Portia (The
Merchant of Venice)
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Portia
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The Merchant of Venice character
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Portia is
the heroine of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of
Venice. A rich, beautiful, and intelligent heiress, she is bound
by the lottery set forth in her father's will, which gives potential suitors
the chance to choose between three caskets composed of gold, silver and lead.
If they choose the right casket – the casket containing Portia's portrait and a
scroll– they win Portia's hand in marriage. If they choose the wrong casket,
they must leave and never seek another woman in marriage. Portia is glad when
two suitors, one driven by greed and another by vanity, fail to choose
correctly. She favours Bassanio, a young Venetian noble, but is not allowed to
give him any clues to assist in his choice. Later in the play, she disguises
herself as a man, then assumes the role of a lawyer's apprentice (named
Balthazar) whereby she saves the life of Bassanio's friend, Antonio,
in court.
Portia is one of the most
prominent and appealing of the heroines in Shakespeare's mature romantic
comedies. She is beautiful, gracious, rich, intelligent, and quick-witted, with
high standards for her potential romantic partners. She obeys her father's
will, while steadfastly seeking to obtain Bassanio. She demonstrates tact to
the Princes of Morocco and Aragon, who unsuccessfully seek her hand. In the
court scenes, Portia finds a technicality in the bond, thereby outwitting Shylock and saving Antonio's life when
everyone else fails. It is Portia who delivers one
of the most famous speeches in The Merchant of Venice:
"The quality of
mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."
Despite Portia's lack of
formal legal training, she wins her case by referring to the details of the
exact language of the law. Her success involves prevailing on technicalities
rather than the merits of the situation. She uses the tactics of what is
sometimes called a Philadelphia lawyer.
However, the concept of rhetoric and its
abuse is also brought to light by Portia – highlighting the idea that an unjust
argument may win through eloquence, loopholes and technicalities, regardless of
the moral question at hand – and thus provoking the audience to consider that
issue.
Portia
Portia is the romantic
heroine of the play, and she must be presented on the stage with much beauty
and intelligence. Of her beauty, we need no convincing. Bassanio's words are
enough; thus we turn to her love for Bassanio. Already she has given him cause
to think that it is possible that he can woo and win her, for on an earlier
visit to Belmont, Bassanio did "receive fair speechless messages"
from her eyes. And when Nerissa mentions the fact that Bassanio might possibly
be a suitor, Portia tries to disguise her anxiety, but she fails. Nerissa
understands her mistress. Portia is usually very self-controlled, but she
reveals her anxiety concerning Bassanio a little later when he has arrived at
her mansion and is about to choose one of the caskets. She has fallen in love
with him, and her anxiety and confusion undo her. "Pause a day or
two," she begs, for "in choosing wrong, / I lose your company."
She thus makes sure that he knows that it is not hate that she feels for him.
Bassanio's correct choice
of the casket overwhelms Portia. She wishes she had more of everything to give
Bassanio: "This house, these servants and this same myself / Are yours, my
lord: I give them with this ring." She willingly shares all she owns with
Bassanio. Once master of her emotions, she has fallen completely under the
spell of love's madness. Love is a reciprocal giving and receiving, and so it
is with perfect empathy that she sends her beloved away almost immediately to
try and save his friend Antonio. They will be married, but their love will not
be consummated until his friend is saved, if possible.
Portia's second
characteristic that is most readily apparent is her graciousness — that is, her
tact and sympathy. Despite her real feelings about the Prince of Morocco,
Portia answers him politely and reassuringly. Since the irony of her words is
not apparent to him, his feelings are spared. She tells him that he is "as
fair / As any comer I have look'd on yet / For my affection." She shows
Morocco the honor his rank deserves. But once he is gone, she reveals that she
did not like him. "A
gentle riddance," she says; "Draw the curtains."
When the Prince of
Arragon arrives, Portia carefully addresses him with all the deference due his
position. She calls him "noble." But after he has failed and has
left, she cries out, "O, these deliberate fools!" To her, both of
these men are shallow and greedy and self-centered; yet to their faces, she is
as ladylike as possible. Lorenzo appreciates this gentle generosity of spirit;
when Portia has allowed her new husband to leave to try and help his best
friend out of his difficulty, he says to her: "You have a noble and a true
conceit / Of god-like amity."
