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Portia's mother is not in the play.
Issac Crist
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∙ 13y agoPortia
Portia is the rich daughter of Belmont and heiress to her dead father's fortune. We first hear of her as a rich woman who could be the answer to all of Bassanio's money troubles. But Portia turns out to be much more than a rich plot-device. This woman is one of Shakespeare's deeper female characters - she's a good girl, but she knows what she wants and how to get it, even if her methods are a bit unconventional.
To the play, it's important that Portia is wealthy, but as the story develops, it becomes more important that she's clever. With her disguised defense of Antonio at court, and her silly-but-devious ring trick, Portia shows that she's mostly willing to play by the rules, but will have fun interpreting and twisting them to her own pleasure. She can out-think everyone, which helps her to win over the court, deceive Bassanio and Gratiano, and even back her husband into a corner at the end of the play. Her thinking also leads her to some deep thoughts on a variety of issues - some of the more philosophical speeches of the play belong to Portia. Most importantly, she operates within the bounds of the rules of social and legal norms, yet her quick and mischievous thinking allows her to be imaginative within those bounds instead of being oppressed by them.
Though Portia is clearly strong-willed (she shows her disdain for her many wooing men), she's still an obedient girl. She sticks to her father's plan for her and simply hopes that it will turn out right, though she's not above being snarky when it comes to dealing with each of the suitors. The lady is gracious, so she'll do things as they're supposed to be done, but she'll be damned if she doesn't do things her way on top of that. The only time we ever really see Portia out of sorts is when she's faced with Bassanio's choice. For the first time in the play, she doesn't seem to know what to say, or is unable to really communicate what she is feeling, which seems to be love for Bassanio. She gives herself over to him fully, but in everything that follows she does as she pleases, rendering her both obedient and rule-abiding (with regard to her husband and father), but not without a hint of her own mischief. Portia's got her own touch, and she's smart enough to figure out how to get what she wants. She has a certain playfulness too, which means her machinations aren't manipulations, but just part of a fun game she devises.
Ultimately, this complexity still allows her to fit within the confines of being a woman in her times. And yet, her wit, intelligence, and generosity are all tools she uses to let others know that while she's definitely a woman, and seems to be accordingly limited, she isn't subordinate to anybody - except when she chooses to be. Her cross-dressing endeavor, where she outwits all the men in both the law and their ability to define gender, is a perfect example of this kind of cleverness. Besides displaying her ability to exploit loopholes, the cross-dressing is a clear if complicated testament to Portia's view of justice and of her own intelligence. She knows the rules (both of social and legal norms), but she's discerning enough to be able to decide which ones must be followed and which are just silly. Portia follows the former doggedly while working her way around the others. She'd never disobey her father's will, but she happily uses the law against Shylock's invocation of it. She expresses a desire to be Bassanio's woman, but she directly flouts social rules by dressing as a man. Portia has clearly thought about justice, devised a code that suits her, and follows it to the letter.
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∙ 11y agoPortia is a rich and beautiful lady in Belmont and many suitors are trying to win her hand in marriage.
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∙ 13y agoNo, she's a wealthy heiress.
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∙ 11y agoBelmont.
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Why is portia careful with her words in the merchant of Venice?
Portia has to be careful what she says in two parts of the play. First, when her suitors are put to the lottery, she is forbidden from giving them hints (although who is going to tell is not exactly clear). Secondly, when she is impersonating a lawyer at a trial, she has to be careful what she says because, well, she is a lawyer at a trial. They always have to be careful what they say.
How does antonio say he feels in the first few lines in The Merchant of Venice?
"In sooth I know not why I am so sad."
Who is protagonist in the merchant of Venice?
Antonio is the Merchant of Venice in The Merchant Of Venice. Is he the hero? No. He is not really charming, and so far from being wealthy that he has to borrow money from Shylock to pay for Bassanio's wooing. The charming and wealthy hero of The Merchant of Venice is Portia, who saves Antonio's life by a legal swindle and ends up triumphantly married to Bassanio, who has been chastened and tamed (just like Katharine in The Taming of the Shrew) by her dodge with his wedding ring.
