Will Hobbs has created an exquisitely plotted, nail-biting experience that has great morals and teaches about the values of friendship and family. The characters learn that nature brings people together and can change a person's outlook on life. The main character, Jessie, and her friends are at a summer camp for troubled kids that they call "Hoods in the Woods." At the beginning of the book, all of their lives are going down river. As they are plunged into the great adventure of rafting down the rough Colorado River, the characters' personalities and the conflicts between them come out. Troy is stunning but turns out to be selfish and narcissistic. Star is weak and fragile but transforms into a self-confident person. There are other characters too, each one very different. This really brings the story to life. You know that with every catastrophe they face and overcome, they are only closer to the ultimate win that comes at the end when everything falls into place. It is a phenomenal book. The book twists into a novel about the love and friendships people can make when you get past your differences.

Will Hobbs has created an exquisitely plotted, nail-biting experience that has great morals and teaches about the values of friendship and family. The characters learn that nature brings people together and can change a person's outlook on life. The main character, Jessie, and her friends are at a summer camp for troubled kids that they call "Hoods in the Woods." At the beginning of the book, all of their lives are going down river. As they are plunged into the great adventure of rafting down the rough Colorado River, the characters' personalities and the conflicts between them come out. Troy is stunning but turns out to be selfish and narcissistic. Star is weak and fragile but transforms into a self-confident person. There are other characters too, each one very different. This really brings the story to life. You get this overwhelming feeling when you read this book, a feeling of how good life is if you can look at it in a certain way. You can feel the everlasting friendships that the characters form. You feel the tension as they fight for their lives against nature's forces. You know that with every catastrophe they face and overcome, they are only closer to the ultimate win that comes at the end when everything falls into place. It is a phenomenal book. I can say that I have found a respect not as much for nature, but for people. It has increased my awareness of how wonderfully different we are. The book twists into a novel about the love and friendships people can make when you get past your differences. I do have an attitude towards Mother Nature that she can be rough and beautiful. If you want to get all you can out of her, you have to experience them both.

Downriver by Will Hobbs reviewed by Maia Hazelwood

Will Hobbs has created an exquisitely plotted, nail-biting experience that has great morals and teaches about the values of friendship and family. The characters learn that nature brings people together and can change a person's outlook on life. The main character, Jessie, and her friends are at a summer camp for troubled kids that they call "Hoods in the Woods." At the beginning of the book, all of their lives are going down river. As they are plunged into the great adventure of rafting down the rough Colorado River, the characters' personalities and the conflicts between them come out. Troy is stunning but turns out to be selfish and narcissistic. Star is weak and fragile but transforms into a self-confident person. There are other characters too, each one very different. This really brings the story to life. You get this overwhelming feeling when you read this book, a feeling of how good life is if you can look at it in a certain way. You can feel the everlasting friendships that the characters form. You feel the tension as they fight for their lives against nature's forces. You know that with every catastrophe they face and overcome, they are only closer to the ultimate win that comes at the end. It is a phenomenal book. I can say that I have found a respect not as much for nature, but for people. It has increased my awareness of how wonderfully different we are. The book twists into a novel about the love and friendships people can make when you get past your differences. I do have an attitude towards Mother Nature that she can be rough and beautiful. If you want to get all you can out of her, you have to experience them both.

The Folger Library series are your best Shakespeare source. They specialize in Shakespeares' greatest plays and are quality books that are perfect companion and translator to Shakespeare. It is loaded with page after page of translation from the Old English expressions that are no longer in use to our modern talk, and pictures as well as historic background information on th Elizabethan era and Shakespeares' life. Hamlet is without question Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, remaining in our theatrical culture to this very day. It has become a conversation piece for English professors, dramatists and screen actors (Mel Gibson tackled the role in 1991) and even psychologists, who claim that Hamlet had the Oedipal complex, especially when they read the scene in which Hamlet is in his mother's bedroom. What makes Hamlet so great ? Why does this old play still come alive when performed on the stage in the hands of the right actors ?

Shakespeare, believe it or not, was a people's person and knew about the human condition perhaps more than anyone in his day. Hamlet deals principally with obscession for revenge. Hamlet is a prince whose father has been murdered under the evil conspiracy from his uncle Claudius and even the support of his mother, Queen Gertrude. Depressed, wearing black all the time, and very much as solitary as any "Goth" would be in our day, Hamlet laments his situation, until his father's ghost appears and urges him to avenge his death. The mystery still remains, is this ghost real ? Is it, as many in Elizabetheans thought, a demon in disguise ? Or is it simply a figment of Hamlet's own emotions and desire for revenge. At any rate, Hamlet's father appears twice and Hamlet spends most of the play planning his revenge. His most striking line that reveals this consuming need is "The play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king!".

