Fanny Unterreiner, Maggie Newell, Crystal Tong and Sacha Lee Y10B
Character analysis of Portia in the Merchant of Venice
Role:
- Word bank: Portia is rich, beautiful, intelligent, intolerant to other races, dismissive ,
stereotypical,courageous, ruthless in some sense (deceiving Bassanio and forbidding
Shylock from retracting the bond), witty, quick-thinking, composed, confident,
somewhat arrogant, unsympathetic, naive
- Nerissa: Smart, open, honest, blunt, not afraid to speak her thoughts, subordinate, loyal,
sincere, sensible approach to love, wise
● Portia’s role: To find a loophole in Shylock’s bond to save Antonio (example of her
intelligence which shows a similarity to Shylock as they have the same kind of
intelligence and are brave to confront people especially at that time where citizens
weren’t accepting towards ; gender and religious equality) Her intelligence is shown all
through the play but is more obvious at the court scene in act 4
● Portia makes Shylock force to give up his religion and have everything taken away from
him (law fair?) Act 4
● Portia/ Nerissa: To be the romantic interest of Bassanio/Gratiano
● To disguise as Balthazar/the judge’s clerk
● To release tension by comedic effect in a scene, through the use of dramatic irony
(Portia and Nerissa disguises as Balthazar and the judge’s clerk in Act 4, Scene 1)
● Nerissa’s role: Gives the audience insight on Portia’s true feelings, i.e. Portia’s opinion on
the suitors and the unfairness of the caskets in Act 1, scene 2, lines 19-23.
Function/significance: Shakespeare uses his play on words to undermine and subvert racial
stereotypes, which the general public would find amusing at the time as a result of a share of
common beliefs. (They would misinterpret Portia’s words) This is shown in Act 1, Scene 2, line
107, Portia refers to the Prince of Morocco as having ‘the complexion of a devil’, which proves to
the audience that she is a racist. Her stereotypical and racist comments on her suitors are used
by Shakespeare for comedic effect. For example, line 56-60 Act 1, Scene 2, where Portia mocks
the english suitor, here, Shakespeare incites racial stereotypes and subverts/undermines it.
Portia/Nerissa’s disguise is used to undermine gender inequality among Venetian society.
-Portia is clever, and therefore knows only she will be able to get the charges dropped against
Antonio, however women were not allowed to attend court relating back to the theme of
gender inequality. Shakespeare is undermining gender inequality by showing how Portia’s wit
and intelligence released Antonio from the bond, questioning the morals of Venetian law in the
Character analysis of Portia in the Merchant of Venice
Role:
- Word bank: Portia is rich, beautiful, intelligent, intolerant to other races, dismissive ,
stereotypical,courageous, ruthless in some sense (deceiving Bassanio and forbidding
Shylock from retracting the bond), witty, quick-thinking, composed, confident,
somewhat arrogant, unsympathetic, naive
- Nerissa: Smart, open, honest, blunt, not afraid to speak her thoughts, subordinate, loyal,
sincere, sensible approach to love, wise
● Portia’s role: To find a loophole in Shylock’s bond to save Antonio (example of her
intelligence which shows a similarity to Shylock as they have the same kind of
intelligence and are brave to confront people especially at that time where citizens
weren’t accepting towards ; gender and religious equality) Her intelligence is shown all
through the play but is more obvious at the court scene in act 4
● Portia makes Shylock force to give up his religion and have everything taken away from
him (law fair?) Act 4
● Portia/ Nerissa: To be the romantic interest of Bassanio/Gratiano
● To disguise as Balthazar/the judge’s clerk
● To release tension by comedic effect in a scene, through the use of dramatic irony
(Portia and Nerissa disguises as Balthazar and the judge’s clerk in Act 4, Scene 1)
● Nerissa’s role: Gives the audience insight on Portia’s true feelings, i.e. Portia’s opinion on
the suitors and the unfairness of the caskets in Act 1, scene 2, lines 19-23.
Function/significance: Shakespeare uses his play on words to undermine and subvert racial
stereotypes, which the general public would find amusing at the time as a result of a share of
common beliefs. (They would misinterpret Portia’s words) This is shown in Act 1, Scene 2, line
107, Portia refers to the Prince of Morocco as having ‘the complexion of a devil’, which proves to
the audience that she is a racist. Her stereotypical and racist comments on her suitors are used
by Shakespeare for comedic effect. For example, line 56-60 Act 1, Scene 2, where Portia mocks
the english suitor, here, Shakespeare incites racial stereotypes and subverts/undermines it.
Portia/Nerissa’s disguise is used to undermine gender inequality among Venetian society.
-Portia is clever, and therefore knows only she will be able to get the charges dropped against
Antonio, however women were not allowed to attend court relating back to the theme of
gender inequality. Shakespeare is undermining gender inequality by showing how Portia’s wit
and intelligence released Antonio from the bond, questioning the morals of Venetian law in the