In the courtroom, Portia
(in disguise) speaks to Shylock about mercy, but this is not merely an attempt
to stall; she truly means what she says. It is an eloquent appeal she makes.
Her request for mercy comes from her habitual goodness. She hopes, of course,
to soften his heart, knowing the outcome if he refuses. But the words come from
her heart, honestly and openly and naturally.
Finally, of course, what
we most remember about Portia, after the play is over, is her wit and her
playfulness. Even when Portia is complaining to Nerissa about the terms of her
father's will, she does so wittily: "Is it not hard, Nerissa, that I
cannot choose one nor refuse none?" And then she ticks off, like a
computer, the eccentricities of the six suitors who have arrived at Belmont to
try for her hand. They are either childish, humorless, volatile, ignorant, too
fantastically dressed, weak, or have a drinking problem. She is clearly glad to
be rid of them all when it is announced that they are departing.
We recall too the
humorous way that she imagines dressing like a man and aping the mannerisms of
all of the men she has observed in her short life. She bets Nerissa that she
can out-man any man when it comes to swaggering and playing the macho bit:
"I have within my mind / A thousand raw tricks of these bragging Jacks, /
Which I will practise." Men are as transparent as stale beer to her; she revels
in turning the tables and having a bit of fun even while she is on a daring
mission to try and save Antonio's life. And even in the courtroom, when
Bassanio extravagantly offers his life for Antonio's, Portia quips in an aside
that "Your wife would give you little thanks for that, / If she were by,
to hear you make the offer."
The entire ring plot is
Portia's idea, and she and Nerissa relish the prospect of the jest at their
husbands' expense. Bassanio swears over and over that he never gave his ring away
to another woman (and he is more than a little embarrassed to admit that he
gave it to another man), 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
"learned young lawyer" at Antonio's trial.
Only when Portia first
falls in love with Bassanio does she lose all self-control; once she regains
control of herself, she takes matters in hand until the very end of the play,
and there she displays total command of the situation. "You are all
amazed," she tells them, and then she shows them a letter from Padua,
explaining everything, and she gaily invites them inside where she will
continue to explain and entertain. She is a delightful creature, one of
Shakespeare's most intelligent and captivating heroines.
PORTIA
Character Analysis
Before we even meet
Portia, we hear about how desirable she is: "In Belmont is a lady richly
left, / And she is fair" (1.2.168-169). Translation: Portia is rich and hot,
which makes her the most eligible bachelorette in Belmont.
The heiress to her
dead father's fortune, Portia's wealth makes her a meal ticket in the
eyes of Bassanio, who sees Portia as the answer to all his financial woes—if he
can marry her that is. As Bassanio points out, he's not the only guy who'd like
to land the heiress: "Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, / For
the four winds blow in from every coast / Renownèd suitors" (1.2.174-176)
willing to risk everything for a chance to marry Portia.
Not only is every
potential suitor out to get his hands on Portia's wealth, but Portia doesn't
even get to choose her husband, because her (dead) dad set up a little contest
("lottery") involving three caskets to ensure his little princess
married the "right" man. (If you need to brush up on the casket
contest, go to the "Symbolism, Imagery,
Allegory" section, but then come right back.) It turns out
that Portia's dad knew how attractive Portia would be as a rich, single girl,
so he did what any wealthy 16th-century Shakespearean father would and made
sure his only daughter would marry the man of his choosing.
O 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? (1.2.22-26)
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? (1.2.22-26)
Notice the repetition
of the word "choose" in this passage? Portia's point is pretty
clear—as "a living daughter curbed by the will of a dead father,"
she's still not independent of her dad's control—even if the guy's dead, Portia
is still expected to obey his wishes.
But the thing to know
about Portia is that she's not just a pretty face with a big bank account and a
desire to obey her dead dad. As the play develops and we see Portia in action,
it becomes pretty clear that our girl is both smart and cunning. Of course,
you'll be wanting some evidence for this claim, so here it is.
1. Portia and the
Casket Contest
Portia clearly wants
to marry Bassanio. Yes, we realize this is an unfortunate choice given that
Bassanio a) wants Portia's money and b) seems to value his bromance with
Antonio more than his relationship with her. When Bassanio shows up to try his
luck at the casket lottery, Portia has her band of personal musicians play a
little tune (full of not-so-subtle hints) that helps Bassanio make the right
choice (3.2.65-74). You can read more about this music business in "Symbolism."