Pretending to be mad, he scorns even the love of the woman he genuinely loves, Ophelia, whose mind is shattered and heart is broken and who has an impressive mad scene. The deaths of Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are also in Hamle'ts hands and a consequence of his revenge. The famous soliloquy in the play, is of course, "To be or not to be", taken on by such great actors as Lawrence Olivier and Orson Welles. Hamlet muses on the brevity of life and the suffering which can only cease through death, as he holds a skull and is evidently suicidal. Finally, the last scenes are the most dramatic. Hamlet duels with Laertes, Ophelia's brother, and with Claudius himself. The deaths of the main cast, including the Queen, goes to show how tragic the human desire for greed and revenge is.

This is Shakespeare's finest tragedy, and quality drama, best seen in a live stage performance, but that also works as a film. As for this book, as I said before, this is the Hamlet to have. You will become more acquianted with Hamlet and Shakespeare even more than taking a year's course with a teacher. This book itself is the teacher.

A tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1599-1601. Before the play opens, the king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who has taken the throne and married the queen, Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. Hamlet, tormented by this revelation, appears to be mad and cruelly rejects Ophelia whom he loved. Using a troupe of visiting players to act out his father's death, the prince prompts Claudius to expose his own guilt. Hamlet then kills Ophelia's father Polonius in mistake for Claudius, and Claudius tries but fails to have Hamlet killed. Ophelia drowns herself in grief, and her brother Laertes fights a duel with Hamlet.

Hamlet's dilemma is often seen as typical of those whose thoughtful nature prevents quick and decisive action.

Hamlet contains several fine examples of soliloquy, such as " To be or not to be" and Hamlet's earlier speech lamenting his mother's hasty remarriage and Claudius' reign which opens "O! that this too too solid flesh would melt". Much quoted lined "Neither a borrower nor a lender be", "Something is rotten in the stste of Denmark", "Brevity is the soul of wit", "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" The lady doth protest too much, methinks," and "Alas, poor Yorick". Arguably Shakespeare's finest play and one that can be read again and again.

If you could read only one thing in your lifetime Hamlet should be that one thing. It is Shakespeare's best work by far, and within its pages is more meaning than you could find within the pages of an entire library full of books, or plays as the case may be. A mere review, a couple words, cannot do Hamlet justice. At times I realize that the language of Shakespeare can be difficult that is why I recommend the Folger version because it helps to make the images expressed by Shakespeare's characters clear to the reader, and allows them to get their own deep personal meaning from Hamlet, Shakespeare's greatest work, with out being bogged down in trying to decipher and interpret his antiquarian English. Don't just listen to what I say, or read what I write, read the play on your own outside the cumbersome restraints of a classroom and see for yourself what I mean.

This book was assigned to me this year to read by my grade 9 World Cultures teacher. I looked at the cover and it looked like a book completely about war and artillery and other things that seemed completely uninteresting to me - by the tank going down the street and the civilians running away. Basically, the old adage comes into play here - don't judge a book by its cover. This book (novel) is amazing, when my mother read my book report I had to do on it, she told me she remembered this incident in 1989 in Beijing, China. Alex Johnson and his father who works for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto are invited on a trip to China to get pictures of a conference the Chinese officials are having, and when a famous Chinese man dies, there is an uproar and many of the Chinese citizens hold a protest right outside Alex's hotel. In the meanwhile, sixteen year old Alex makes a Chinese friend. The protests get more and more violent... what will happen to Alex and his father? Will they get back to Toronto safely?

I had to first read this book for reading class for our China unit. I wasn't too happy about the choices of books so I chose this one. Even then I wasn't too interested, but when I read it was very intriguing.

Alex is thrilled when he has the chance to go to China. He is very interested about China's history and military tactics. The days are calm and he visits the attractions of China but in the Spring of 1989 the dark cloud settles in.

Students demonstrate in Tien An Men Square to change the government to a Democracy. The statue of the Goddess of Democracy is created. The PLA is ordered to clear out the students but as the students refuse to move the government decided to take a deeper step. They send the twenty-seventh Field Army. This army is fierce and doesn't stop. They end up killing thousands of students and civilians but they burn the bodies to get rid of the evidence.

