Free Merchant Of Venice Essays: Portia And The Art Of Justice

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Portia and the Art of Justice



In Shakespeare controversial play, The Merchant of Venice, the character, Antonio calls this world "a stage where every man must play a part". He really cannot imagine that it will be a woman that will play the leading role on his "sad" stage. If not for a woman, Antonio would have found himself as a hunk of flesh in Shylock's trophy room. Portia, whose "little body is a-weary of this great world," uses her intelligence, quick thinking and fortitude to save the love of her own love. She also provides for the love of Jessica and Lorenzo, and let us not forget to mention her spiel on mercy and love at the onset of the trial. My question is why.

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To my thinking, he set her apart from the other characters of the play, as admirable. There is a clear separation between her and her attitude, and the other characters in the play. Where other characters profess some sort of tie to Christianity or Judaism, Portia makes no such profession and outshines them all. This makes their declarations of piety and faith seem hypocritical and unfounded--hence, the ridiculous concept of so-called justice and the "intent and purpose of the

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