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Chrys McCrary
Professor Charlie Starr
Accelerated Composition
11 December 2001
Merchant of Venice: Character
Analysis of Portia
When we love someone, we will do anything for him or her. We will
go to no end and try any means possible to make him or her happy.
At least, that is usually the case. In Shakespeare's The
Merchant of Venice, Portia loves Bassanio and will stop at nothing
to make him happy. The Merchant of Venice is a play about
unconditional love, mercy, and upholding the law. The character of
Portia is prominent in all of these themes. Many admire the rich,
beautiful Portia, and men come from all over just to try their chances
at marrying her. She is the woman that every man dreams of
marrying.
When Portia first
appear in the story, she is talking to her waiting woman, Nerissa. They
are discussing the stipulations Portia’s dead father has placed on her
inheriting his wealth. Up until this point, Portia has basically had
everything given to her. “She is the spoiled child of fortune…” (Terry
114). Portia has been handed everything on a silver platter, but this
time, she is not able to get what she wants when she wants it. The only
way that Portia can obtain her father’s fortune is by marrying the man
who chooses the casket that has her picture in it. There are three
caskets that any man wishing to marry her must choose from: gold,
silver, and lead. Portia is distraught by this method that her father
has come up with because it does not give her the opportunity to choose
her own husband.
But this reasoning is not in the fashion to choose me
a husband. O me, the word "choose"! I may neither
choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike, so is
the will of a living duaghter curbed by the will of
a dead father. It is not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot
choose one, nor refuse one. (1.2.21-6)
Nerissa reassures and comforts her by telling her, “who chooses his meaning chooses you…” (1.2.28), thus letting her know that the suitor who chooses his meaning
wisely will ultimately end up choosing the correct casket and will receive Portia’s hand in marriage along with all that she owns. “Portia’s mood changes [...] as
she takes comfort from Nerissa’s reassurances about her father’s lottery […] and accepts the suggestion that they run through the list of suitors” (Cusack 105).
Nerissa and Portia run down the list of suitors, and Portia comments on all six clearly revealing her dislike of all of these men. Two suitors are mentioned
specifically as trying to guess the casket and marry Portia. “Morocco, the first of Portia’s suitors, incorrectly chooses the gold casket. He is followed by Arragon,
who unwisely picks the silver casket. Portia expresses relief at being rid of both of them” (Dominic 227). Neither of these men are ever allowed to marry anyone
because they picked the wrong casket, but apparently Portia was worth trying for.
Meanwhile, Bassanio, a poor man, receives money from his best friend, Antonio, to go see Portia whom he strongly
admires and try his luck at the caskets. Antonio has made a bond with Shylock to get the money; if he does not meet all the conditions of the loan, Antonio must allow
Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from his body. This doesn’t sound very appealing, but Antonio knows how much Bassanio wants to marry Portia so he is willing to do
anything for his friend to get him to Portia’s house so he can hopefully get a chance at marrying her.
“Portia grows wiser and more mature in the course of the play, and particularly in the casket trial” (Cusack 106).
She gets word that Bassanio is going to try his luck with the caskets. Portia reveals that Bassanio is her favorite of the suitors. Because Portia likes Bassanio and
wants him to guess the correct casket, she advises Bassanio to choose wisely and take his time,
but Bassanio is very anxious and cannot wait. As he ponders his decision, Portia slyly has a song played in the background to give him hints as to which casket is the
correct one. “The opening lines end in words rhyming with lead; the middle stanza reminds him not to be superficial, and the concluding lines refer to the clapper of
a bell, clappers often being made of lead” (Dominic 277). Portia’s hints along with Bassanio’s love for Portia allow him to choose the correct casket and receive
Portia’s hand in marriage. It is safe to say that Portia manipulates the outcome.
The choosing of the correct casket is followed by a ceremony in which Portia and Bassanio give themselves to one
another. As Portia and Bassanio exchange vows of love and devotion, Nerissa and Gratiano, a friend who has accompanied Bassanio to Belmont, announce their plans to
marry also. The exchanging of vows is accompanied by the giving of rings. One is given from Portia to Bassanio and one is given from Nerissa to Gratiano. When Portia
gives Bassanio the ring, she gives him all that she is and has. To Portia, the ring symbolizes their commitment to one another and her giving all she owns to Bassanio.
This house, these servants, and this same myself
Are ours, my lord's, I give them with this ring,
Which when you part form, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love
And by my vantage to exclaim on you. (3.2.170-174)
Portia sees Bassanio's giving up the ring as breaking the bond between them.
Shortly after the rings are given, Bassanio receives a letter. The letter tells of Antonio’s dangerous obligation to
Shylock. Bassanio learns that Shylock is taking Antonio to court over his debt. When Portia sees his face, she becomes worried for her new husband. Out of concern for
her new husband’s friend, she offers to pay the debt that is owed and even offers to increase the sum if necessary. Bassanio tells her that three thousand ducats are
owed, and she replies with “What, no more? / Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond. / Double six thousand and then treble that” (3.2.298-300). When she learns
that Shylock will not take the money, she gives Bassanio to the okay to leave, and he takes off to help Antonio out. Of course now that her and Bassanio are together,
she cannot stand the thought of sitting back and doing nothing. Portia and Nerissa follow Bassanio after having a letter sent to Portia’s cousin, Doctor Bellario, who
provides them with disguises and false credentials.