Alex is shot in the leg and has to try to get to an airport.

This book is one of the novels that we have to read in English class and I finished reading it in 3 days! All teenagers, students, people who want to know more (or the truth) of what had happened in Tian Men Square in 1989 MUST READ!!!! I think all schools must give this book to their students. I've learnt alot after reading this book, and what had happened are unforgotable, I cried while reading it.....it's definitely a loss if you don't read it!

We are from Argentina and learning English. Our teacher recommended the book Romeo + Juliet, we thought this book was going to increase our vocabulary and help us understand better the English language, but it didn't, instead it made it more difficult. Shakespeare used old English and played with words.
For those who aren't aware, "Romeo and Juliet" tells the tale of two "star-cross'" teenage lovers who secretly fall for each other and marry. Their families, the Montagues and Capulets, have been fierce enemies for decades, and, even as Romeo and Juliet say their wedding vows, new violence breaks out between the clans. In the end, their love is doomed. When Romeo mistakenly believes Juliet is dead, he poisons himself. And, when Juliet discovers that he is dead, she too commits suicide.
Shakespeare's writings are always beautiful but in this case he decorates with details a simple story, and that makes it boring and difficult to follow the plot.
The characters all have different personalities, for example the peaceful characters, hot-tempered, romantic, aggressive, impulsive, strict, etc. And that is what perhaps could make it interesting. In our opinion the best character is the nurse because she says always what she feels and not what is better for her.
In conclusion, we could only understand the story because as we continued reading, we also saw the film, which we recommend you to see.

I went throughout high school never reading this book. It's so well-known; everyone knows what it is about and how it ends. Movie after movie has come out depicting the events. However, I will honestly say that it is definitely worth the read. It's a beautiful story of two lovers who suffer from forbidden love. I hate sappy books. I despise them. But this one was different. I don't know if it was because it was fast paced or if it's the fact that people were always dueling, or what. However, I will say that Shakepeare is brillant. This, along with so many of his other stories are great. ROMEO AND JULIET is a brillant tale, and after reading it, I am more able to appreciate everything I have seen and heard about it. If nothing else, it's a wonderful play about honor, devotion, independence, and unification. And this edition is really helpful in understanding Shakespeare's language, for on each page, there are notations that tell what his words and phrases mean today...which is REALLY helpful.

I have seen all movie versions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still love the book everytime I revisit the story. Every word captivates the reader into truly feeling the passion and tragedy of these two lovers. Even a character such as Tybalt Capulet won me over as far as description goes. Shakespearian writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story. Read this classic tragedy!

I thought this was a wonderful book. If you are interested in mythology, this is an exellent book to read. It is based on the classic "Odyssey", but retold in a format suitable for young adults. Every chapter contains a new, exciting adventure. Some of these include stories about Calypso, Circe, and Syclla & Charybdis. It is not hard to get in to, as the adventure starts on the very first page. So, if you are interested in mythology, give "The Adventures of Ulysses", a try!!

Ulysses. His adventures are beyond imagination. This book is really exciting to me. After fighting the Trojan Wars, it took him 10 long years to get back to Ithaca, his home. On his way, he battled and tricked the great one-eyed Cyclops, sailed to the world of Darkness, visited the Underworld, and even encountered the Sirens and Apollo's flock of golden sheep. Not only that, he and his crewmembers had to sail in a perfect way between two rocks to avoid being eaten and dashed to pieces by rocks, but he was able to survive and reach home.

The main character in the story is Ulysses. I liked the way in which Ulysses not only fought bravely, despite the members of his crew that betrayed him, but used his wit to help overcome obstacles. Ulysses was faced with numerous obstacles, harsh decisions, and enemies, all trying to prevent him from returning home and to his wife, Penelope. Ulysses was able to overcome every obstacle and make his way home, even though he lost all of his crewmembers.

I enjoyed this book because this is a book of action and adventure. It is also a book of betrayal, decisions, and bloodshed. I just can't put down the book once I started reading it. This is a great book, and I really enjoyed reading it. I recommend this book to anyone, young or old alike, to people with a taste of adventure.

I read this book. It was great. Ulysses' adventures are breathtaking and very interesting. My favorite part of the book is when Ulysses and his men have to seer their ship in-beetween the 2 monsters, Scylla and Charybds. It was cool.

