The Venetian merchant Shakespeare summary. Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary

Genre: Comedy

Translated by T. Schepkina-Kupernik
Stage edition of the theater

"Shylock" is a theatrical composition based on Shakespeare in the genre of comedy on one of the most pressing topics modern world - human intransigence in all its manifestations: racial, religious, social ...

The production was staged by one of the most famous Shakespeare interpreters - Georgian director Robert Sturua. Each work of Sturua is a kind of discovery: a playwright, theatrical aesthetics, actors. And there is nothing traditional in this performance: the action is carried over to modernity with all its problems and sore points, and is led by two heroes, Shylock and Antonio.

Shylock, a Jewish usurer who demands a pound of human flesh as payment for an overdue bill of exchange, is played by one of the most charming artists of modern theater, Alexander Kalyagin. And the role of the noble Venetian merchant Antonio is played by Viktor Verzhbitsky. Their heroes are antagonists in everything: in religion, in worldview, in the choice of spiritual values.

The music for the performance was written by the constant co-author of Robert Sturua, famous composer Gia Kancheli, and his other permanent co-author, Giorgi Aleksi-Meskhishvili, became the artist of the performance.

The duration of the performance is 2 hours 20 minutes.
The performance runs without intermission

Producer	People's Artist of the USSR Robert Sturua
Scenography and costumes	Giorgi Aleksi-Meskhishvili
Composer	People's Artist of the USSR Gia Kancheli
Producer	Honored Artist of Russia David Smelyansky
Lighting designer	Andrey Tarasov
Stage speech teacher	Valeria Ustinova
Characters and performers:
Doge of Venice	People's Artist of Russia Lyudmila Dmitrieva
Prince of Moroccan, Portia's fiancé	honored artist of Russia Vladimir Skvortsov
Prince of Aragon, Portia's fiancé	Honored Artist of Russia Vladimir Skvortsov
Antonio, The Merchant of Venice	People's Artist of Russia Victor Verzhbitsky
Bassanio, his friend	honored artist of Russia Alexey Osipov
Friends of Antonio and Bassanio:
Salanio	honored artist of Russia Vladimir Skvortsov Grigory Starostin
Salerio	honored artist of Russia Sergey Plotnikov
Graziano	Evgeny Tokarev

Lorenzo, in love with jessica	Alexander Zhogol
Shylock, rich merchant	People's Artist of Russia

The Merchant of Venice

(The Merchant of Venice) - Comedy (1596?, Publ. 1600)

English literature

I. A. Bystrova

The merchant of Venice, Antonio, is tormented by unreasonable sadness. His friends, Salarino and Salanio, try to explain her concern for ships with goods or unhappy love. But Antonio rejects both explanations. Accompanied by Graziano and Lorenzo, Antonio's relative and closest friend, Bassanio, appears. Exit Salarino and Salanio. Balagur Graziano tries to cheer Antonio, but when it fails (“The world is a scene where everyone has a role,” says Antonio, “mine is sad”), Graziano leaves with Lorenzo. Alone with his friend, Bassanio confesses that, leading a careless lifestyle, he was left completely without funds and is forced to ask Antonio for money again in order to go to Belmont, the estate of Portia, a wealthy heiress, in whose beauty and virtue he is passionately in love and in the success of matchmaking to which I am sure. Antonio has no cash, but he invites a friend to find a loan for his, Antonio, name.

Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia complains to her maidservant Nerissa ("Little Black") that, according to her father's will, she can neither choose nor reject a groom herself. Her husband will be the one who guesses, choosing from three caskets - gold, silver and lead, in which her portrait is located. Nerissa begins to list the numerous suitors - Portia makes a venomous laugh at everyone. Only about Bassanio, a scientist and a warrior, who once visited her father, she recalls with fondness.

In Venice, Bassanio asks the merchant Shylock to lend him three thousand ducats for three months under Antonio's surety. Shylock knows that the entire fortune of the surety is entrusted to the sea. In a conversation with Antonio who has appeared, whom he fiercely hates for his contempt for his people and for his occupation - usury, Shylock recalls the innumerable insults to which Antonio subjected him. But since Antonio himself lends without interest, Shylock, wanting to win his friendship, will also give him a loan without interest, only on a comic collateral - a pound of Antonio's meat, which Shylock can cut out of any part of the merchant's body as a forfeit. Antonio is delighted with the moneylender's joke and kindness. Bassanio is full of misgivings and asks not to make deals. Shylock assures him that he will not benefit from such a pledge anyway, and Antonio reminds that his ships will arrive long before the due date.