2. Portia Saves
Antonio's Life and Her Marriage
You remember how
Portia cross-dresses as a lawyer and saves Antonio's life during the big trial
scene, right? This means she not only was clever enough to save her man's BFF,
but she also made it so that both men owe her big-time. The next time Bassanio
and Antonio are thinking about spending the weekend playing Xbox
together, they'll probably feel so guilty that Bassanio will decide to
hang out with his wife in Belmont instead.
3. The Ring Trick
We saved the best
evidence for last. After Bassanio snags Portia by winning the casket contest,
Portia gives him a ring and makes him promise to never, ever part with it
(3.2.176-178). Being Bassanio, he parts with the ring when Portia (disguised as
Balthazar the lawyer) says something like, "Hey Bassanio, since I just
saved your friend's life, how about you give me that ring you're wearing"
(4.1).
Why does Portia
do this? Because she knows that Bassanio will give up her ring, with all it
symbolizes, as a gesture of thanks to the "man" who saved his beloved
Antonio's life. (She knows exactly where Bassanio's loyalties are, and they're
not with her.) When Portia later confronts Bassanio about losing her ring, he
knows he's busted and feels guilty about betraying her. Like we said, Bassanio
will think twice now about blowing off Portia to hang with Antonio.
So Portia is limited
by her circumstances as a woman and has to obey her dad and navigate
relationships with men (like Bassanio) who want her for her money. But she
manages to play by society's rules (mostly) while having a lot of fun twisting
said rules to her own advantage. In the end, Portia outsmarts everyone and
winds up on top.
PORTIA TIMELINE AND SUMMARY
·
1.2:
Portia announces she's tired of the world.
·
1.2:
Portia listens to Nerissa's advice about moderation, but she points out that
it's easier to know you should live sensibly than actually do it. Portia then
informs us of her plight: she can't choose her own husband; she has to follow
her father's will. She laments that it's a tough life, given that she is
fabulously rich and besieged by men from all over the world.
·
1.2:
Portia has Nerissa list all the important men who've come to court her, so she
can in turn list what's wrong with each of them.
·
1.2:
Portia complains that she'll die an old virgin unless someone wins her father's
lottery. Still, she wishes all her suitors would just go away.
·
1.2:
Portia and Nerissa remember the young Venetian Bassanio favorably. Now he was
worthy of praise.
·
1.2:
Portia hears from a messenger that while four of her other suitors are leaving,
the Prince of Morocco is just arriving to court her. Portia is glad to see them
go but notes that she would rather not marry the Moroccan because he's likely
to not be white.
·
2.1:
Portia chats with—or, more accurately, lies to—the Prince of Morocco. She says
it's not up to her whom she marries, but if she had to marry anybody, she'd be
as happy to marry him as any of the other suitors. (Remember, she doesn't
really want to marry any of the other suitors, so this means she doesn't want
to marry him either.)
·
2.1:
Portia tells the Prince that if he chooses to play the lottery, he'll have to
abide by her dead father's rules: regardless of whether he loses or wins, he
can never marry another woman. Later Portia goes on to detail the other rules
of the challenge—after dinner she explains that winning the game means choosing
the casket that contains her picture.
·
2.7:
The Prince of Morocco chooses the wrong casket. After he leaves, Portia
basically says "good riddance" and adds that she hopes all other men
who share the Prince's dark complexion will also choose the wrong casket.
(Nice, huh?)
·
2.9:
Portia faces the Prince of Arragon, who has also arrived to try his hand at the
lottery. Portia shows him the caskets and explains the rules, including the
fact that if he loses he'll have to go away immediately. (She's getting less
diplomatic as the games wear on.)
·
2.9:
Portia doesn't seem at all sad when Arragon chooses the silver casket and finds
a picture of a fool instead of her. She makes snarky comments dismissing all
the suitors as calculating fools.
·
2.9:
Portia gets news from a messenger that a young Venetian has come to her gate to
announce his master's imminent entrance. Portia teases the messenger for his
high praise, but still rushes off with Nerissa to see the young man, giddy as a
schoolgirl.
