially close attention to the text when writing about context. Of primary concern is what the text itself says about the themes with which it is concerned. Researching a work’s context will help you to develop your approach to these themes. Find out what was happening at the time the text was written. Do you see any relationship to the issues of the text? Compare your knowledge of historical context to whatever the text says about these issues. Any work of art exists beyond its context, of course, and good texts continue creating meaning long after the time they were written.
Remember to distinguish between the setting of the text and its context. Shakespeare chose to set The Merchant of Venice not in London, but in the more exotic trading port of Venice. His immediate context therefore differs significantly to the setting of his play, even though the times are contemporary.
Research the context of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, remembering everything you have learned in English lessons, and try these questions to see how much you know.
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1.
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When was The Merchant of Venice written? |
|
[ ] |
In the 15th century |
[ ] |
Around 1600 |
[ ] |
Around 1700 |
[ ] |
In the 19th century |
|
|
2.
|
Which of the following statements is true? |
|
[ ] |
Many Jewish people lived openly and traded freely in London during the 16th and 17th centuries |
[ ] |
Sixteenth-century London held a famous ghetto |
[ ] |
Before Shakespeare's time, England had always been a safe place for Jewish people to live |
[ ] |
During the Middle Ages, Jews were forced to leave England |
|
|
3.
|
What is meant by the term "usury"? |
|
[ ] |
The practice of loaning money for a short period of time only |
[ ] |
The practice of charging interest on a loan |
[ ] |
The practice of loaning money |
[ ] |
None of the above |
|
|
4.
|
Which of the following statements is true? |
|
[ ] |
Usury was illegal in England until the mid-seventeenth century |
[ ] |
Usury was only illegal in Venice |
[ ] |
Usury was only illegal in England |
[ ] |
Usury is still illegal in Britain today |
|
|
5.
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What was the greatest source of wealth in sixteenth-century Venice? |
|
[ ] |
Piracy |
[ ] |
Mining |
[ ] |
International trade |
[ ] |
Agriculture |
|
|
6.
|
What was the "ghetto" in sixteenth-century Venice? |
|
[ ] |
A residential area where Jews were forced to live |
[ ] |
A name for the poorest neighbourhood |
[ ] |
A name for the wealthiest neighbourhood |
[ ] |
A neighbourhood where the Jews of Venice chose to live |
|
|
7.
|
Europe had a long history of Anti-Semitism which predates the writing of The Merchant of Venice. How does Anti-Semitism impact on the play? |
|
[ ] |
The Christian characters use violent and prejudiced language when speaking to or about the Jewish characters |
[ ] |
Shylock's behaviour is influenced by the Christians' expectations of him and by their mistreatment |
[ ] |
The play remains Anti-Semitic, even while exposing the Anti-Semitic views of its time |
[ ] |
All of the above |
|
|
8.
|
Which of the following is true of sixteenth-century Venice? |
|
[ ] |
It was multicultural |
[ ] |
Only Christians could legally live in Venice |
[ ] |
Only Christians could legally work in Venice |
[ ] |
There were no limits on people of any religion or nationality in Venice |
|
|
9.
|
Which of the following is an alternate title for the play? |
|
[ ] |
The Jew of Malta |
[ ] |
The Jew of Venice |
[ ] |
The Merchant and the Jew |
[ ] |
The Doctor of Venice |
|
|
10.
|
A famous trial might have been an influence on The Merchant of Venice. Whose trial? |
|
[ ] |
Elizabeth I's wig maker |
[ ] |
Elizabeth I's personal secretary |
[ ] |
Elizabeth I's doctor |
[ ] |
Sir Walter Raleigh |
|
|
1.
|
When was The Merchant of Venice written? |
|
[ ] |
In the 15th century |
[x] |
Around 1600 |
[ ] |
Around 1700 |
[ ] |
In the 19th century |
|
|
2.
|
Which of the following statements is true? |
|
[ ] |
Many Jewish people lived openly and traded freely in London during the 16th and 17th centuries |
[ ] |
Sixteenth-century London held a famous ghetto |
[ ] |
Before Shakespeare's time, England had always been a safe place for Jewish people to live |
[x] |
During the Middle Ages, Jews were forced to leave England |
|
|
3.
|
What is meant by the term "usury"? |
|
[ ] |
The practice of loaning money for a short period of time only |
[x] |
The practice of charging interest on a loan |
[ ] |
The practice of loaning money |
[ ] |
None of the above |
|
|
4.
|
Which of the following statements is true? |
|
[x] |
Usury was illegal in England until the mid-seventeenth century |
[ ] |
Usury was only illegal in Venice |
[ ] |
Usury was only illegal in England |
[ ] |
Usury is still illegal in Britain today |
|
|
5.
|
What was the greatest source of wealth in sixteenth-century Venice? |
|
[ ] |
Piracy |
[ ] |
Mining |
[x] |
International trade |
[ ] |
Agriculture |
|
|
6.
|
What was the "ghetto" in sixteenth-century Venice? |
|
[x] |
A residential area where Jews were forced to live |
[ ] |
A name for the poorest neighbourhood |
[ ] |
A name for the wealthiest neighbourhood |
[ ] |
A neighbourhood where the Jews of Venice chose to live |
|
|
7.
|
Europe had a long history of Anti-Semitism which predates the writing of The Merchant of Venice. How does Anti-Semitism impact on the play? |
|
[ ] |
The Christian characters use violent and prejudiced language when speaking to or about the Jewish characters |
[ ] |
Shylock's behaviour is influenced by the Christians' expectations of him and by their mistreatment |
[ ] |
The play remains Anti-Semitic, even while exposing the Anti-Semitic views of its time |
[x] |
All of the above |
|
|
8.
|
Which of the following is true of sixteenth-century Venice? |
|
[x] |
It was multicultural |
[ ] |
Only Christians could legally live in Venice |
[ ] |
Only Christians could legally work in Venice |
[ ] |
There were no limits on people of any religion or nationality in Venice |
|
|
9.
|
Which of the following is an alternate title for the play? |
|
[ ] |
The Jew of Malta |
[x] |
The Jew of Venice |
[ ] |
The Merchant and the Jew |
[ ] |
The Doctor of Venice |
|
|
10.
|
A famous trial might have been an influence on The Merchant of Venice. Whose trial? |
|
[ ] |
Elizabeth I's wig maker |
[ ] |
Elizabeth I's personal secretary |
[x] |
Elizabeth I's doctor |
[ ] |
Sir Walter Raleigh |
|
|