Portia and Nerissa show up in the courtroom disguised as a doctor of laws and a law clerk. Apparently, they must have
some pretty good disguises because no one recognizes them as women or imposters. They are looked upon just as if they are whom the letter from Doctor Bellario says
they are. “In the first part of the trial, Portia manipulates the proceedings so that the case is stated as all Venice has seen it” (Benston 338). Portia pretends to
consider the matter and at first seems to side with Shylock in the advisability of adhering to the law, but then she tries to evoke mercy from Shylock. Portia offers
Shylock three opportunities to change his mind. First, the straightforward appeal to mercy; second, she offers him more money than the bond; and finally, a combination
of the two. Shylock refuses all three and insists that he get his pound of flesh from Antonio. “Portia has forced Shylock not only to reveal that he is blind to his
own possible guilt but also to state publicly that he will not accept money as payment for the bond” (Benston 339). Shylock insists on adhering exactly to the law, so
Portia turns the law against him. Apparently, he missed the part of the law that noted the penalties that come along with his piece of flesh. Portia points them out:
Therefore prepare thee to cut off the flesh.
Shed thou no blood, nor cut thou less nor more
But just a pound of flesh. If you tak'st more
Or less than just a pound, be it but so much
As makes it light or heavy in the substance
Or the division of the twentieth part
Of one poor scruple--nay, if the scale do turn
But the estimation of a hair--
Thou diest, and all thy goods are confiscate. (4.1.323-331)
Dominic notes that “[a]s the young doctor Balthazar in the Venetian Court of Justice, she (Portia) exhibits a keen and
aggressive intelligence that only her femininity prevents her from exhibiting in every aspect of her life” (238). Portia is able to free Antonio from being sliced by
Shylock. To express his gratitude for Antonio’s rescue, Bassanio offers compensation to the young doctor (Portia). The only thing she will accept from him is his
wedding ring, an object he has sworn never to part with. Bassanio refuses at first, but eventually sends Gratiano to give the ring to the doctor. Nerissa arranges to
have Portia extort the wedding ring from Gratiano, who too has sworn never to part with it. Both men give up the one thing that the women said would end their
relationship if they took it off. “Bassanio’s willingness to part with the ring must have been very hurtful to Portia” (Cusack 107). But “[i]t is argued that Portia
suddenly realizes that Bassanio places obligations due a friend above those owed a wife…” (Benston 340).
Portia and Nerissa leave the courtroom immediately to head back to Belmont so they can arrive before their husbands
return home. When the men return home without their rings, Portia and Nerissa accuse their husbands of giving away their rings on a whim and accuse them of devaluing
the symbolic importance of those rings. Even though Portia and Nerissa know very well the whole story, they pretend that they slept with the doctor and the law clerk
to get the rings back. They do this to evoke jealousy in their husbands. Portia and Nerissa enjoy making their husbands squirm, but they eventually admit that Portia
was the young doctor and Nerissa was the law clerk. They forgive their husbands because they realize that Bassanio and Gratiano have not betrayed a trust by giving
their wedding rings to the young doctor; their intention was to reward the doctor for a perceived kindness (Dominic 279). “It is only after Bassanio swears a new oath
that Portia relents and affirms the new bond with a second, ceremonial offering of the ring” (Benston 341). Antonio, whose situation caused Bassanio to place Portia
second in his concern temporarily, takes the ring from Portia and gives it to Bassanio, symbolically reuniting the couples at the end of the play.
“In constantly demonstrating her ability to beat men at their own games, Shakespeare allows Portia to emerge as a more
potent character than any of her masculine companions” (Parten 348). Portia is clever and crafty. This is shown throughout the play when she uses manipulation to
either get what she wants or to help out her husband, Bassanio. Portia is relentless. Throughout the play, she doesn’t give up on anything. When she decides that she
wants something, she uses any means necessary to get what she wants. The bond Portia has with Bassanio is important to her. Even though he broke that bond, Portia
loves him and is willing to take him back in any case. Portia is a very loving and dedicated person. Portia may be rich, but she has a brain in her head too. Portia’s
unconditional love for Bassanio allows Portia to bring the play to a happy ending in all aspects.
Works Cited
Benston, Alice N. "The Merchant of Venice." Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Mark W. Scott. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1987. 336-341.
Cusack, Sinead. "The Merchant of Venice." Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Sandra L. Williamson and James E. Person, Jr. Vol. 12.
Detroit: Gale, 1991. 104-111.
Dominic, Catherine C., ed. “The Merchant of Venice.” Shakespeare’s Characters for Students. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 276-286.
Parten, Anne. "Portia." Shakespeare for Stuends. Ed. Mark W. Scott. Detroit: Gale, 1992. 347-351.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Kenneth Myrick, ed. New York, NY: New American Library, 1965.
Terry, Ellen. "The Merchant of Venice." Shakespearean Criticism. Ed. Sandra L. Williamson and James E. Person, Jr. Vol. 12.
Detroit: Gale, 1991. 114-115.
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