·
3.2:
Portia muddles around, trying to tell Bassanio that she digs him but unable to
say so directly. She tries to convince him to hang out for a while before he
plays the casket lottery, as she would be really unhappy to see him go. She
wishes she could tell him how to win the game, but that would be cheating. Then
she ponders that, if he loses, she'll be sinning in the sense that she will
wish she had helped him cheat. So either way, she's a sinner. Then she
complains some more about not being able to make her own choices.
·
3.2:
Portia and Bassanio fawn over each other for some time. She consents to let him
try his hand at the casket gig, adding that he's likely to find her portrait
and win her if he loves her. She tells everyone to stand back so the man can
make his choice, and asks that music be played, which will either be fun if he
wins or a swan song if he loses. She compares him to Hercules on his quest to
rescue a virgin from a sea monster, and compares herself to that virgin
sacrifice.
·
3.2:
Portia delights in Bassanio's choice of the lead casket. She knows he's picked
the right one and that she'll now be his wife. She immediately gets a fluttery
stomach and tries to calm herself down.
·
3.2:
Portia responds to Bassanio's shock about making the right choice. She's
clearly excited, but she asks him to take her as she is. She's inexperienced at
being the best wife ever, but she's ready and willing to learn. She also wishes
she could be better—prettier and wealthier—for his sake. She notes that he is
now her lord and king, and she's now under his direction. All of her
belongings, mansion, and servants are now his. Finally she gives him a ring,
qualifying her gift with a promise that if he loses it or gives it away, it's
as good as ruining their love.
·
3.2:
Portia asks Nerissa if it's true that Graziano has won her love. Apparently,
now that Portia's paired off, she might as well get married too.
·
3.2:
Portia welcomes all of Bassanio's friends, but she's alarmed when she sees
Bassanio's reaction to the letter Salerio has brought from Venice. She thinks
the letter must declare the death of some dear friend. She encourages Bassanio
to share the bad news with her, as she's now his other half.
·
3.2:
Portia gets filled in on Antonio's situation back in Venice. Hearing how much
Antonio owes Shylock on behalf of her husband, she immediately offers to pay
the principal, and many times more. No great friend of Bassanio shall suffer
while she stands by to watch. Still, she'd like Bassanio to wed her at church
before he sets off to straighten up the Antonio affair in Venice. She's
promised the thing will get settled with her offer to pay twenty times what's
owed. While the boys are away, Portia says, she and Nerissa will live as
virgins and widows. After hearing the letter containing Antonio's sad fate,
Portia again insists that Bassanio go to Venice immediately after he's finished
the marriage business in Belmont.
·
3.4:
Lorenzo compliments Portia for being so gracious about the Antonio thing. She
deflects his compliments—since she knows Antonio is "the bosom lover"
of her lord, it's no big deal to pay what to her is a trifling sum for
everyone's peace. She changes the subject, saying she doesn't want to praise
herself. Portia asks Lorenzo to stand in for her as master of the house for a
while (heaven forbid the servants should be left unsupervised for a few days).
She says she and Nerissa are going to a monastery to engage in prayer and
contemplation until their husbands come home.
·
3.4:
Portia then chats with her attendant Balthazar. She asks him to take a letter
to her cousin, Doctor Bellario, in Padua. She instructs him to take whatever
letters and clothes Bellario gives him and meet her at the ferry to Venice.
She'll be there waiting for him, she says, and it's an urgent trip.
·
3.4:
Portia then tells Nerissa that the women will see their husbands before their
husbands even think of them. She explains her meaning: the men will see them,
but they won't recognize them, since the women will be dressed
as men. Portia thinks she'll make a pretty good boy. Nerissa is unsure why they
need to be dressed as men, but Portia says she'll explain everything in the
coach. Right now, they need to focus on the long road ahead to Venice.
·
4.1:
Portia and Nerissa, disguised as men, arrive at the court in Venice. She's
posing as the young doctor (lawyer) Balthazar and tells the Duke she's been
briefed by Doctor Bellario and is prepared to face Antonio and Shylock's case.
·
4.1:
After meeting Shylock and Antonio, she announces Shylock should be merciful, as
mercy is close to godliness. She declares that if people followed the letter of
the law all the time instead of mercy, everyone would be damned to hell. As
people pray for mercy, they should be willing to give it, too. She hopes her
speech will soften Shylock's dogged determination to have his pound of flesh.
