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I know you’re embroiled as much in a Merchant of Venice tickets hunt as you are in the steamy, savage words of the Bard himself, so I’ve prepared a list of 10 interesting little factoids about the sterling production, starring Al Pacino on Broadway. Many people are familiar with the Italian city of Venice, but do they know anything about the place? William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright of all time, but who was he? The Merchant of Venice remains one of the crown jewels of theater, and the expression “a pound of flesh” one of the best known, but from which part of the body was the pound of flesh to come from? As the Merchant of Venice schedule Chicago begins to attract attention, it is fitting that we include a bit of cocktail party conversation material here for those of you lucky enough to have bought Merchant of Venice tickets and seen the play.
Take a gander at our 10 fun facts about Shakespeare, Venice and the Merchant of Venice!
1. Nobody knows the actual date of William Shakespeare’s birthday!
2. The “pound of flesh” demanded by Shylock from Antonio had to be taken from “closest to his heart”
3. Venice is sinking; the city sank almost three inches in the last 100 years.
4. Laurence Olivier played Shylock in the 1973 movie version of “Merchant”.
5. Shakespeare’s father, a money lender, was accused in the Exchequer Court of usury.
6. Many distinguished scholars and authors don’t believe that Shakespeare wrote any of his plays!
7. Venice is known as “the Queen of the Adriatic”.
8. The Merchant of Venice had its first performance in 1596.
9. The amount of money lent by Shylock to Antonio is 3000 gold pieces.
10. William Shakespeare has no descendants!
There are many more interesting little tidbits about Shakespeare and his world. You should go online and check them out. It’s almost as intriguing as his plays! Make sure you have your Merchant of Venice ticket in your hand ASAP, because these Broadway tickets are still selling fast. If you’re in the Midwest, then Merchant of Venice tickets Chicago are also on sale, so buy now and experience the vivid world of Venice in the Middle Ages!
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- Act I “Merchant of Venice” Most Striking Lines (jessegeorgehui.wordpress.com)
