Portia's Loyalty Analysis

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An Aristotelian virtue that Portia possesses is loyalty. Loyalty is an important virtue because it supports the idea that humans are social creatures and it is an admirable characteristic that shows a person’s dedication to and affection for their friends and family (Rachels, pp164-165). Portia portrays her loyalty to her late father through her commitment to upholding the test that he set in place to determine what suitor is suitable for Portia. While she makes it clear that the test does not make her happy because she cannot choose herself, she continues to adhere to the test because she is loyal to her father’s wishes. When talking about Portia’s father's test in Act 1, scene 2, Nerissa says “Your father was ever virtuous… / therefore the …show more content…

Portia says “For in companions / that do converse…/ whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love, / there must be needs…/ which makes me think that this Antonio, / being the bosom lover of my lord, / must needs be like my lord. If it be so, / how little is the cost I have bestowed / in purchasing the semblance of my soul / from out the state of hellish cruelty!” (3.4, 11-21). Portia is devoted to her husband so she becomes devoted to helping his dearest …show more content…

She is described as being as witty as she is beautiful, and she is very beautiful. An indication of her intellect can be found when she finds a loophole in her father’s test. Portia attempts to reason with Bassanio to postpone his decision so the two of them are able to spend some time together in case he chooses wrong. He denies her request and asks to pick the casket right away. Before Bassanio makes his choice, Portia has a chorus sing a song about love: “Tell me where is fancy bred / Or in the heart or in the head? / How begot, how nourished…/ It is engendered in the eyes, / with gazing fed, and fancy dies,” (3.2, 63-68). The song they sing is a carefully disguised a warning for Bassanio. The singers warn that “’fancy’ (love) can't grow if it's ‘engender'd in the eyes’ (based on mere physical attraction) instead of the heart,” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Essentially, Portia prompts Bassanio that for this test, beauty and love is about what is on the inside, not what is on the outside. Beauty and love, Portia, is not in a casket that has a beautiful

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