Portia Shmortia
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In the Merchant of Venice, the character of Portia has a very interesting role. Fair Portia has suitors coming from all the corners of the globe, but she seems to hate them all. She tells her maid, Nerissa, of all their faults, and derides them in a fashion that might not be considered "ladylike", and is certainly not in the fashion of a quiet, obedient and servile woman. However, her dead father created a system of caskets, gold, silver, and lead, and if a man chose the correct one, he would automatically become her husband. Portia obeys this strict system, to the extent that she might have married a doddering old fool, or not been able to marry Bassanio, the one man she truly loved. Already, Portia seems to be following two different systems.
This continues in the famous scene where Portia is forced to disguise herself as a man to act as a lawyer in the famous trial scene. Portia turns out to be a wonderful lawyer, interpreting the law and the bond in Antonio's favour, rather than Shylock's. To be able to interpret the bond in this way, and stop Shylock from exacting his penalty, was something that none of Antonio's many friends or the Duke of Venice could manage, yet Portia does it easily. This is certainly the mark of an extremely intelligent woman...