Critique Of The Constancy Upon Women At The Time in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

Critique Of The Constancy Upon Women At The Time in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

In the merchant of Venice Shakespeare has presented three main women

characters. These three characters are, Portia, Jessica and Nerissa.

Each of these characters come with a different area of society. Women

in the time this was set, were not aloud to do anything. They were

treated badly, and couldn't chose there own decisions. Shakespeare has

made this play to show people in those days what it would be like if

women had control of themselves. Shakespeare has made the portrayal of

women in this play very different compared to other plays. He has made

the women just like men and as well of having control of themselves

they have control of the men as well. Shakespeare has put in two

perfect women in everyway and then has put a thief. I think he did

this to show which women would be treated better and which women would

have a better life.

Portia is a woman that is educated in the matters of the law. She also

has been in charge of herself and her household since her father's

death. Portia is very stubborn, bossy and is also very cunning. In Act

4 Scene 1, Portia has dressed up like a man and is judging a trial on

Shylock and Antonio. Shylock is about to take exactly one pound of

flesh out of Antonio's body, when Portia, more cunning then ever makes

a statement. "The words expressly are "a pound of flesh", but in the

cutting it, if thou dost shed, One drop of Christian blood, thy lands

and goods are by the laws of Venice confiscate unto the state of

Venice". An important thing about Portia's personality is that she

never condemns the Jew. Eve...

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...are all intelligent. Portia and Jessica both defeated Shylock, as

Portia was cunning and her sharp wit made Antonio win the trial. And

Jessica decided to leave Shylocks bad ways, and do what she thought

was best.

Out of all of the three women Portia had the biggest role of them all.

Portia was wise, cunning, helpful, trustworthy and had a sharp wit.

All of these put together make a women of perfection. I think that

Shakespeare wanted to make a different selection of women, so that you

can see there differences. All of the women in the play were very kind

and helpful to each other. Shakespears portrayal of women was the

opposite of what it was in the days he made this play. He has made the

women better off then the men, just to prove that women and men have

the same intelligence, and that women can control themselves.