The unnamed narrator of this book is a black boy, living in the south after the Civil War. The boy's father, a sharecropper, struggles to support his family, but can't always provide for their needs. When he comes home with an entire ham, the family is suspicious, and no one is surprised when the police come looking for him. The police lead away the father, in the process shooting and wounding his coon dog, Sounder.

Nobody expects that Sounder will survive, the same as most would doubt the boy's survival in such an existence of poverty and despair. Yet the dog does survive, and so does the boy. Both display a resilience made all the more amazing by the deprivation of their backgrounds.

The boy, who visits his father in prison, meets a kindly teacher who becomes a sort of foster father. The boy learns to read and write, tools he needs to become empowered and to escape his desperate situation. While Armstrong doesn't give any false hope -- we know that the boy will face many more difficulties -- he makes the book a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome despair and, ultimately, to triumph.

This childrens book by William Howard Armstrong digs into the life of a young black boy, his father and their dog, Sounder. It is set in the old south and details the struggles of an African American family of this time. The usual struggles for this family are getting food and staying warm until one terriable night that changes the family forever. The father is taken to jail and Sounder is wounded in the struggle. From that night on the boys life is faced with even more struggles to survive, as he is hoisted to the head of the house. He worries about his fathers well being, which sends him onn many adventures looking for him. Through all of the bad the boy does manage to find the good in all occasions.
This would be a great read for fourth to eighth grade students. It is a truthful and detailed insight into the history of the African-American race.

Imagine yourself with little food and money. Your dad has just been taken away to serve time for stealing food to feed you and your brothers and sisters. Your loyal dog get shot trying to save your dad from the men taking him to prison. Well, these are some of the things a young boy must overcome in Sounder by William H. Armstrong. "Where did you first get Sounder?" The boy asked. "I never got him. He came to me along the road when he wasn't more than a pup." In this book Sounder, a coon dog, who has a bark and loyalty to his master that is unmatchable, must face many hardships in the course of his lifetime. With his gallant bark and great loyalty you would think that he would belong to the best people in the world but he belongs to a family of African American sharecroppers who have little to offer him. This was great and you should read this book and find out what happens.

When drama goes hand in hand with comedy, a fantastic and peculiar pair enters the stage. It is quite difficult to achieve that strange feeling in which the reader is able to find pity in joy, as Shakespeare was able to do when writing his comedy The Taming of the Shrew.
Baptista is stubborn to let his favourite and younger daughter Bianca get married after finding a suitor for the shrewish Katherina, his oldest daughter. As a consequence, a complicated mockery is carried out and anyone displays a true identity both literally and metaphorically. Besides the humorous joke and its funny characters, compassion is clearly shown.
A classic that a reader will never forget. Furthermore than a simple play, Shakespeare also criticized the submissive role of women as well as the poor treatment of servants, always from a comic view, which is a useful way to understand the Elizabethan period, with its habits and customs. Although it may not be too realistic and the actions are sometimes extravagant to happen in true life, it does not let the reader get bored and he/ she will find that the book is easily and quickly read.
Once again, a classic that everybody should read in order to start changing those problems that have persisted for ages: women's role in society and everyone's right to have a satisfactory treatment through injustice.

Of all of Shakespeare's plays that I have read, this is the most enjoyable. The characters are real and engaging - the sweetly stupid Bianca and her hoard of suitors, Baptista, who is more interested in selling his daughters to rich husbands than making them happy, the sly and masterful Petruchio, and most of all, Katherine, the Shrew. The play is full of action, comedy, and enough mistaken and hidden identities to keep the reader happily confused.

Katherine, who appears to be "tamed" by Petruchio's cruelties, learns the art of subtlety and diplomacy that will enable her to survive in a society ruled by men. Her speech in the last scene is not a humbling affirmation of the superiority of men, but a tounge-in-cheek ridicule of Petruchio, Lucentio, and Hortensio, who think that a woman can be tamed like a wild animal by a few days of bumbling controll.

The Folger Library of Shakespeare's plays are the most readable editions that I have seen. There are detailed side notes and definitions of unfamiliar words, which are perfect for the reader who is not familiar with Shakespearean English.

The Taming of the Shrew is a play within a play. It starts out with a drunkard, Sly, and a lord. The lord bets that he can trick Sly into thinking he is a lord. When Sly wakes up he doesn't understand, but eventually accepts who they say he is. After a few minutes he becomes bored and the play, "Taming of the Shrew" comes on. It is a play that has men dressing as women, other men, and women dressing as men. I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a book that will have a geat beginning, middle, end, and will keep you wanting to read the next page.

