Portia

From the beginning, Portia is clearly portrayed as the heroine of the Merchant of Venice, especially compared to the very small roles of other women depicted, Nerissa and Jessica. Portia also has entire scenes dedicated to the finding of her husband, but she even appears to have more lines than the male protagonist Antonio. However, despite her prevalence in the play, Portia has a many-faceted character. At first, the reader is persuaded to sympathize with Portia and her situation. She is a victim of her father’s will, in which she has no voice in the choosing of her husband, but rather subject to fate and the wit of her suitors. Yet as the play progresses, Portia is revealed to be very self-centered and arrogant towards her prospective husbands. She has very little concern about the oaths they must take – a vow of celibacy if they do not choose the correct casement – and she has no sympathy once they are forced to retire. Now Portia, once betrothed to Bassiano, is very loyal. She does not hesitate in offering to pay twenty times to debt Antonio owes. In fact, due to his close relation to Bassiano, Portia feels obligated as if Antonio were her own husband. As a result, Shakespeare creates the portrait of a woman victim to circumstance, but who does not necessarily merit the sympathy of the reader. She also is very egotistical, but then again when very loyal when dedicated to a particular person.