The Prince of Moroccan arrives at Portia's house to choose one of the chests. He takes, as required by the conditions of the test, an oath: in case of failure, not to marry any of the women again.

In Venice, Shylock's servant Lancelot Gobbo, incessantly joking, convinces himself to flee from the master. Having met his blind father, he pranks him for a long time, then initiates his intention to be hired as a servant to Bassanio, known for his generosity. Bassanio agrees to take Lancelot into service. He also agrees to Graziano's request to take him with him to Belmont. At Shylock's house, Lancelot bids farewell to the former owner's daughter, Jessica. They exchange jokes. Jessica is ashamed of her father. Lancelot undertakes to secretly pass on a letter to Jessica Aorenzo's lover with a plan to escape from the house. Disguised as a page and taking with her father's money and jewelry, Jessica escapes with Lorenzo with the help of his friends - Graziano and Salarino. Bassanio and Graziano hurry to sail with a favorable wind to Belmont.

In Belmont, the Prince of Moroccan chooses a gold box - a precious pearl, in his opinion, cannot be enclosed in another frame - with the inscription: "With me you will get what many want." But it is not a portrait of a beloved, but a skull and edifying verses. The prince is forced to leave.

In Venice, Salarino and Salanio make fun of Shylock's rage when he finds out that his daughter has robbed him and fled with a Christian. “O my daughter! My ducats! Daughter / Escaped with a Christian! Lost / Christian ducats! Where is the court? " Shylock groans. At the same time, they discuss out loud that one of Antonio's ships has sunk in the English Channel.

In Belmont there is a new challenger - the Prince of Aragon. He chooses a silver box with the inscription: "With me you will get what you deserve." It contains the image of a stupid face and mocking verses. Exit the Prince. The servant informs about the arrival of the young Venetian and the rich gifts sent to him. Nerissa hopes it's Bassanio.

Salarino and Salanio discuss new losses for Antonio, whose generosity and kindness they both admire. When Shylock appears, they first mock his losses, then express the confidence that if Antonio is overdue, the moneylender will not demand his meat: what is it good for? In response, Shylock says: “He disgraced me,<...> obstructed my affairs, cooled my friends, roused my enemies; and what was his reason for this? The one that I am a Jew. Doesn't a Jew have eyes?<...> If we are pricked, don't we bleed?<...> If we are poisoned, do we not die? And if we are insulted, shouldn't we take revenge?<...> You teach us vileness - I will fulfill it ... "

Exit Salarino and Salario. The Jew Tubal, whom Shylock sent in search of his daughter, appears. But Tubal could not find her. He only retells rumors of Jessica's extravagance. Shylock is horrified at the loss. Upon learning that his daughter has exchanged the ring given to him by his late wife for a monkey, Shylock sends a curse to Jessica. The only thing that comforts him is the rumors about the losses of Antonio, on which he is determined to take out his anger and grief.

In Belmonte, Portia persuades Bassanio to hesitate with a choice, she is afraid of losing him in case of a mistake. Bassanio wants to immediately try his luck. By exchanging witty remarks, young people confess their love to each other. The chests are brought in. Bassanio rejects gold and silver - external shine deceiving. He chooses a lead box with the inscription: "With me you will give everything, risking everything that you have" - \u200b\u200bit contains a portrait of Portia and a poetic congratulation. Portia and Bassanio are preparing for the wedding, as are Nerissa and Graziano, who fell in love with each other. Portia hands the ring to the groom and takes an oath from him to keep it as a guarantee of mutual love. Nerissa makes the same gift to her betrothed. Lorenzo appears with Jessica and a messenger who brought a letter from Antonio. The merchant reports that all his ships were lost, he was ruined, the bill to the usurer is overdue, Shylock demands the payment of a monstrous penalty. Antonio asks his friend not to blame himself for his misfortunes, but to come to see him before his death. Portia insists that the groom immediately go to the aid of the Friend, offering Shylock any money for his life. Bassanio and Graziano set off for Venice.

