Antonio, a Venetian merchant, complains to his friends of a melancholy that he cannot explain. His friend Bassanio is desperately in need of money to court Portia, a wealthy heiress who lives in the city of Belmont. In Belmont, Portia expresses sadness over the terms of her father's will, which stipulates that she must marry the man who correctly chooses one of three caskets. None of Portia's current suitors are to her liking, and she and her lady-in-waiting,...

Shakespeare's great tragedy tells of the lord Macbeth, who plots to assume the throne of Scotland by murdering the king. This edition includes the play's source material from Holinshed, along with critical essays on the play, past and present.