The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice is set in a heavily male, and christian controlled society, where women and other religions, aren’t recognized, and thought of as less . During the play, Portia, an underestimated wealthy woman from Belmont, whose whole life had been controlled by different christian men, ultimately uses her unrealized wit, linguistic manipulation, and knowledge to surpass and save the men in her life.

Portia’s father is an obvious example of men controlling her life, which she later overcomes through her wit and linguistic powers. Even though Portia’s father is dead, he still decides whom Portia will marry through his will: His will states that all of Portia’s suitors must choose from three different caskets, gold, silver, and lead, the correct one containing Portia’s portrait, in order to marry her. Portia describes her sadness concerning her predicament, saying “O, me, the word “choose”! I/ may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I/ Dislike. So is the will of a living daughter curbed by/ the will of a dead father…” (Act 1 scene 2 lines 22-25). Here, Portia is saying that in the end it doesn’t matter whether or not she likes the suitor, it all comes down to her father’s will. Portia continues to explain to Nerissa saying “Is it not hard, Nerissa, that/ I cannot choose, nor refuse none?” (Act 1 scene 2 lines 25-26). Here she is referring to her not being given a choice in who she actually wants to marry. After two suitors who Portia dislikes choose incorrectly, and Portia falls in love with Bassanio, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Before Bassanio chooses from the caskets, Portia uses her eloquence, to hint to Bassanio which casket to pick, by singing a song, and rhyming the words “bred”, “head”, ...

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...and above,/ in love and service to you evermore” (Act 4 scene 1 lines). It’s very ironic that they’re saying this to Bassanio’s wife Portia. Finally when Portia tricks Bassanio into giving up the ring she gave him, she once again uses her wit and cleverness to gain advantage over a man. Ultimately, by tricking him she gets him to swear that “[he] never more will break an oath with thee.” (Act 5 scene 1 line 267). It’s clear that Portia’s going to be in charge of this marriage.

Even though Portia is constrained by society and the rules in place, she still manages to bend them, to her own advantage. She ends up with taking care of everyone and making everyone happy. When none of the men could even save themselves, let alone from a woman. If I were to cast Portia, It would be interesting to have a man play Portia, because it would showcase gender stereotypical themes.