The Merchant of Venice

　　《威尼斯商人》是莎士比亞頗受歡迎的一齣戲。它的內容備受爭議，其中最受矚目的是劇作家的立場︰到底這齣戲是反猶太人，還是揭露基督教徒的偽善？除了 種族與宗教的問題值得深思外，我們還看到了童話般的愛情、婚姻與友愛的衝突、冷血的殺人算計……。這些情節透過莎翁的巧妙安排和生花妙筆，成為一齣精彩動 人的好戲，歷久彌新。

　　本書中譯本<<威尼斯商人>>由聯經出版公司出版

　　The Merchant of Venice is most associated not with its titular hero, Antonio, but with the complex, unforgettable figure of the money-lender, Shylock. It is Shylock who finances Antonio's friend Bassanio in his pursuit of the beautiful Portia, and who demands a gruesome bond from the wealthy merchant. Described as a comedy in the First Folio, Shakespeare's explorations of prejudice, duty and the nature of justice make for a far darker play.

　　This Macmillan Collector's Library edition is illustrated throughout by Sir John Gilbert (1817-1897), and includes an introduction by Ned Halley.

　　Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure

威廉‧莎士比亞 William Shakespeare （1564－1616）

　　威廉．莎士比 亞出生於英 國，被公認是英國文學史和戲劇史上最傑出的詩人和劇作家。父親在他十三歲時因經商失敗而破產，他因此無法上大學。他十八歲時娶了大他八歲的Anne Hathaway，育有三名小孩。莎士比亞在1590年成為劇作家，起初只是模仿別的作家寫故事，藉此磨練寫作技巧，後來他越漸歡迎，最後成為成功的演員 與劇作家。

　　莎士比亞擅於刻畫人物心理，運用生動的戲劇語言扣動讀者心弦，他的故事結構嚴謹、情節豐富多元，更富含人生哲理。他一生 共 寫了37部作品，可分成四個時期：歷史劇、喜劇、悲劇和浪漫喜悲劇。其中四大悲劇：《哈姆雷特》、《奧賽羅》、《李爾王》和《馬克白》寫於悲劇時期。這些 戲劇故事在世界各地不斷地改編、上演，數百年來雋永不朽，為他贏得最偉大的劇作家的聲譽。

　　William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in 1564. The date of his birth is unknown but is celebrated on 23 April, which happens to be St George's Day, and the day in 1616 on which Shakespeare died.

　　 Aged eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway. They had three children. Around 1585 William joined an acting troupe on tour in Stratford from London, and thereafter spent much of his life in the capital. By 1595 he had written five of his history plays, six comedies and his first tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. In all, he wrote thirty-seven plays and much poetry, and earned enormous fame in his own lifetime in prelude to his immortality.