In Venice, Shylock revels in the idea of \u200b\u200brevenge - after all, the law is on his side. Antonio understands that the law cannot be broken, he is ready for inevitable death and dreams only of seeing Bassanio.

In Belmonte, Portia entrusts her estate to Lorenzo, and she herself, together with a maid, leaves, ostensibly to a monastery for prayer. In fact, she is going to Venice. She sends a servant to Padua to her cousin, Doctor of Law Bellario, who must supply her with papers and a man's dress. Lancelot makes fun of Jessica and the adoption of Christianity. Lorenzo, Jessica and Lancelot exchange humorous remarks, striving to surpass each other in wit.

Shylock is enjoying his triumph in court. The doge's appeals for mercy, Bassanio's proposals to pay the debt double - nothing mitigates his cruelty. In response to reproaches, he refers to the law and, in turn, reproaches Christians for the fact that they have slavery. The Doge asks to introduce Dr. Bellario, with whom he wants to consult before making a decision. Bassanio and Antonio try to cheer each other up. Everyone is ready to sacrifice themselves. Shylock sharpens a knife. The scribe enters. This is Nerissa in disguise. In a letter she transmitted, Bellario, referring to his ill health, recommends that his young, but unusually learned colleague, Dr. Balthazar from Rome, to conduct the trial for the trial. The Doctor is, of course, Portia in disguise. She first tries to appease Shylock, but, being refused, admits that the law is on the side of the moneylender. Shylock extols the young judge's wisdom. Antonio says goodbye to a friend. Bassanio is desperate. He is ready to sacrifice everything, even his beloved wife, if only it would save Antonio. Graziano is ready for the same. Shylock denounces the fragility of Christian marriages. He is ready to start his disgusting business. At the last moment, the "judge" stops him, reminding him that he must take only the merchant's meat, without shedding a drop of blood, besides, exactly a pound - no more, no less. If these conditions are violated, a cruel punishment awaits him by law, Shylock agrees to pay the triple amount of the debt - the judge refuses: there is not a word about this in the bill, the Jew has already refused the money before the court. Shylock agrees to pay only one debt - again a refusal. Moreover, according to Venetian laws, for an attempt on the life of a citizen of the republic, Shylock must give him half of his property, the second goes as a fine to the treasury, while the life of a criminal depends on the mercy of the doge. Shylock refuses to ask for mercy. And yet his life is spared, and the requisition is replaced with a fine. The generous Antonio refuses the half due to him on the condition that after the death of Shylock it will be bequeathed to Lorenzo. However, Shylock must immediately convert to Christianity and bequeath all his property to his daughter and son-in-law. Shylock desperately agrees to everything. As a reward, the imaginary judges lure the rings from their fooled husbands.

On a moonlit night in Belmonte, Lorenzo and Jessica, preparing for the return of the owners, order the musicians to play in the garden.

Portia, Nerissa, their husbands, Graziano, Antonio converge in the night garden. After an exchange of pleasantries, it turns out that the young husbands have lost the donated rings. Wives insist that the pledges of their love were given to women, husbands swear that this is not so, justify themselves with all their might - all in vain. Continuing the rally, the women promise to share the bed with the judge and his scribe in order to return their gifts. Then they report that this has already happened, and show the rings. Husbands are terrified. Portia and Nerissa are recognized in the raffle. Portia hands Antonio a letter that has fallen into her hands, informing him that all his ships are intact. Nerissa gives Lorenzo and Jessica an act that Shylock denies them all his riches. Everyone goes to the house to find out the details of the adventures of Portia and Nerissa.

List of references

All the masterpieces of world literature in a summary. Plots and characters. Foreign literature of ancient times, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance: Encyclopedic edition. / Ed. and comp. VI Novikov - M .: "Olympus"; ACT Publishing House LLC, 1997

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Venetian merchant Antonio tormented by causeless sadness. His friends, Salarino and Salanio, try to explain her concern for ships with goods or unhappy love. But Antonio rejects both explanations. Accompanied by Graziano and Lorenzo, Antonio's relative and closest friend, Bassanio, appears. Exit Salarino and Salanio. Balagur Graziano tries to cheer Antonio, but when it fails (“The world is a scene where everyone has a role,” says Antonio, “mine is sad”), Graziano leaves with Lorenzo. Alone with his friend Bassanio confesses that, leading a careless lifestyle, he was left completely without funds and is forced to ask Antonio for money again in order to go to Belmont, the estate of Portia, a wealthy heiress, in whose beauty and virtue he is passionately in love and in the success of matchmaking to which I am sure. Antonio has no cash, but he invites a friend to find a loan for his, Antonio, name.

Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia complains to her maidservant Nerissa ("Little Black") that, according to her father's will, she can neither choose nor reject a groom herself. Her husband will be the one who guesses, choosing from three caskets - gold, silver and lead, in which her portrait is located. Nerissa begins to list the numerous suitors - Portia makes a venomous laugh at everyone. Only about Bassanio, a scientist and a warrior who once visited her father, she remembers with fondness.

The Prince of Moroccan arrives at Portia's house to choose one of the chests. He takes, as required by the conditions of the test, an oath: in case of failure, not to marry any of the women again.

In Venice, Shylock's servant Lancelot Gobbo, incessantly joking, convinces himself to flee from the master. Having met his blind father, he plays him for a long time, then initiates his intention to be hired as a servant to Bassanio, known for his generosity. Bassanio agrees to take Lancelot into service. He also agrees to Graziano's request to take him with him to Belmont. At Shylock's house, Lancelot bids farewell to the former owner's daughter, Jessica. They exchange jokes. Jessica is ashamed of her father. Lancelot undertakes to secretly convey to Jessica's beloved Lorenzo a letter with a plan to escape from the house. Disguised as a page and taking with her father's money and jewelry, Jessica escapes with Lorenzo with the help of his friends - Graziano and Salarino. Bassanio and Graziano hurry to sail with a favorable wind to Belmont.

Salarino and Salanio discuss new losses for Antonio, whose generosity and kindness they both admire. When Shylock appears, they first mock his losses, then express the confidence that if Antonio is overdue, the moneylender will not demand his meat: what is it good for? In response, Shylock says: “He disgraced me, [...] obstructed my affairs, cooled my friends, roused my enemies; and what was his reason for this? The one that I am a Jew. Doesn't a Jew have eyes? […] If we are pricked, don't we bleed? […] If we are poisoned, do we not die? And if we are insulted, shouldn't we take revenge? [...] You teach us vileness, - I will fulfill it ... "

Exit Salarino and Salario. The Jew Tubal, whom Shylock sent in search of his daughter, appears. But Tubal could not find her. He only retells rumors of Jessica's extravagance. Shylock is horrified at the loss. Upon learning that his daughter exchanged the ring given to him by his late wife for a monkey, Shylock sends a curse to Jessica. The only thing that comforts him is the rumors about the losses of Antonio, on which he is determined to take out his anger and grief.

In Belmonte, Portia persuades Bassanio to hesitate with a choice, she is afraid of losing him in case of a mistake. Bassanio wants to immediately try his luck. By exchanging witty remarks, young people confess their love to each other. The chests are brought in. Bassanio rejects gold and silver - external sheen is deceiving. He chooses a lead box with the inscription: "With me you will give everything, risking everything you have" - \u200b\u200bit contains a portrait of Portia and a poetic congratulation. Portia and Bassanio are preparing for the wedding, as are Nerissa and Graziano, who fell in love with each other. Portia hands the ring to the groom and takes an oath from him to keep it as a guarantee of mutual love. Nerissa makes the same gift to her betrothed. Lorenzo appears with Jessica and a messenger who brought a letter from Antonio. The merchant reports that all his ships were lost, he was ruined, the bill to the usurer is overdue, Shylock demands the payment of a monstrous penalty. Antonio asks his friend not to blame himself for his misfortunes, but to come to see him before his death. Portia insists that the groom immediately go to the aid of the Friend, offering Shylock any money for his life. Bassanio and Graziano set off for Venice.

In Belmonte, Portia entrusts her estate to Lorenzo, and she herself, along with a maid, leaves, ostensibly to a monastery for prayer. In fact, she is going to Venice. She sends a servant to Padua to her cousin, Doctor of Law Bellario, who must supply her with papers and a man's dress. Lancelot makes fun of Jessica and the adoption of Christianity. Lorenzo, Jessica and Lancelot exchange humorous remarks, striving to surpass each other in wit.

On a moonlit night in Belmonte, Lorenzo and Jessica, preparing for the return of the owners, order the musicians to play in the garden.