Who is harbrace shakespeare... why does it say harbrace shakespeare in my book 'The Merchant of Venice' i thought his name was William?
Harbrace is the name of series of books. In other words "Shakespeare by Harbrace".
What does shylock say will happen if the duke does not uphold the contract between between shylock and antonio?
this will threaten the security of all foreign merchants in venice. (source: merchant of india :)
Why is portia careful with her words in the merchant of Venice?
Portia has to be careful what she says in two parts of the play. First, when her suitors are put to the lottery, she is forbidden from giving them hints (although who is going to tell is not exactly clear). Secondly, when she is impersonating a lawyer at a trial, she has to be careful what she says because, well, she is a lawyer at a trial. They always have to be careful what they say.
How does antonio say he feels in the first few lines in The Merchant of Venice?
"In sooth I know not why I am so sad."
Who is protagonist in the merchant of Venice?
Antonio is the Merchant of Venice in The Merchant Of Venice. Is he the hero? No. He is not really charming, and so far from being wealthy that he has to borrow money from Shylock to pay for Bassanio's wooing. The charming and wealthy hero of The Merchant of Venice is Portia, who saves Antonio's life by a legal swindle and ends up triumphantly married to Bassanio, who has been chastened and tamed (just like Katharine in The Taming of the Shrew) by her dodge with his wedding ring.
How do you put heroine in a sentence?
You say "lily is a super heroine"
Who is harbrace shakespeare... why does it say harbrace shakespeare in my book 'The Merchant of Venice' i thought his name was William?
Harbrace is the name of series of books. In other words "Shakespeare by Harbrace".
What does shylock say will happen if the duke does not uphold the contract between between shylock and antonio?
this will threaten the security of all foreign merchants in venice. (source: merchant of india :)
What does the gold casket say on it in The Merchant of Venice?
1. A skull, likely representing death 2. A note that says "All that glisters is not gold."
When and where does act one scene two take place in romeo and Juliet?
No one can be sure where he wrote his play. He may well have written it over a long period of time in different parts of London and England. As I say there is no pinpoint location, but it almost definitely in London.
How did Shakespeare's acting background affect his writing?
Part of the reason that Shakespeare was such a good playwright is that he had in mind while writing his plays the practical problems (and opportunities) presented by the theatrical conventions of his day, many of which still concern today's theatre. For example, in The Merchant of Venice Portia, disguised as the lawyer Balthazar, demands that her husband give her his wedding ring as a fee for her successful conduct of a legal matter on his behalf. The action then switches to Portia's house in Belmont where she will face him with the loss of his ring. But the next thing that happens is a scene where Lorenzo and Jessica, the couple who are looking after Portia's place in her absence, say a lot of soppy things to each other, beginning with the words "On such a night . . ." You may ask, what is the point of that scene? Well, the point is that the actor or actress playing Portia needs time to get out of the Balthazar costume and into the Portia costume, and the actors playing Lorenzo and Jessica are buying that time.
How does the scene between Portia and the Prince of Morocco further Portia's characterization?
We learn that Portia's a bit of a racist. After he's gone she says, "Let all of your complexion choose me so.", which is to say, not at all.
How tall is Portia Victoria?
There is a chance that these websites are wrong because Ellen showed her audience (on her show) that she is taller than Portia, Ellen is listed as being 5' 7.5" nearly everywhere, but here is a list of heights that Portia is: people.famouswhy.com say Portia is 5' 8" celebheights.com say Portia is 5' 7.25" www.celebs101.com also say she is 5' 8" It seems that she is between 5' 7" and 5' 8", but its is not entirely fact on her height, all I know is that she is shorter that Ellen who is listed as being 5ft 7.5in pretty much everywhere. (It doesn't help that Portia wears heels when in public) I hope that helps.
How do you say dear in Venice?
Venice is a place in Italy so do you mean how do you say dear in Italian. Dear in Italian is - Caro
