An Analysis of the Character of Portia in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Essay

Portia Is she the best female Shakespearean part? Portia is one of Shakespeare's best parts for an actress and within this play she displays great wit and intelligence. Those are traits that no other female character has ever established. Shakespeare wrote The Merchant Of Venice, between 1595 and 1598 and some of the main characters in the play include Antonio, Portia, Shylock, Bassanio, Lorenzo, Jessica, Gratiano, Nerissa, Launcelot Gobbo and County Palatine.In The Merchant Of Venice, Portia has a lot of long speeches in which she displays her intelligence by either making fun of her suitors or showing her love for Bassanio or her knowledge of law. The opening scene gives proof that Portia is rich and independent by saying " In Belmont is a lady richly left". This is also shown in the scene where Bassanio tells her about the bond. She says "What, no more?" when she is told about the amount of money owed and tells him, " Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond double six thousand and then treble that". This not only shows her to be rich, but also very generous. When she married Bassanio, Portia knew that he was not as wealthy as the other suitors, but there was something different about him. Portia had enough money to live she does not need a rich suitor, so she fell in love with the man whom she thought could love her, and not just want to get richer. However, when Bassanio told her about the bond, Portia immediately was willing to help Antonio with the money and the defeating of Shylock the Jew.Portia gets to prove her wit and knowledge of the law in the courtroom scene when she dresses as "The Doctor Of Law" and insists on helping out. She is allowed to do this because she tells the judge that she a trainee and is well learned. If Portia did not know anything about law, then...

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