apos;s behaviour is like a typical Elizabethan woman when she declares her position. Take the case of act 1 scene 2.
             "so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father.
             Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I cannot choose one, nor refuse none?"
             Through this quote it is evident that Portia is abiding to her fathers will and complying to the standards prevalent in the Elizabethan times. At the same time Portia is also aware of the injustness of the position.
             Further evidence supporting Portia's yielding to Elizabethan values is found when she marries Bassanio. For instance act 3 scene 2 Portia says
             "But the full sum of me is sum of something, which to term in gross
             Is an unlessoned girl, unschooled , unpractised. "
             This quote shows that Portia is servile to the Elizabethan attitude towards women as women were viewed as under educated and less intelligent than men. Portia then commits her self to Bassanio.
             "but now, this house, these servants, and this same my self are yours, my lord's." Through this extract it would seem that Portia is portrayed as humble, appealing and compassionate towards Bassanio. This type of behaviour was deemed as the correct way for a woman to have acted in the Elizabethan social context.
             However, despite Portia's compliance in many ways she does not conform to the Elizabethan ideology of women. For example in act one scene 2 Portia makes a witty remark of a suitor.
             "For he borrowed a box the ear of the Englishman and swore he would pay him again when he was able"
             This extract shows Portia's ability to indirectly insult someone with a good use of vocabulary. Consequently, this facetious intelligent reference to language shows that Portia is not under educated as Elizabethan women would be seen.
             Another example of Portia's wit is also in Act One Scene Two.
             "When he is best he is little worse than a man,...