The historical poem "Song about the merchant Kalashnikov" by Lermontov was written in 1837, published a year later in "Literary additions to the" Russian invalid ". The work presents the poet's veiled reflections on loyalty, honor and justice on a national scale.

When preparing for a lesson in literature, we suggest reading online summary "Song about the merchant Kalashnikov" by chapters. Such a reader is also useful for reader's diary.

main characters

Tsar Ivan Vasilievich - a tough person, willful, moderately fair, generous. Poorly versed in people.

Kiribeevich - royal servant, oprichnik. A deceitful, cunning and self-righteous person who, in order to achieve his goal, is capable of any meanness.

Kalashnikov Stepan Paramonovich - a merchant, a zealous owner, a loving husband and a caring father.

Alena Dmitrevna - wife of Kalashnikov. A beautiful, decent woman, an honest Christian.

Other characters

The brothers of the merchant Kalashnikov - young people, as honest and decent as their older brother. Ready to die for the honor of their family.

Neighbors of the Kalashnikovs - cowardly people who did not protect Alena Dmitrevna during the harassment, but ready to accuse her of all mortal sins.

Chapter 1

In the royal chambers of the Kremlin - a feast in the mountains. Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich has a meal surrounded by his associates. Among the general fun, the oprichnik Kiribeyevich stands out, who "did not wet his mustache in a golden ladle."

Noticing that one of his beloved servants is saddened, the king inquires about the reasons for his melancholy. He is ready to fulfill any request of the oprichnik, if only he cheered up. Kiribeevich explains that he suffers from unrequited love for the beautiful Alena Dmitrevna, who “walks smoothly - like a swan; looks sweet - like a darling. "

Having learned about the heart feelings of the oprichnik, Ivan Vasilyevich gives him a “yacht ring” and a “pearl necklace” so that he could woo his sweetheart. However, Kiribeevich is silent that Alena Dmitrevna cannot be his betrothed, since she is “married to a young merchant”.

Chapter 2

The young merchant Stepan Kalashnikov is doing well, but this day did not go well from the very beginning: trade is going badly, and at home, despite the night outside, Alena Dmitrevna's wife is still missing. The worker replies that the young woman, as she went to the evening service at the church, has not returned to this day. Without a mother, little children “cry, they do not calm down,” and Stepan does not know what to think.

At this moment Alena enters the house - “pale, simple-haired, light-haired braids unbraided with snow-hoarfrost are strewn”. Kalashnikov begins to accuse his wife of treason, but she, trembling and confused, talks about the harassment of the guardsman Kiribeyev. He was ready to give a woman from head to toe, if only she loved him. Pestering Alena Dmitrivna with kisses in front of the neighbors, he dishonors her good name.

The unhappy woman, with tears in her eyes, begs her husband to defend her outraged honor, since there is no one else to do it: Alena is an orphan, with only her younger brother left of her family - "a small, unreasonable child."

Alena's story deeply touches Stepan Paramonovich, who decides to punish the offender at all costs. He summons the younger brothers so that, in the event of his defeat in a fist fight, they could defend the honor of the Kalashnikov family. Young merchants promise to follow their older brother, who is revered as a second father, to the end.

CHAPTER 3

At the festive fist fights that take place near the Moskva River, with all the honest people, Stepan Kalashnikov summons the oprichnik Kiribeyevich to fight. He brags about his heroic strength and quick victory, but, having learned who his opponent is, "turned pale in his face like autumn snow."

Both opponents are very strong, they are equal in their heroic power. Kiribeevich inflicts a terrible blow to the merchant in the chest, so much so that "the cross bent and pressed into the chest." However, he withstands the pressure of the enemy and inflicts a return blow of a terrible force to the left temple, which immediately knocks the guardsman to the ground.

Seeing that his beloved servant has been killed, Ivan Vasilyevich is terribly angry. He summons Kalashnikov and interrogates him, but he is silent about the true reason for his act. The merchant is ready to unquestioningly accept punishment from the hand of his king, and only asks for mercy for his loved ones.

The tsar promises to help the Kalashnikov family, and the merchant himself is solemnly executed on the square.

Conclusion

In his work, Lermontov calls to fight against the despotism of the current government, and not to be afraid to defend their own honor and dignity.

After reading brief retelling "Song about the merchant Kalashnikov" we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the full version of the historical poem.

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