Pause a day or two before you hazard, for in choosing wrong I lose your company (3.2.1-3). She observes the follies of others and makes humorous and witty remarks. S. A. Brooke has called her, the queen of beauty. Among the heroines created by Shakespeare, Portia occupies a high position. While Hamlet may be Shakespeare's mopiest character, Antonio sure gives him a run for his money. By portraying Portia in brilliant colours, Shakespeare gives testimony to the position and character of women in human life. She describes herself as an unschooled, unlessoned, and unpractised woman, and then goes on to make a complete surrender of herself to the man who has won her as his wife. In fact, her speech to Nerissa on this occasion is a series of aphoristic statements containing gems of wisdom. Portia – Humorous and Witty But on all other occasions she shows that modesty lends to a woman the grace and the chain which make her a lovable person. Finding Emo. She is shown to think little of various foreign noblemen of similar rank who are most Character Analysis Shylock Shylock is the most vivid and memorable character in The Merchant of Venice, and he is one of Shakespeare's greatest dramatic creations. A rich, beautiful, very intelligent heiress, she is bound by the lottery set forth in her father's will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose between three caskets composed of gold, silver and lead. Understand every line of Julius Caesar. In Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice the antagonist of the play is Shylock. When she loves, it is with all her heart, when she gives herself to Bassanio, it is with complete surrender, when she goes in for a practical joke, it is with full zest. of Polynomials | Highest Common Factor of Two or More Polynomials Worksheet |, Worksheet on H.C.F. Quick-witted, wealthy, and beautiful, Portia embodies the virtues that are typical of Shakespeare’s heroines—it is no surprise that she emerges as the antidote to Shylock’s malice. She displays courage, confidence and strength in her speeches in the court. She breaks down barriers between genders by saving ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions, Her High Position in the Gallery of Shakespeare’s Heroines. But Portia combines her vast material wealth with an inner treasure of generosity. At the same time she has her feminine weaknesses which come out at times—but these weaknesses make her human. She allows the Christians to have their own way with him. The Prince of Morocco is proud and self-respecting. In this scene, we find many contradictions in the things she says and does. Of her beauty, we need no convincing. Character sketch of Portia is very important question of the drama 'The Merchant of Venice'. This critic also says that Portia is as natural as Eve in Paradise. Thus, it is the varied and rich nature of her that appeals to the readers. Portia has essentially a compassionate nature. Portia is a lady with a cheerful and optimistic disposition. In this video, I will show you character sketch of Portia. She reflects her love for a good practical joke. Luckily, as an unsuccessful suitor must swear to never marry, most of them refuse to go as far as the ordeal, but she is still not overly glad of her circumstances. Bassanio's words are enough; thus we turn to her love for Bassanio. Subsequently she shows her sense of humour in setting the Rings story afoot and bringing it to an end which gives rise to plenty of mirth and laughter. Portia’s true and womanly nature appears in the finest colours in Act III. If they choose the right casket the casket containing Portia's portrait they win Portia's hand in marriage. When the news of the danger to her husband’s friend, Antonio, arrives from Venice, she at once takes the charge of the situation. The concluding episode of the rings shows Portia’s human character. Her comment on her English suitor is perhaps the most amusing. Eligibility, Benefits and Apply Online, No Dues Certificate | No Dues Certificate Format for Employee and Students, Plus Two Accountancy Previous Year Question Paper March 2019, Division Of A Line Segment Into A Given Ratio, Trigonometric Ratios Of Some Specific Angles, How To Construct A Tangent To A Circle From An External Point, What Are The Instruments Used To Measure Time, How Do You Construct An Angle With Compass And Ruler. Shylock is, of course, the most striking example of this sort of thing. Portia has been called by critics one of the most perfectly developed female characters of Shakespeare. Shylock is a wealthy Jewish moneylender. Portia is a very large-hearted and generous woman. However, it is easy to mistake the word ‘admiration’ to mean simply a liking of someone’s positive virtues. Bassanio's words are enough; thus we turn to her love for Bassanio. Extended Character Analysis In The Merchant of Venice, Portia is a beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy heiress from Belmont. In fact, he is the instigator of the two main story-lines — the casket story and the bond story.Bassanio somehow hears about the heiress Portia and her wealth and decides to try his luck in winning Portia… For instance, she says that a good deed shines in a naughty world just as a candle shines in the darkness of the night. Portia is also the daughter of Dr.Copeland, the sister of Willie and the wife of Highboy. Before we even meet Portia, we hear about how desirable she is: "In Belmont is a lady richly left, / And she is fair" (1.2.168-169). The character of Bassanio in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice is an important one. “What ring gave you, my lord ? Jessica calls her beautiful past all expressing. She also says that she can easier teach twenty what were good to be done than be one of the twenty to follow her own teaching. Portia – An Ideal Woman Portia acts like a normal human being. Of her beauty, we need no convincing. “I would deny it, but you see my finger hath not the ring upon