The Merchant of Venice Act 1 Quiz, Close Readings, and Vocabulary Games Bundle

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 1 of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. A plot-based quiz, three close reading worksheets (one per scene), a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.) By engaging with these materials, students will:

• Read for literal comprehension

• Determine the meanings of unfamiliar and archaic words

• Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings

• Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences

• Infer the intended effects of the author's stylistic choices and dramatic techniques

• Describe tone in context

• Determine the functions of various passages

• Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop

• Compare and contrast two characters

• Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and situational irony

• Conduct brief research as needed to answer a question about a biblical allusion

• Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence

• Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

• Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.

Materials are available for teaching a variety of Shakespeare's plays:

• Hamlet - Google and printable

• Julius Caesar - Google and printable

• King Lear - Google and printable

• Macbeth - Google and printable

• Othello - Google and printable

• Romeo and Juliet - Google and printable

• The Merchant of Venice - Google and printable

• The Taming of the Shrew - Google and printable

• The Tempest - Google and printable