·
4.1:
Exploring alternative options, Portia asks whether Antonio can't just pay back
what he owes Shylock. But Shylock isn't interested in the sum anymore, just
Antonio's flesh.
·
4.1:
Portia responds to Bassanio's plea to the Duke to bend the rules a little bit.
She says bending the rules would set a poor precedent that would result in
everyone and their mother suing the state.
·
4.1:
Portia reiterates that Shylock is being offered three times the
debt. She nearly pleads with him. She admits that Antonio has legally broken
his oath, so Shylock technically has the right to take a pound of his flesh,
but still, can't he just take a chill-pill?
·
4.1:
When Antonio gives up and tells them to hurry up and get the thing over with
already, Portia turns her attentions to him. She tells Antonio he must prepare
to go under the knife.
·
4.1:
Portia works out the logistical details. She makes sure there's a scale around
to weigh the flesh and asks if there's a surgeon nearby to stop the bleeding.
When Shylock makes the point that a surgeon isn't really part of the deal, she reminds
him that, deal or no, it would still be the charitable thing to do.
·
4.1:
When Bassanio declares he'd be willing to give up his life, his wife, and the
world for Antonio, Portia responds that, were Bassanio's wife around, she
probably wouldn't be pleased to hear him say so.
·
4.1:
Back to business, Portia outlines what Shylock is awarded by law: he gets a
pound of flesh, to be cut from Antonio's breast. But then she pauses for the
great big catch. She points out that while Shylock is entitled
to a pound of flesh, the bond said nothing about blood. If Shylock spills just
a drop of Antonio's blood, Shylock will have his wealth confiscated by the
Venetian government.
·
4.1:
Portia says Shylock wanted justice, and it's justice he'll get—to the letter of
the law. She won't even allow Shylock to take the money Bassanio offers;
instead, he'll have only the penalty he was so hell-bent on before (Antonio's
flesh). Basically, Shylock must take exactlyone pound of flesh, and no
blood, or nothing at all.
·
4.1:
Portia's not done with Shylock just yet. She brings up another aspect of
Venetian law, which says that if any non-Venetian directly or indirectly seeks
the life of a Venetian, his intended victim will get half his stuff, with the
other half going to the state. Also, the Duke gets to decide whether Shylock
should be killed, as this whole Antonio-flesh obsession was clearly about
attempting to murder Antonio indirectly.
·
4.1:
Portia finishes up by asking Antonio what mercy he might want to show Shylock.
She asks Shylock if he's content, which of course he has no choice but to be,
and then orders the clerk to set up the "gift" Shylock will give his
daughter upon his death: namely, everything.
·
4.1:
Portia gently rebuffs a dinner invitation from the Duke after the trial is
over. She says she's got to get back to Padua that same night.
·
4.1:
Portia listens as Antonio and Bassanio fawn about her, telling her (who,
remember, they think is a guy) that they're indebted to her (him) forever.
Portia refuses to take the money that would have gone to Shylock (which is,
you'll remember, her money anyway). She says she's satisfied with her work,
which is payment enough. Still, as Bassanio presses her, Portia says she will
take Antonio's gloves. Oh, and Bassanio's ring.
·
4.1:
As Bassanio hesitates, Portia insists. She says she wants nothing but the ring
and then jabs a bit at Bassanio as he explains that he can't give it away. She
says no sane wife would mind if Bassanio gave Balthazar the ring, knowing how
much Balthazar deserved it. Then she leaves in a huff—without the ring.
·
4.2:
Portia finishes up her business in Venice. She instructs Nerissa to find
Shylock's house and have him sign the court order so they can hurry up and get
home that night, before their husbands return.
·
4.2:
Portia refuses Bassanio's dinner invitation (as delivered by Graziano).
Graziano has brought her the ring, explaining that Bassanio changed his mind
after hearing more counsel on the matter. Portia takes the ring and goes back
to her business of finding Shylock's place.
·
4.2:
Portia plots mischief with Nerissa—they plan to give the men a hard time for
giving away their rings.
·
5.1:
Portia marvels at a bright candle she sees shining from her hall. She compares
it to a good deed in a world full of wickedness.
·
5.1:
She then embarks on a philosophical discussion about how an object can only be
judged in its proper context and as compared to other things.
