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Portia character in merchant of venice
Portia character in merchant of venice
Character analysis in merchant of venice
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Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is a story revolved around the trading hub, Venice and the rich and royal love-center, Belmont. This Shakespearean story shows the inequality of different cultures and genders, as well as the impact of power throughout the Elizabethan era. Portia is the beautiful and wealthy heiress of Belmont. She is the big female role of the play. Shakespeare has written the play in a way which Portia appears to be one thing, which quickly changes as time goes on. The audience sees Portia as a strong, lovable but comical character through her intelligence and trickery. Shakespeare uses various dramatic features and lines throughout the play to display Portia’s development. Shakespeare starts the play off showing Portia as a beautiful and loyal yet vulnerable woman. Her strength and loyalty is shown through the abiding of her father’s rule despite him having passed away. During the Elizabethan era, women were said to be dependant on men. Even though Portia is portrayed as a strong, self standing character, she still follows her father’s wish despite not wanting to. This could represent how females were during the Shakespearean time (often following what men tell them). When Nerissa and Portia are discussing the possible suitors eligible to choose a casket, Portia fails to hide her excitement and anxiety once she hears Bassanio would stand the chance to be her husband. Portia’s speech in Act 3 Scene 2 immediately shows how her strength was almost taken over by her love for Bassanio. She says “I pray you tarry, Pause a day or two Before you hazard, for in choosing me wrong I lose your company.” Portia shows her vulnarability upon falling in love with Bassanio. She was no longer confident in making sure the... ... middle of paper ... ... to manipulate the men to reveal what has been hidden from them. Shakespeare includes Portia as to add a touch of comedy to the love story. He uses her to twist and turn situations in ways which the audience will find humourous. The cross dressing was confusing on stage during the Shakespearean time as only men were allowed to perform. So in Portia’s case, she would be played as a man and to cross dress, Portia would dress as a guy, meaning the man playing Portia dresses as himself. When the couples were rejoined in Belmont after the court scene, Portia claims she will “have the doctor for my bedfellow.” This worries Bassanio but is humorous to the audience through the dramatic irony as Portia was the doctor so of course she would sleep with herself. Portia appears to be sincere but vulnerable in the beginning but ends up revealing her intelligence and dark side.
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice exemplifies a principle that is as unfortunately true in our time as it was in his - he who has money also has love, sex, and above all, power. In this case, the use of 'he' is deliberate; 'she,' in the Elizabethan era, rarely had either financial independence or much control over the course of her life. Portia, the deceitful heroine of the play, is a major exception. To put it bluntly, Portia is enormously rich. This unique position allows her to meddle in the affairs of the unsuspecting and somewhat dim male characters, and eventually gives her unprecedented power of self-determination. However, the play is more than a tale of feminine wiles overcoming male dullness of wit. Portia's wealth and intelligence may fuel her successes in marriage and the courtroom, but in each case it is her ability to usurp traditionally masculine roles that guarantees her victory. As Portia exploits the codependence of wealth, masculinity, and public power in her society, she becomes the only woman in the play who consistently controls her own destiny.
I would love to write a critical essay about the role of Portia in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, hailing her as one of Shakespeare's greatest contributions to the society of the sane; however, I find this impossible after studying the text. At first, I hung on her every word and was amazed at her wit, but later I found her to be just another Shakespearean psycho. Basically, I understood Portia to be nothing less than an obedient daughter obeying the whims of her dead, over-protective father. She speaks in terms of respect about the coffinritual, and the reader believes her to be sincere. Later as her character
China has many different schools of thought, most of which build upon or agree with each other. One of the constant schools of thought is the Mandate of Heaven. The Mandate is seen in many different dynasties throughout the history of China. It was created during the Zhou dynasty and is based on the ideology of Confucianism. It delivers the message that a ruler must follow the will of Tjan (god). If a ruler does not follow his will, the leader will be overthrown and a worthy ruler will be put in place. In addition to the Mandate of Heaven, multiple different schools of thought were created such as Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and Mohism. Confucianism is based on relationships. It emphasizes proper moral, social, political, and religious conduct. The five relationships that you must maintain, also to stay constant with the Mandate of Heaven are from ruler to ruled, father to son, husband to wife, elder brother to younger brother, and friend to friend. Another philosophical thought, taking an entirely different approach to life from Confucianism is Taoism. It is based upon non-action. The basic belief of Taoism is human attempts to improve the world ultimately make it worse. Instead, we should base our lives upon softness and spontaneity. We should not worry ab...
