Shylock: I shall show vou this kindness. Go with me to see a lawyer. Let us make a bond. And – for a bit of fun – if vou do not pay me back the full amount on the right day, and in the right place, the penalty will be a pound of your pale flesh, cut off and taken from anv part of vour body that I choose.

Shylock lends money to the merchant Antonio, but the stakes are high. When Antonio cannot pay him back, Shylock demands a terrible punishment.

This Macmillan Reader is written as a playscript and includes original extracts from The Merchant of Venice.

• Extra grammar and vocabulary exercises
• Notes about the life of William Shakespeare
• Notes about the story
• Points for Understanding comprehension questions
• Glossary of difficult vocabulary
• Free resources including worksheets, tests and author data sheets at www.macmillanenglish.com/readers