Comedy, in the strictest sense, is concerned with ultimate forgiveness and reconciliation. In Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest," the protagonist, Prospero, must come to terms with his brother Antonio, who conspired to have him driven from his duchy in Milan, and with the world of social interaction in general.

Magic, Power, and Conspiracy are the foundational thematic elements through which Shakespeare effects Prospero's reintegration into human society. Thrown into a boat with his infant daughter Miranda, Prospero comes to live on a nearly deserted island in the Mediterranean Sea. Prospero's concentration on developing his proficiency in Magic caused him to become alienated from his political and social responsibilities in Milan, leading to his expulsion. His brother Antonio conspired with Alonso, king of Naples, and seized the power Prospero forsook for book-learning.

Prospero hears of a sea voyage undertaken by his enemies, and, using his Magic, whips up a storm, a great tempest, which causes his enemies to be shipwrecked on his island. On the island, Prospero exercises total power - over the education of his daughter, his slave, the deformed Caliban, and now over his enemies. He engages Ariel, a sprite, to orchestrate the division of the traveling party, and to put them through various trials to exact vengeance and ultimately, submission from them.

"The Tempest" is a fine effort from Shakespeare, but the power relations in the play are problematic. Prospero's insistent dominance over the action of the play is extremely troubling. Although he is presented as a benevolent character, Prospero's relationships with Miranda, Caliban, and Ferdinand, King Alonso's son, complicate his overall worth as a man and an authority figure. The dynamic between the slave Caliban and the drunks, Trinculo and Stephano, is also very unsettling.

Overall, "The Tempest" remains a whimsical flight of imagination, while exploring intriguing themes of education, political intrigue, and romance. Certainly, it is still a well-constructed and entertaining play after nearly four hundred years.

This is Shakespeare's 2nd last play. Yet, nothing indicates that he was running out of steam. The images are beautiful. Stephano, Caliban, and Trinculo are memorable as the bumbling conspirators. Miranda and Ferdinand are fine as the two young lovers. Ariel is striking as Prospero's loyal servant. Prospero is a magnificent creation. Not only does he offer several beautiful and memorable passages, but he is well drawn as a character who was unfairly forced into exile. He also makes his prison his paradise. In addition, he is a fine representation of Shakespeare himself: "Knowing I loved my books, he furnished me / From mine own library with volumes that / I prize above my dukedom" (1.2.166-168). His speeches in 4.1 and 5.1 also reflect how Shakespeare himself was contemplating the end of his career. The story itself is very well drawn. Shakespeare grabs our attention with a storm at sea. He offers us a reflection of himself, comical touches, beautiful images, profound passages, beautiful language, young lovers, comical villains, and deep messages. If you like this, be sure to read his final play "Henry VIII."

Yes, there is once again murder brewing in the play of Shakespeare but only in a comical way. Not able to claim to be a Shakespeare expert, I have only read four of his other plays. However, it is in my opinion that this be the best one, most likely because it is a comedy and is much lighter that his other plays. This classic play tells the story of the former Duke of Milan who was wrongly dethrowned by his brother. Using his magical power that originally expelled him from Milan, he is able to bring the King (Alonso), Alonso's brother (Sebastian),his own brother (Antonio) and other servants to the his mostly vacant island. Ordering about the spirit Ariel, he manipulates his way into an interesting and funny situation. There is much to gain from reading this wonderful play which is one of Shakespeares last. I recommend this book to Shakespeare lovers and even more so, to variety readers such as myself. You won't be dissapointed by the plays light mood which is much better than Shakespeares serious murder stories.

This book is an episodic novel centered on the Macauley family in the town of Ithaca, California, in the San Joaquin Valley in the early 1940s (Saroyan [1908-1981] was born in Fresno, California, and much of what he describes of the life of Ithaca relates to Fresno). The central characters are the fourteen-year-old Homer Macauley, who is working as a telegraph messenger, and his four-year-old brother Ulysses (note the names of Homer, Ulysses, and Ithaca!). Through them we see the people and the vitality of this small community and the impact of World War II. The war is having a deep effect on Homer because he finds himself acting as a "Messenger of Death" since he has to deliver telegrams to family members from the Government informing them of the death of a loved one. This book appeared in 1943 in the middle of the war and, in my opinion, much of its popularity is due to the comfort it gave to many families throughout the U.S. who had family members in the armed forces overseas. Families of widely different backgrounds and heritages as well as entire communities were holding together in this time of strain and concern just as Ithaca was doing. [One minor character in the book is Big Chris, who appears a couple of times in the book, always acting as a guide or "savior." Was Saroyan trying to say here that He is always there in times of need? Or, am I reading too much into the symbolism?] This was a required novel in one of my English classes when I was a kid. And, I discover that it is still a required text more than thirty years later!

