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The role of women in the merchants of Venice
How women are portrayed in Shakespeare plays
Feminism essays in shakespeare
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Recommended: The role of women in the merchants of Venice
In the Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare introduces a new concept of the modern women for his current society. In his time, women aren’t working at high standard jobs like lawyers and they aren’t educated like men. The society denies women’s freedom and constrains their mental capabilities to some domestic grafts such as sewing and weaving. Shakespeare demonstrates throughout the play how women possess the power to change the world around her. Women can’t be enticed by the beauty and appearance as men do. Women can alter the traditions, the woman possesses the capabilities to make choices and engage her husband. Jessica flees from her father’s house with the man she chooses. Portia assists Bassanio to know where her image is to marry him. Shakespeare claims that sapient woman can counter the argument and bring up what is unexpected. Portia restrains Shylock with his bond and rescues Antonio from Shylock’s hand when no one is able to do that. Conversely, Shakespeare posits that women still need men’s assistant either directly or indirectly to achieve their work. Portia asks directly for law doctor’s help to go to Venice. In addition, Portia and Nerissa disguise as men as an indirect way to go to the court to save Antonio.
Women aren’t deceived by physical appearance, but they look at the interior. Portia doesn’t like the Morocco man who wants to show her how is
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Portia acts as a lawyer in the court and she says “Which is the merchant here and which the Jew?” Although Jews have certain clothes are they are obvious to anyone, Portia wants to show that the physical appearance doesn’t matter to her fairness, and she doesn’t discriminate between people according to their appearance or being a minority in a particular society. Perhaps she expects the result of the court will be on Antonio’s side and she insists to show that the court judgement is fair and won’t be influenced by being Shylock a
Portia’s Father had created a law that allowed her only to marry the man that chooses the correct casket. Her father had known what was right for her before he passed. He instituted a law that would guide her to be the person who she was meant to become. As well as to marry the man that she was destined to be with. The father-child relationship between Portia and her father, is one that cannot be beat. Even though her father was not actually with her, he had made it that she would become the best version of
...ligent, and sometimes vicious character, in her society it is not acceptable for her to be a strong, intelligent, vicious woman. Sadly, Portia's public image must remain that of her speech in Act III. Though she will have ultimate control over herself and her husband, she still must call herself "an unlessoned girl," hiding her true authority under a thin mask of submission. Ironically, it is only when Portia dons a disguise that we see her as she truly is - a shrewd, calculating judge, willing to convict and sentence not only the inadequate suitor or the much-abused Jew, but also her own unsuspecting husband.
Words alone are not the only means by which imposters operate. A far more effective mode is one that fools the eye for it cannot pierce through the surface. Portia, the new wife of Antonio's friend, dresses as a lawyer in order to deceive the court. However, unlike Shylock's motive, Portia's intent is far more noble and selfless. She manipulates the law in such a way to save Antonio from certain death by the hand of Shylock. Through the eyes of the law, the imposture of a lawyer, especially by a woman at that time, was seen as extremely illicit.
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
In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice, there are several strong, predominate female characters. Emilia, Desdemona, and Bianca have to defend themselves from the vicious men in the play. However, despite being victimized by the domineering men, their individual strengths set them apart from their abusers.
During the Elizabethan era women had a status of subordination towards men. They had a role to marry and oblige to their husband’s wishes. Shakespearean literature, especially illustrates how a woman is psychologically and physically lesser to their male counterpart. The play, Othello, uses that aspect in many different ways. From a Feminist lens others are able to vividly examine how women were subjected to blatant inferiority. Being displayed as tools for men to abuse, women were characterized as possessions and submissive; only during the last portion of the play did the power of women take heed.
Statement of intent: The role of women in William Shakespeare’s play Othello is portrayed through the behaviors and actions of Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. William Shakespeare integrates his Elizabethan society to create the patriarchal Venetian society in the play. Women in his society were seen as inferior to the men. The three women play a significant role in different social stratification. How are women submissive, possessions, bold, and degraded to sex objects and whores? How have they displayed unconventional acts and boldness?
