The Merchant of Venice
It is the Character of Portia Which Makes Act 4 Scene 1 Such an Effective Scene in the Merchant of Venice. How Far Do You Agree?Portia plays a main role in the Merchant of Venice. Her character shows a strong independence. Some people say that it is the role of Portia in Act 4 Scene 1 that makes it such an effective scene. This is what I will be discussing.Portia is a woman who is subservient to the attitudes of her times. She is educated beyond measure and yet is subject to the will of the males in her life. First of all she is forced to obey the dictates of her father's will and must marry the man who guesses the right casket. Secondly she is under the direction of her husband Bassanio, who takes over her fortune and is in charge of her. It does seem that the men in this play portray women as no better than cattle or land. Portia disguises herself as a young male judge to save her husband's best friend. She is very clever in stating the exact words of the contract between Shylock and Antonio. Then when Shylock wants his pound of flesh Portia tells him he can not spill a drop of blood in the process or he will lose all that he has. In the end Portia manages to do just what she started to do, save Antonio's life.
As Portia continually gains the trust of the Jew by stating that his bond is and how lawfully he may claim his forfeit, she is still building Shylock up for the gradual fall of his confidence and eventual cut of his possessions. This is the pivotal point in Portia's plan. The combination of intelligence and mercy, as demonstrated by her conduct at Antonio's trial makes her, I think, one of the most strategic characters in The Merchant of Venice. What was Shakespeare thinking when he created such a symbol of Christ's love in Portia? To my thinking, he set her apart from the other characters of the play, as admirable. He first must become a Christian and second must give a gift of half of his possessions to his son in law, Lorenzo, and his daughter, Jessica. She bemoans her various suitors because of lack of intelligence and bad habits. Portia finds it in her heart to forgive Bassanio and gives the ring to Antonio; he in turn gives it to his friend Bassanio. Shylocks eagerness at this point as he believes that he is going to be able to collect what he wants allows him to express feelings that later Portia will use against him. Important Note: If you'd like to save a copy of the paper on your computer, you can COPY and PASTE it into your word processor. Select the text of the paper with the mouse and press Ctrl+C. As Portia weaves her way into Shylock's trust she, at many points, reassures herself that the proceedings are going as she wants them to be. She asks him where his wedding ring has gone to and is told that it is not here.
Common topics in this essay:
Scene Portia,
Shylock Portia's,
Antonio Shylock,
Merchant Venice,
Portia Nerissa,
Portia Act,
Jessica Shylock,
Justice Antonio,
COPY PASTE,
Judaism Portia,
act 4,
4 scene,
act 4 scene,
4 scene 1,
scene 1,
merchant venice,
pound flesh,
scene 1 lines,
half possessions,
1 lines,
greed forfeiture,
portia's plan,
monies antonio's head,
leaves shylock,
bond act 4,
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Acceptance Essays
