Portia of William Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice
The merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare in which is a drama, it
shows us mercy, love and forgiveness. In this essay I’m going to write
about Portia in comparison to the other male characters in the play.
Shakespeare has created some very interesting characters in Bassanio,
Antonio and Shylock. Bassanio and Antonio are good friends and they
like most characters in the play, dislike Shylock the Jew. They have a
good reason for disliking Shylock as he paints a very negative image
of the Elizabethans Jews. He is very selfish and greedy and his love
of money is stronger then his love for his daughter, Jessica. For
Example, when Jessica runs off to Genoa with Gratiano Shylock is more
concerned with the money she is spending then her well being. He says
to his friend, tubal that he, “I would my daughter were dead at my
foot, and the jewels in her ear! would she were hearsed at my foot,
and the ducats in her coffin!” This perhaps is why he has such a bad
reputation in Venice. Later in the play, we see another side to his
character. In his dealings with Antonio and Bassanio, he proves to be
very stubborn and determined in receiving his bond. He will not accept
any money, as he will, “have my bond.” It seems that he wants revenge
for the way he has been treated all his life, and by getting his,
“pound of flesh,” at any cost will even kill a Christian to satisfy
his revenge.
Antonio is a more friendly, happy and kind type of character. He is a
older then most of the characters in the play but is good friends with
Bassanio. He is rich, generous and honorable, as he will offer to ...
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she proves to be the wisest of all those present by insisting shylock
has a pound of flesh, but makes this impossible by stating:
“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.”
Shakespeare is very clever here as in this male dominated world, he
gives the female the most power and control. This creates effective
dramatic impact and establishes Portia as the heroin. In conclusion,
Bassanio is a worthy husband for Portia simply because as she proves
she is very competent at solving the problems of the city then surly
she can select a man to be her husband. She has confidence in Bassanio
and wants happiness in her life and the fact Bassanio declares his
love and chooses the right caskets suggests he will make a worthy
husband.
Hero and Claudio represent the Elizabethan norm in marriage. Claudio is the shrewd, hardheaded fortune hunter and Hero is the modest maiden of conduct books and marriage manuals, a docile young woman. It is important to note that Claudio is more concerned with advancement in Don Pedro's army than he is with love. Therefore, Shakespeare illustrates to the reader through the near tragedy of mistaken identity that Claudio must learn that marriage is more than a business arrangement and become worthy of Hero's love and affection. Source: Ranald, Margaret Loftus. "As Marriage Binds, and Blood Breaks: English Marriage and Shakespeare". Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol 30, 1979: 68-81.
Othello in William Shakespeare's Play Most of the characters in "Othello" perceive Othello as unclean and
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice exemplifies a principle that is as unfortunately true in our time as it was in his - he who has money also has love, sex, and above all, power. In this case, the use of 'he' is deliberate; 'she,' in the Elizabethan era, rarely had either financial independence or much control over the course of her life. Portia, the deceitful heroine of the play, is a major exception. To put it bluntly, Portia is enormously rich. This unique position allows her to meddle in the affairs of the unsuspecting and somewhat dim male characters, and eventually gives her unprecedented power of self-determination. However, the play is more than a tale of feminine wiles overcoming male dullness of wit. Portia's wealth and intelligence may fuel her successes in marriage and the courtroom, but in each case it is her ability to usurp traditionally masculine roles that guarantees her victory. As Portia exploits the codependence of wealth, masculinity, and public power in her society, she becomes the only woman in the play who consistently controls her own destiny.
Othello, the Moor of Venice is one of the major tragedies written by William Shakespeare that follows the main character, Othello through his trials and tribulations. Othello, the Moor of Venice is similar to William Shakespeare’s other tragedies and follows a set of specific rules of drama. The requirements include, following the definition of a tragedy, definition of tragic hero, containing a reversal of fortune, and a descent from happiness. William Shakespeare fulfills Aristotle’s requirements in this famous play.