All through history, the role of women and their place in the general public has tremendously changed. William Shakespeare’s Othello was established during a time period where the role of women and their collective value were downgraded in the Venetian and Elizabethan era. During the Venetian era women were dominated by their sexual orientation. The Venetian era had a patriarchal society. In a patriarchal society, the father is the head of the household and men have authority over women and children. During the Elizabethan era the conduct toward women was vicious. Women were considered second class citizens. Males only consider women as possession, who is obligated to remain submissive and meek. Additionally, women are expected to be quiet, obedient to male figures, and chaste. Women were either considered a good wife or a whore. There are only three women in Othello; Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. Desdemona is the passive wife of Othello who has a quite idealistic take on life and marriage. Emilia is the cynical, perceptive women who seem to have a bitter take on her marriage to Iago. Bianca is portrayed as the whore of the play, and she has relations with Cassio. Although, each woman varies in roles and personality, they all had a common trait; they lived in a patriarchal society and suffered together. Each of them live in a society where it was ideal to think women were psychologically and physiologically inferior to men, however in reality each of them knew their role in society.
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. We see how she is manipulated by men through her father, who though dead, still manages to control who she marries from his will. He states in his will that from three different caskets the suitors will have to choose, in each of which will contain either a letter to the suitor or a picture of Portia. In one of the three caskets, either the lead, silver or gold casket, there will be a picture of Portia.
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...
He is referring to the color of his skin. that is a black one. He is telling Portia that his complexion has won him many. women and he is dressed in all white. The fact that he is, suggests that he is only concerned with outward appearance, and not with more important.
Everyone is deceived and believes Portia is truly a man therefore showing that she has the capabilities to exert the traits of a man. Portia is described as the “wise young judge” (IV, I, 228) and an “excellent young man” (IV, I, 252) by Shylock showing that he believes in the gender identity of Balthazar. Bassanio, Portia’s husband, is also fooled as he states that Antonio’s life is more valuable to him than Portia. Her credibility in turn gives her power over the men in the scene. She is able to use the balances of justice along with her knowledge in order to save Antonio. The turn in this scene is when she repeats, “A pound of flesh” (IV, I, 315) and states the specific words used in the document as no blood can be dropped from Antonio or else Shylock will be punished and strikes fear into Shylock. This shows that it is possible for a woman to obtain the masculine qualities of being powerful and intellectual. If Portia were to have not dressed as a man, but merely a woman, due to the social constructs of the time she would not have had any power in this situation. Portia tells Bassanio “I pray you, know me when we meet again” (IV, I, 432) which shows her feelings towards Bassanio not knowing her true identity, even through her disguise. Her actions were that of her individual, but due to her altering her appearance of gender it changed the way others viewed her
William Shakespeare shows how two tradesmen can have completely different lives when others view them differently in the play The Merchant of Venice. In the play, Bassanio, Antonio’s friend, needs money to pursue his love. They seek a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Antonio’s name. The contract is for three times the value of the bond in three months or else Shylock cuts off a pound of flesh from Antonio. While all this is happening, there are love plots going on. One of which is for Shylock’s daughter to elope with Lorenzo, a Christian. Later on, Antonio’s source of money, his ship, is reported sunken in the English Channel, dooming him to the loss of one pound of his flesh. There is a trial on the bond, and when it seems sure that Antonio will die, Portia, disguised as a doctor of laws legally gets Antonio out of the situation and Shylock recieves harsh penalties. Antonio and Shylock, two similar businessmen of Venice, are viewed differently and are treated oppositely to heighten the drama of the play and mold a more interesting plot.
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.
From the first time Portia is introduced, she is depicted as a very smart woman. In the beginning, she is searching for a husband that has more in his head than money and beauty. Portia and her companion, Nerissa, talk about the flaws of all her suitors and she makes it very clear that she is looking for an honorable man who will love her for who she is and not for her money. She also finds that “If it be proved against an alien that by direct or indirect attempts, he seek the life of any citizen, the party against the which he doth contrive shall seize one-half his goods” (Act IV.