I read this book when I was 14 (it was ten years ago), and I thought it was fantastic! The story is about a boy who, during Second World War, has to deliver telegrams in his little town Ithaca. The boy's name is Homer, and his city is the ficcional Ithaca, which takes us to a new Homer's Odissey, in which Ulysses is his younger lovely brother. I confess the story is absolutely naive and old-fashioned, but some of the characters are full of a sympathetic feeling of love and compassion.

The "Human Comedy" is the story of a family in Ithaca, California, during World War II.. A mother, 3 sons and a daughter.. The oldest son, Marcus, is in the Army.. Matthew is a teenager who works as a messenger in the Telegraph Office and has to deliver, from time to time, some bad news which affect him profoundly.. Ulysses is a 4 year old adorable child and Bess is 16, still in school..

The book is full of heartwarming and philosophical dialogue.. some parts of this book are great for parents to read to their children!!

This play can be read as anti-semitic. In fact, it's pretty hard to defend it from such charges. Shylock is a pretty rotten character and the fact that he is jewish is difficult to overlook (particularly since the other characters mention it on pretty much EVERY page). However, I think it is important to mention that the "heroes" of this play do not necessarily have to be interpreted as heroes. They are by no means perfect and there are many subtle (and some not-so-subtle) instances within the text in which their biases against ANYONE unlike them is illustrated. If one reads the play this way, then Shylock becomes more of a tragic figure rather than an absolutely heartless villain. I don't know. My feelings about this are mixed. There are a few funny parts of this play and the language is, as always, beautiful. The theme of putting a price on human beings is one which has been explored numerous times since. Overall, it is enjoyable, but perhaps not so much so as some of the other comedies. Do not read this play without having read a few others by Shakespeare first. It is an excellent play, but not his best and not his most enjoyable either.

After reading most of the other reviews here, I am fully aware that most of the reviewers didn't read carefully enough (or watch carefully enough if they saw the play.) Now, I'm not saying its not open for different interpretations, but there is one thing I would really like to get straight.

I read MoV for a Bar Mitzvah project on Anti-Semitism. Naturally, my sympathies went to Shylock. However, even if i were Christian, i still would've favored Shylock. What many people believe is that Shylock is a cold hearted ruthless person and only wanted to get back at Antonio because Antonio was a Christian.

Not true. Shylock specifically says something along the lines off, "Why should I lend money to you? You spit on me, and call me a Jewish dog!" I'm not saying that Shylock was a good guy, but I am saying that he is not the villain.

In fact, the "Merchant of Venice," in this story is actually Shylock, not Antonio, contrary to popular belief. My thoughts on the story was that Shylock requested a pound of Antonio's flesh because he did not trust Antonio. Who would trust someone that spat on him? The fact is, Antonio doesn't pay him back in the end.

Now, there's always something else we have to put into consideration. Would the judge had given the "spill one ounce of Christian blood" verdict at the end if Shylock were not a Jew?

This is the mark of a great play. A play that really gets you thinking. But I encourage you, I beg of you, that when you read it or see it, please do not hold Shylock up to being a cold hearted villain. Hold Antonio up to that image. (joking, of course, Antonio's not a bad guy, he's just not a good guy.)

This is a wonderful play - and unless you have seen it or read it you don't know it at all. That's because everything the popular culture tells us about this play is false (for example; how many of you think this play is about a merchant named Shylock? ;-)

The Merchant of Venice is a lively and happy morality tale. Good triumphs over bad - charity over greed - love over hate.
There is fine comedy. Portia is one of Shakespeare's greatest women (and he ennobled women more than any playwright in history). There are moments of empathy and pain with all the major characters. There is great humanity and earthiness in this play. These things are what elevate Shakespeare over any other playwright in English history.

Plays should be seen - not read. I recommend you see this play (if you can find a theater with the courage and skill to do it). But if it is not playing in your area this season - buy the book and read it.