Women were not given the respect they deserved in Shakespearian times. Women did not have the freedom to make their own decisions for example Portia being controlled by her father's will. Men who decided to marry were entitled to all of their wives fortunes and everything which belonged to them like when Portia married Bassanio he became entitled to all of her money. Men did not think that women could ever be as smart as they were, and did not listen or take advice from women, like when Portia had to dress up as a man just to get the men to listen to her. In The Merchant of Venice women did not have any power and were highly discriminated against men.
             Portia was being controlled by her father's will, who did not give her the right to choose her own husband. Portia disagreed very much with this will, " . . . I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike; so is the will of a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father." (y, ii, 22-24). In these times women did not have much choice over anything. For example Portia could not choose whom she wanted to marry, not even if she was in love with the man. The father of the woman would have the most say in whom she should marry and if he disliked the man she would not end up marrying him. This just shows the woman did not have the freedom to make their own decisions about their very own lives.
             When Portia had married Bassanio, he was very fortunate to be entitled to Portia's riches. Portia was entitled to grant Bassanio her fortune, "Myself and what is mine, to you and yours is now converted . . . This house, these servants, and this same myself are yours my Lords, give them with this ring." (S, ii, 166-167; 170-171). Married women were expected to do everything and anything for their husbands. If they had any riches or great fortune once they became married those fortunes were entitled to their husbands. Everything a woman had earned...