it : it is gone”. He does not forget his worth while making the choice of the right casket. For all these reasons, one of the critics describes Portia as the Queen of this play, and as the Muse of wisdom and love. If he chooses the right casket, he wins Portia's hand in marriage. Shylock is, of course, the most striking example of this sort of thing. She possesses physical as well as the beauty of character. Some wealthy persons are also the greatest misers. Although Portia is a woman with a powerful intellect and extraordinary powers of reasoning, she yet remains a woman at heart with a lot of modesty, humility, and compassion. Octavius Caesar. She has been given the best of education by a wise father, and so is cultured and refined. She enjoys the discomfiture of Bassanio who is forced to say, Her conversation with Nerissa at the very outset of the play contains some valuable remarks which are well-worded maxims. Bassanio is a young gentleman of Venice who has squandered all his fortune and is therefore in dire need of a rich wife.. A great friend of Antonio’s, he convinces the latter to lend him the necessary money for him to properly woo Portia. ''She is a rich heiress of Belmont.She has a good combination in traits which is:Beauty and Brain.Everyone appreciates her outer appearance all over the world,making many suitors eager to marry her. Every wealthy person is not generous. But this melancholy mood lasts only for a few minutes, and is dispelled as soon as Nerissa begins to talk to her about the various suitors who have arrived at Belmont to try their luck at the caskets. She is practical and pragmatic towards the situation. Portia is an extraordinarily rich heiress of Belmont constrained by her father’s will to accept in marriage whichever suitor successfully passes the test of the three caskets. In this belief she is greatly encouraged by Nerissa who tells her that good men are sometimes divinely inspired when they are dying and that they then take sound decisions. Show More. She produces a powerful impression on our minds; and her role in the play is most conspicuous and memorable. Portia’s marriage life is dictated by her dead father. and L.C.M. Portia is one of the most prominent of Shakespeare's heroines in his mature romantic comedies. Portia was involved in all of these topics whereas no other character was. When Bassanio puts his hand on the lead casket, she feels overwhelmed by a feeling of ecstasy, and is hardly able to restrain her feelings on this occasion. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Portia is a protagonist of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. At the same time, we must acknowledge the fact that, in pronouncing the punishment to which Shylock has rendered himself liable, she tends to forget her own ardent plea for mercy. It shows Portia's wit, her ability to judge character, and also her humility, for even as she jokes about these suitors' shortcomings, she admits, "I know it is a sin to be a mocker." Every wealthy person is not generous. When he actually opens the lead casket and, finding her picture in it, claims her with a kiss, she makes a speech which embodies the very spirit of humility. This shows that she is intensely capable, bold and resourceful. Nerissa is heiress Portia’s fun-loving and clever READ MORE - PRO MEMBERS ONLY Join the StageAgent community to read our character analysis for Nerissa and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Mercy, she says, is an attribute to God Himself. If he chooses the incorrect casket, he must leave and never seek another woman in marriage. In Act 4 Sc 1, Portia disguises as Doctor Balthazar, the lawyer who defends Antonio from being killed by Shylock at the very last moment. At this time Nerissa makes some very shrewd remarks by means of which she is able to provide some comfort to her mistress and soothe her troubled mind. For instance, she talks strictly of the law, but she is bending the law herself, by imitating as a lawyer. Portia applies her strength by using tactics to persuade Brutus into telling her his worries by using emotional blackmail, challenging him, and … Portia. He is conscious of his black complexion but he does not feel inferior on this account. In this act, she reveals her finest feelings. Clues to Portia's character can be found in the major events of the play. A beautiful, clever, and wealthy noblewoman who lives in the country estate of Belmont, outside Venice. Character Analysis. Her famous “Quality of Mercy” speech is a proof of that. She is determined to carry out the terms of her late father’s will. She has no taste for dark-complexioned men, though she is tactful enough … Jessica. She has all the conceivable qualities in her—good looks, beauty, charm, grace, intelligence, humility, wit, humour, sensitivity, kind-heartedness, generous nature, and so on. Here she gives up the style of fashionable Elizabethan court speech and declares her love for Bassanio in a shy, modest and womanly manner. and L.C.M. Portia is the heroine of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is the antagonist in the play because he stands in the way of love, but this does not necessarily… It is unfortunate that the Jew pays no heed to Portia’s plea. Portia is the romantic heroine of the play, and she must be presented on the stage with much beauty and intelligence. For instance, she says that it is a good divine who follows his own instructions. Portia is … Download Math, Science, English and Many More WorkSheets, Character Sketch of Portia in Merchant of Venice. 