The Status Of Women In Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice explores the nuances of 16th century culture; it addresses the time’s pervasive anti-Semitism, the treatment of women, and the perceived dichotomy between Christianity and Judaism. Largely through the characters Portia and Jessica, Shakespeare addresses societal expectations of the social group women, discussing marriage customs, treatment by men, and perceived intellectual worth. Reflective both of society at the time and Shakespeare’s commentary on the status of women, both Jessica and Portia are depicted as inferior to their male counterparts, only respected when they disguise themselves as men.

Through the depiction of two different marital situations, Shakespeare illustrates the control men

When Shylock learns that his daughter, Jessica, has run away and has taken his money, he is infuriated. However, he is more upset about his loss of property than he is his own daughter, stating that he wished his daughter to be “hearsed at his foot” with the “ducats in her coffin.” Later in the scene, Shylock is mocked for ambling in the streets, moaning, “my daughter, my ducats” — his repetition elucidates his belief that those two losses are of equal importance, demonstrating that women were considered commodities like currency. Similarly, throughout the play, Portia is repeatedly deified and praised for her beauty and wealth. When the Prince of Morocco attempts to win her hand, he reads the box with the inscription: “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire” and proclaims that must be Portia as “All the world desires her.” Portia is considered an object of desire for her beauty and wealth; she is a prize to be won and her value lies in her usefulness to men: pecuniarily and sexually. Both Jessica and Portia are portrayed as commodities to reflect Shakespeare’s era, wherein women were forced to submit to the will of men, had no autonomy, and were considered

When Jessica escapes to marry Lorenzo, she is “transformèd to a boy.” Shakespeare’s largely Christian audience would have viewed Jessica’s abandonment of her Jewish father, conversion to Christianity, and marriage to Lorenzo as her moment of salvation. However, she is only able to ‘escape the shackles’ of Judaism under a male guise, demonstrating that while women are stuck in their conditions, men are able to advance. Similarly, Portia is only able to demonstrate her intellectual worth when she disguises herself as a male doctor. She finds a loophole in the bond, allocating Shylock his pound of flesh but stating that “if [Shylock] dost shed one drop of Christian blood,” his property would be taken by the state of Venice — thus saving Antonio from death and Bassanio from crippling guilt. Portia is only able to have a platform to demonstrate her worth while pretending to be a man. This representation of women as subservient and only powerful when disguised as men is a commentary that only men are able to progress in society, even when the women are of equal intellectual worth. However, a layer of humor is associated with the characters’ disguises. All actors in Shakespeare’s time were male; therefore, in the moments women portray men, they are truly men dressed up as women dressed up as men. This would have