Why did Abigail Adams sign her letters to her husband as Portia?

Answer 1

Abigail Adams signed her letters as "Portia" because she admired the character Portia from Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice." Portia was known for her intelligence, wit, and strength, qualities that Abigail saw in herself. Plus, it was a hell of a lot more interesting than just signing off as "Abigail."

Answer 2

Abigail Adams signed her letters to her husband as Portia as a reference to the character Portia in William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice." Portia is known for her intelligence, wit, and strong sense of justice, qualities that Abigail admired and sought to embody in her own correspondence with her husband, John Adams. By signing as Portia, Abigail may have been signaling her desire for equality and respect in their relationship, as well as her own intellectual capabilities and independent spirit.

Answer 3

Well, isn't that just a happy little question? Abigail Adams signed her letters as Portia because she admired the character Portia from Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice." Portia was known for her intelligence, wit, and strength, qualities that Abigail saw in herself and wanted to embody when writing to her husband, John Adams. It's like adding a touch of inspiration and creativity to her correspondence, creating a special connection between them.

Answer 4

It was a custom of the time to adopt a pen name.

(As was the custom of the time, they adopted pen names:

Abigail was Diana, after the Roman goddess of the moon and later she adopted the pen name, Portia, wife of the great Roman politician Brutus.

John adopted the name, Lysander, after the Spartan war hero.

John often addressed his letters to his "Dear Adoreable" or "My dear Diana," or "My Dear Portia," but Abigail addressed her letters to John, as she would for the rest of her life, to "My Dearest Friend.")