In sixteenth-century Venice - a city of wealthy merchants and bankers - money is all-important. Bassanio is penniless, but his great friend Antonio offers to help him by borrowing the money that he needs. To do this, though, Antonio must make an arrangement with an old enemy thatn puts his life in danger...The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, and it has been performed all over the world. It is retold in this Bookworm not as a play. The Oxford Bookworms Library offers high-quality storytelling and a great reading experience, with a world wide range of classic and modern fiction, non-fiction and plays. Bookworms include original and adapted texts in seven carefully graded language stages (Starter to Stage 6), which take learners from beginner to advanced level. Key Features All 'Oxford Bookworms Library' titles are fully illustrated. The Activities section at the back of each title has been extended to include extra activities before, while and after reading, helping students to interact with the text and get the most out of each story. Each title also has an Introduction, a Glossary of key topic words, and an informative 'About the Author' section.