Quick-witted, wealthy, and beautiful, Portia embodies the virtues that are typical of Shakespeare’s heroines. Portia is the romantic heroine of the play, and she must be presented on the stage with much beauty and intelligence.

At the beginning of the play we don't see Portia’s potential for initiative and resourcefulness. She is like a prisoner in her home, bound to follow her father’s dying wishes. This changes when Bassanio arrives and she becomes much more resourceful. She begs the man she loves to stay a while before picking a chest, and finding loopholes in the will’s provision that we never thought possible. This resourcefulness is shown again in the courtroom in Act 4.

In the courtroom, Portia speaks to Shylock about mercy. This is not merely an attempt to stall, she truly means what she says. Her request for mercy comes from her habitual goodness. She hopes, of course, to soften his heart, knowing the outcome if he refuses.

The entire ring plot is Portia's idea. She and Nerissa relish the prospect of the jest at their husbands' expense. Bassanio swears that he never gave his ring away to another woman, but with a fine sense of comedy, Portia plays the role of the angry wife just as well as she played the role of the lawyer in court.

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Part of our learning series on Shakespeare's Merchant Of Venice, this study note provides character analysis of all the main players. Each note reveals the main traits of Shylock, Antonio, Portia, Bassanio and others.

The Merchant of Venice Character Analysis