In this play of deceptive appearances‚ is Portia suspect of not being altogether what she appears to be? Critics have debated this question over the centuries-some with greater enthusiasm than others. One such critic is Anna Jameson. Jameson’ allegations are valid concerning Portia’s undoubted wealth‚ beauty‚ and intelligence‚ but she fails to recognize that she is not all that she appears to be (141). Jameson’s review gives much praise to Portia. According to Jameson‚ “Many critics are so dazzled
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The Merchant of Venice Study Guide Name: ______________________________ Hour ____ Shakespeare gets contract story from Italian novel collection by Ser Giovanni Fiorentino circa 1558. “Pound of flesh” story occurs as early as 1378. Casket plot appeared in Greek romances—is used as a means of a test. Act I 1. What important background information is established in the first scene? 2. Does Shakespeare intend the audience to view Bassanio as a spendthrift and a “gold digger”? 3. Why‚ in
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Portia: Is thy name Shylock? Shylock: Yes. Portia: Of a strange nature is the suit you follow. (To Antonio): You stand within his danger‚ do you not? Antonio: Ay‚ so he says. Portia: Do you confess the bond? Antonio: I do. Portia: Then must the Jew be merciful. Shylock: On what compulsion must I? Portia: The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath: it is twice blest‚ it blesses him that gives and him that takes. It becomes the throned
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Portia is the heroine of he play. She is a beautiful and rich lady who is living on the will of her dead father‚ the person who wanted to marry her have to try his luck to choose one of the three caskets and in one casket is a portrait of Portia and if the suitors fail he cannot marry a woman in his life. She is very famous and people from all over the world come to propose her and try their luck. She says to Nerissa her friend : O me‚ the word ’choose!’ I may neither choose whom I would nor refuse
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Character Name: Portia Character Traits: Loyal “Oh‚ me‚ the word ‘choose’! 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. Is it not hard‚ Nerissa‚ that I cannot choose one nor refuse none? (Act 1 Scene 2 lines 22~25) “In terms of choice I am not solely led by nice direction of a maiden’s eyes. Besides‚ the lott’ry of my destiny bars me the right of voluntary choosing. But if my father had not scanted me
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shylock) she has a jolly nature (joke with the ring‚ comment towards some of the people came for her) God made him‚ and therefore let him pass for a man. In truth‚ I know it is a sin to be a mocker: but‚... I had it of him: pardon me‚ Bassanio; For‚ by this ring‚ the doctor lay with me. Loyal she wants to marry with whom she likes‚ but even so follows her dead father’s will “Oh‚ me‚ the word ‘choose’! I may neither choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike; so is the will of
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The Homosexual Relationship Between Antonio and Bassanio in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice Tsun-Hsien Tsai Sophomore Student‚ Department of English National Changhua University of Education There are many pairs of male adults with honorable masculine friendships appearing in William Shakespeare’s popular plays‚ such as Antonio and Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice‚ Antonio and Sebastian in Twelfth Night‚ the two kings Leonates and Polixenes in The Winter’s Tale‚ and so on. No matter
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The Merchant of Venice is a play set in a very male and Christian dominated society where other religions and women rights weren’t very well accepted by the community. However Portia‚ a rich woman who had previously been controlled by men‚ triumphs as she manipulates tricks and saves the lives of the men. We see how she is manipulated by men through her father‚ who though dead‚ still manages to control who she marries from his will. He states in his will that from three different caskets the suitors
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After reading The Merchant of Venice‚ one may think that Antonio or even Bassanio is the hero. While that may be true‚ there is a possibility that there is no hero. There is a heroine. Portia is not expected in the beginning to emerge as a heroine or even as a major character. She is merely a background character from the subplot. As the play begins to wind down‚ the reader will find many examples in which Portia saves major characters from their own dilemmas. The first (and most obvious)
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gets down and Dirty in Venice Portia‚ Lady from Belmont‚ always seemed like a sweet girl‚ always behaved the way her father wanted her too. Obviously her father’s death has caused some changes as recently Portia has taken some extreme risks to save her love Bassanio. Bassanio is Portia’s most recent suitor who successfully picked the lead casket and now him and Portia have wed. Soon after they had found their love for each other Bassanio soon left for court in Venice where his best friend Antonio
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