1079 Words 5 Pages. Portia. When we are first introduced to Portia, she (Portia) is in a rather melancholy mood. Character sketch of portia in 1500 words 2 See answers Anugraha Anugraha Portia is the romantic heroine of the play, and she must be presented on the stage with much beauty and intelligence. When the play the Merchant of Venice is mentioned anywhere, people think of two persons, namely Shylock and Portia; and these two persons are inseparable from each other in our minds because we remember Shylock chiefly as a villain wanting to take the life of his enemy Antonio, and we think of Portia as the person who defeats Shylock’s evil design. She makes a similar remark when she says that many things appear to be praiseworthy and perfect when they are looked at in the right perspective. Read our modern English translation. But she’s not one of the oppressed women eit Portia Merchant of Venice | Merchant of Venice Characters Portia Character Sketch of Portia in Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice Workbook Answers PORTIA an embodiment of an ideal woman essentially feminine, yet bold and capable courteous and polite shy and modest bold and capable her brilliant humour and wit a strong person Portia – ... Read more Character Sketch of Portia in … Not that, I hope, which you received of me.” Portia shows her wisdom in other ways as well. Nerissa strikes us as a highly intelligent woman who understands Portia’s nature and character well. Portia is bound by a clause in her father's will, which obligates her to marry whoever solves the so-called riddle of the caskets, by choosing the correct chest from one of gold, one of silver, and one of lead. And, of course, Portia has other qualities also to impart a measure of greatness to her. The Clever Portia in The Merchant of Venice Portia: I pray you, tarry. Portia. She thinks of a daring plan on the spur of the moment. Portia is the wife of Brutus and daughter of the famous Roman statesman Cato. The Merchant of Venice. Portia – Essentially Feminine She knows that Bassanio had given her a ring, but she asks Bassanio. He invites Shylock to dine with them over the matter of a loan for this, allowing Lorenzo to abduct Jessica. The character of Portia in Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice portrays a very strong and confident personality who has found a suitor of her liking, Bassanio. Portia is a traditional wife but has earned Brutus’s respect in their relationship. Portia is a very large-hearted and generous woman. On stage, it is Shylock who makes the play, and almost all of the great actors of the English and Continental stage have attempted the role. Her Sense of Humour and Her Sparkling Wit. This is further powerful evidence indicating that Portia is indeed the protagonist. The characters of Portia are unique; from the mayor of Portia to the farmers of the ranch, every character has a story to tell, personal gifting and dining preferences, and a unique lifestyle. But her wisdom appears in a most striking manner in the Trial Scene in the course of which she is able to turn the tables upon Shylock and defeat him with the same weapon with which he wanted to take Antonio’s life. Nerissa believes that Portia’s father is a wise man, and whoever chooses the right chest will be the man to have Portia. Her father’s will stipulates that … Antonio is a rich Venetian merchant, Bassanio's BFF, Shylock's archenemy, and the guy who puts up a pound of flesh as collateral so Bassanio can borrow money in order to woo Portia in style. When she is first introduced to us, she tells Nerissa that she is feeling weary of the world. Thus, she enjoys the amusing situation. Portia – A Strong Person At the beginning of the play, however, we do not see Portia’s potential for initiative and resourcefulness, as she is a near prisoner, feeling herself absolutely bound to follow her father’s dying wishes. The player character can be played as a male or female. It is only on one occasion in the whole play that she feels melancholy, and even sick of the world. And then she herself dons a lawyer’s clothes to function as a judge in the case because she has hit upon a plan to save Antonio’s life. Her speech on ‘the quality of mercy’ will be remembered for generations to come. This comment ends with her saying that the Englishman perhaps bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour everywhere. But Portia combines her vast material wealth with an inner treasure of generosity. A Shylock character analysis can tell us a lot about The Merchant of Venice.Shylock, the Jewish moneylender is the villain of the play and the audience … She pleads the case brilliantly and intelligently and saves Antonio from the jaws of death. Portia is genuinely devoted to the memory of her father who, while dying, had devised a kind of lottery for the purpose of her choice of a husband. of Polynomials | GCF and LCM of Polynomials Worksheets, Worksheet on L.C.M. Next. Portia is a character in Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice.She’s not exactly like the characters usually classed as strong women in Shakespeare (like Rosalind or Lady Macbeth) because she isn’t called on to make a stand on anything, do something courageous, or defy some of the obstacles stacked up against women in Elizabethan times.. Character Analysis. Show More. When she disguises herself as a man, she succeeds eminently in playing a masculine role. She also says that nothing is good if it is not seen in its proper context. She is merely defined in each instance by her relationship to Brutus. As a woman, Portia is submissive and obedient; as the judge and as a man, she demonstrates her intelligence and her brilliance. But she has implicit faith in her father’s wisdom, and she is convinced that her father’s will would prove to be the means of her getting the right man as her husband. Portia has something very amusing to say about each of these four suitors. Born in rich, aristocratic family, she is noble, generous and large-hearted. It is her strength, intelligence and commonsense that make her win the battle in the court. Portia is an African American woman, who works as a servant at the Kelley’s house. Later in the play, she again makes similar remarks which show her wisdom and her vast knowledge of the world and of human nature. 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