Merchant of Venice: Portia was No Feminist. & nbsp; The question has been proposed whether Portia was her own woman, and if after she married Bassanio would she still be the protector of her fortune. I researched for evidence to the theory that Portia was not her own, her fortune was not her own, and she was bound financially to her husband after marriage. There is nothing out of the ordinary about this particular arrangement, and I don't feel that the relationship should continue to be hailed as a progressive, feminist relationship. & nbsp; The best evidence I could find were the words which were spoken out of & nbsp; One half of me is yours, the other half yours-- Mine own, I would say; & III.ii. 16-18. & nbsp; There you have it. Portia is Bassanio's. This may be idle lover's talk; however, it does signify the beginning of a possessive relationship in which Bassanio is the possessor! & nbsp; Directly after Portia is "won" by Bassanio's correct choice & nbsp; Happiest of all, is Com
In Greek, Desdemona means ‘the unfortunate’, perhaps reflecting an ideology that she is not meant to be liked, merely pitied for her misfortune as a tragic victim (commonly defined as someone who dies due to the faults of others). Throughout Othello, Desdemona is presented as pure and innocent – in regards to this, Auden’s comment is unusual as Desdemona is seldom criticised; indeed many critics are complementary, giving her titles such as ‘gentle Desdemona’.
from the messenger at the end of Act 2 Scene 9 before he enters unlike
I would love to write a critical essay about the role of Portia in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, hailing her as one of Shakespeare's greatest contributions to the society of the sane; however, I find this impossible after studying the text. At first, I hung on her every word and was amazed at her wit, but later I found her to be just another Shakespearean psycho. Basically, I understood Portia to be nothing less than an obedient daughter obeying the whims of her dead, over-protective father. She speaks in terms of respect about the coffinritual, and the reader believes her to be sincere. Later as her character
The portrayal of gender roles in William Shakespeare’s play Othello, demonstrates the inferior treatment of women and the certain stereotypes of men placed on them by society. Both the male and female characters in the play have these certain gender expectations placed on them. In a society dominated by men, it is understood that the women are to be seen rather than heard. The women are referred to and treated much like property. If indeed they do speak up, they are quickly silenced. One woman’s attempt to be the perfect wife is what ultimately led to her demise. The expectations of men are equally stereotypical. Men are to be leaders and to be in control and dominant especially over the women. The male characters compete for position and use the female characters in the play as leverage to manipulate each other. Shakespeare provides insight in understanding the outcomes of the men and women who are faced with the pressures of trying to live up to society’s expectations, not only in the workplace, but also in the home. The pressure creates jealousy issues amongst the men and they become blind to the voice of reason and are overtaken by jealous rage, leads to the death of many of the characters.
In the 16th century, women and men were defined as having specific and contrasting roles within society. Men were defined as being powerful and dominant while women were defined as being submissive and meek. These ideals can be seen across cultures and throughout time. With these definitions of gender roles in place, the text suggests that gender is a social construct therefore qualities of femininity and masculinity are subjective. This is shown when Portia cross dresses as the lawyer Balthazar (IV) and when the truths of the rings are discovered by the two women (V). The strong female characters in the play exemplify that women are not confined to their social construct as they manipulate the male characters. During the 16th century only
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the role of women is quite significant. Although there are only three women throughout the play, Jessica, Nerissa, and Portia, all play a role that affects the outcome of the play. Portia, Jessica, and Nerissa are all very significant characters from this time period. The three women display characteristics of bravery, independence, and intelligence.
shows that he is eager to win Portia that he does not ask for a
Bassanio is the man she wants to marry, but she tries to play down her
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.
There are many similarities and differences between Portia and Jessica. For starters, they are both of the same gender. Back during the Shakespearean time, sexism was very common. So they were both treated equally amongst society for being women. Portia and Jessica both struggle with romance in the play. Jessica, a jewish girl, has fallen in love with a Christian. Portia, a Christian woman, has no control over who she will have to marry, and love, for the rest of her life. Jessica hates her father for being so cruel, and not understanding. She eventually runs away from home. Portia does not hate her father, but he has passed away. His decisions in his will contributes to Portia struggles with her romance. Another similarity between Portia and Jessica is that they both only have one man in their mind. Jessica is set on marrying Lorenzo while Portia wants to marry Bassanio. Both, Jessica and Portia, have close friendships in the play as well. Jessica becomes friends with Lancelot, and Portia has Nerissa as her lady-in-waiting. One main difference between both woman is that Jessica is Jewish, and Portia is Christian. Because Jessica is Jewish, she is required to live in the “ghetto”. Jessica lives in Belmont while Portia lives in Venice. Portia comes from a much better financial background than what Jessica does. Portia is incredibly wealthy. Jessica has much more rebbellion than what Portia does. She even gives away her mother’s ring in trade of a monkey. Jesssica esca[es her father’s control by running away, and eloping, with Lorenzo. Portia on the other hand has a much more responsible character than Jessica. Although, her father is dead she still follows her oath that she made based upon her father’s will. Portia follows rule, e...