Gender Inequality in Merchant of Venice

Portia
1. Smart
  1. Even if she is smart, she has many restrictions in life.
    1. VS
2. Marriage
  1. No freedom in choosing the person she wants to marry to.
    1. Who has the chance to choose?
      1. Her suitors
        Males
        Morocco
        Arragon
        Neapolitan Prince
        County Palatine
        Monsieur Le Bon
        Falconbridge
        Duke of Saxony’s Nephew
        Bassanio
3. Antonio's Trial
  1. Portia had to cross dress as a male lawyer
    1. Why?
      1. A female's opinion will not be accepted or even considered
      2. Her identity as a female will not be accepted the court to attend the trial.
      3. She has an idea of how to save Antonio, and only she can carry it out, because she's smart.
4. Rich
5. Fair
6. Sarcastic
Bassanio
1. VS
2. Not so clever
  1. He went to the trial of Antonio, but did not manage to give any help because of his intelligence level being not as high as Portia.
3. Sweet talker
  1. Words are as sweet as chocolate
Nerrisa
1. VS
2. Portia's lady-in-waiting.
3. Cross dresses as a lawyer's clerk to enter the court.
  1. Her identity as a female is not accepted by the public.
  2. As a male, she would be able to go into court and act as Portia's assistant to make the act more convincing.
Gratiano
1. Garrulous and coarse young man
2. Besides talking rudely, he could not help out at the court at all.
Lorenzo
1. VS
2. Best pals of Bassanio and Antonio.
Jessica
1. Shylock's daughter that converts to Christianity.
2. First female to cross dress in the story, Merchant of Venice.
  1. Why cross dress?
    1. By assuming the form of a man, she gains the permission to walk out of the house.
      1. Escape from Shylock's grasp.
    2. Elope with Lorenzo.
3. She was only allowed to stay at home, with little freedom and warmth.

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Gender Inequality in Merchant of Venice

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	Created by RickEe99 over 11 years ago