·
5.1:
Portia happily greets Lorenzo with a lie about how she and Nerissa have been
off praying for their men. She asks Lorenzo if the men have come home yet.
Hearing that they're on their way, Portia reiterates that she'd rather the
servants (and Lorenzo and Jessica) not mention that she and Nerissa were gone.
·
5.1:
Portia warmly welcomes Bassanio home and "meets" Antonio as well. She
bids them all welcome.
·
5.1:
Portia hears the quarrel between Graziano and Nerissa. She gives her opinion on
the fight, which is that Graziano's at fault here for giving up his wife's
first gift to him. She tactfully brings up the ring she gave Bassanio, and says
she's sure he wouldn't have gotten rid of it for anything in the whole world.
She says if she were Nerissa, she'd be pissed at Graziano.
·
5.1:
Portia then "finds out" about Bassanio giving away the ring. She
swears she won't go to bed with him until she gets the ring back. She accuses
him of undervaluing her and concludes that he gave the ring to a woman.
·
5.1:
Portia "learns" that Bassanio gave her ring to a young doctor,
Balthazar. She says that since he gave the doctor what he wanted, she will
too—even if the doctor wants to have sex with her in her husband's bed. (Oh
my!) She says she'll "know" this doctor soon enough (in the biblical
sense).
·
5.1:
Antonio says all of this quarreling is his fault, but Portia tells him not to
worry about it. He's welcome anyway. Bassanio tries to wiggle out of the bind,
and Portia quarrels with him a bit more. She says Antonio can vouch for him
again on his oath, but hopefully he'll keep it better than the last one.
·
5.1:
Portia then shows Bassanio the ring he gave Balthazar. It was easy, she
says—she just slept with the doctor to get it.
·
5.1:
Portia finally clears everything up by handing over a letter from Bellario that
explains that Portia, far from sleeping with the doctor, actually was the
doctor. It was she who defended Antonio at Shylock's trial. Further, Lorenzo
can vouch for her and Nerissa's absence. Portia then gives Antonio another
letter, of unknown origin, reporting that three of his ships came home safely
and prosperously after all.
·
5.1:
Portia deflects Antonio's gratitude. Then she gives Lorenzo the deed that
grants Shylock's inheritance to him and Jessica after Shylock's death. She
deflects his thanks as well. She says it's nearly morning, so they should go
inside, where she and Nerissa will answer all the questions that undoubtedly
remain.
THE MERCHANT OF
VENICE PORTIA QUOTES
Quote 1
PORTIA
If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good
heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should
be glad of his approach. If he have the condition of
a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather
he should shrive me than wive me. (1.2.127-131)
If I could bid the fifth welcome with so good
heart as I can bid the other four farewell, I should
be glad of his approach. If he have the condition of
a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather
he should shrive me than wive me. (1.2.127-131)
Characters like Portia are intolerant of anyone who doesn't
share her religious, ethnic, and national background. Here she says she'd never
want to marry the Prince of Morocco (even if the guy were a "saint")
because he's got a dark complexion like "the devil." In Shakespeare's
day, black men (like the characters Othello and Aaron the
Moor) were often associated with the devil and evil in
general.
Quote 2
PORTIA
What, no more?
Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond.
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description
[...]
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over: (3.2.311-314, 318-320)
What, no more?
Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond.
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description
[...]
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over: (3.2.311-314, 318-320)
When Portia hears that Shylock is trying to collect a pound of
flesh from her new man's BFF, she offers to pay off "the petty debt twenty
times over." We notice a couple of things here. First, Portia is very
wealthy. Second, she's incredibly generous and values human relationships more
than wealth (as opposed to, say, Shylock, who goes around complaining that his
servant eats too much).
Quote 3
PORTIA
There are some shrewd contents in yond same
paper
That steals the color from Bassanio's cheek.
Some dear friend dead, else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution
Of any constant man. (3.2.252-257)
There are some shrewd contents in yond same
paper
That steals the color from Bassanio's cheek.
Some dear friend dead, else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution
Of any constant man. (3.2.252-257)
Portia's love is going to be in competition with Antonio's
friendship. Still, this thought shows that Portia understands the importance of
a bosom buddy. She knows she's not the only one in Bassanio's life, even if she
is going to be his wife.
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