His love for Portia blinds him of the fact that possessions do not always bring others close to you. Later, this decline in moral values is seen when Portia pretends to like the Prince of Morocco, one of her suitors, by inviting him to dinner, but later reveals her true opinion of him after he chooses the golden casket. Once the Prince of Morocco leaves Portia's house, after picking the wrong casket, Portia expresses her feelings concerning the outcome, "A gentle riddance. Draw the curtains : go. / Let all of his complexion choose me so," (II.vii.78-79). Portia's hope that anyone with the prince's dark colour chooses the wrong casket shows her low morals in that she does not want to marry any of them. Through deceiving the prince, Portia's displays her prejudice towards the prince's race. These examples show how deception, as seen through love, leads to a decline in the moral values of
The basis of Shakespeare’s plays appears to focus mainly around the dominant male character and his conflicts, which tend to deal with a woman. There are only three women in the play Othello; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca. The way in which these women behave and present themselves strongly reflects the ideological expectations of women within Shakespeare’s imagined Venetian society as well as the Elizabethan society in which he lived. This patriarchal Venetian society presented in the play depicts women as possessions of men who should remain submissive and meek at all times. The women are expected to unselfishly and unreservedly devote their lives to serve their fathers until they are of age to do so, their husbands. All three women love their respective partners; however, all three are also rejected by them because they each devote more to their men than their men are capable of returning. Desdemona and Emilia display genuine emotions toward each other that are not reflected in any of the male to male associations.
Othello has a beneficial quality to him; a quality that he uses time and time again. He uses his foreign and exotic nature to his advantage. Othello’s mystique and masculinity captivates his young Venetian wife Desdemona and sets him apart from her other uninteresting Venetian suitors, and Othello’s stories about the dangerous and exciting outside world and warfare provide marvelous entertainment and wonderment for her. After Brabantio, the father of Desdemona and a powerful senator, learns about the marriage of his daughter and Othello, he is outraged and accuses him of “looting” his daughter. For he sees her as property and doesn’t account for her free will and desire to marry the middle aged Othello, different in race and class. In the courtroom Othello gives a speech, “What conjuration and what mighty magic, for such proceeding I am charged withal, I won his daughter”. (Act i Scene iii) Othello denies the use of witchcraft or ma...
Portia play’s a major role in trying to persuade Shylock to be merciful to Antonio, as the story continues. Basannio, the loyal friend of Antonio also tries to persuade Shylock to show some sympathy towards Antonio, but is not shown.
The Merchant of Venice is a play set in a very male and Christian dominated society where other religions and women rights weren’t very well accepted by the community. However Portia, a rich woman who had previously been controlled by men, triumphs as she manipulates tricks and saves the lives of the men.
It develops the character of Portia as being someone madly in love with another person. It is clear to me that she is in love with Bassiano. She talks about how she could teach Bassiano how to choose right, but she can’t because of her father’s will. To me, she is really sick. It advances the plot so that the love Portia has for Bassiano, and the love that Bassiano has for Portia, can be more looked at.
Throughout Shakespeare’s various works, it has been observed that he rarely uses females in his literature, but when he does, he uses them for a distinct purpose, as is evident in Julius Caesar. By defying the societal standards of her gender and showing genuine interest in her husband’s thoughts and feelings, Portia, the wife of Brutus, reveals key aspects of his character while adding depth to the story. For her time, Portia was a woman who both respected herself and took pride in herself, without allowing society to make a mark on her. This is evident when she states, “Think you I am no stronger than my sex/ Being so father'd and so husbanded?" (Port...
Throughout the Merchant of Venice, while Portia is being courted. the reader can see that she does not like any of the suitors, except Bassanio. She finds a flaw in all the suitors and readers, as well, can see. the flaws in each as they present themselves to her. Her true love however, is for Bassanio
Bassanio was so grateful towards Balthazar that he was able to place Balthazar of above importance to Portia his wife. Portia then compares Bassanio giving up her beloved ring to if she were to give her body to the doctor as a parallel. Prior to the men being made aware of Portia and Nerissa’s disguises, they explain their reasoning’s as a necessity. Once Bassanio and Gratiano know the truth, they apologize with fear as they now know the power these two women posses. Gratiano ends the play by stating “I’ll fear no other thing so sore as keeping safe Nerissa’s ring” (V, I, 324-325). Gender roles are now reversed as the play concludes which shows that gender itself is a social construct and is not
In Shakespeare’s dramatic works there is no room for the heroic or the strong woman, and therefore many of his plays can be perceived as being antifeminist. Often he portrays women as weak, mad, sexual, and as even witches. Hamlet is no exception. The only women in the play, Ophelia and Queen Gertrude, are given confined and limited roles. These roles are from a male-dominated viewpoint and only add focus to the male characters instead of incorporating the insight and the impact of the women as well.
Shakespeare highlights three of Portia’s suitors, the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Arragon and Bassanio. He does this to heighten dramatic tension, as these three men are the most important candidates to win Portia’s hand in marriage. They reveal the contents of the three caskets and their different characters as exposed as being proud, vain and humble. They also emphasise the racial prejudices of Venice a place where many races clash. Their attitudes towards the caskets and their choices indicate what their character is like. This essay will compare and contrast the three suitors and will explore how Shakespeare influences the audience’s attitudes towards the three men.
The play, The Merchant of Venice drastically altered the perception of women during the time as Shakespeare makes women during the Italian Renaissance appear independent and intellectual, such as the beautiful Portia and the young Jessica. This play shows that women are not only beautiful people to look at but also powerful and intelligent individuals. The characteristics of the women in this play show the possibilities of equality between men and