Monday, July 9, 2012

What are the stereotypes of Portia in The Merchant of Venice?

Here are a few ways in which I think that Portia fits into
various stereotypes that we have today.  I hope this is what you are
asking.


First, one stereotype we have is that women try to
maneuver the men they want into marrying them.  We can see Portia doing this when she
sees Bassanio.  She helps him to figure out the casket
riddle.


Second, people say women try to make men jealous of
other men.  Portia does this in the ring subplot.


Third, we
think of lawyers as being people who will take an agreement and find loopholes in it to
give it a meaning it never had before.  We see Portia do this when she says Shylock's
agreement entitles him to a pound of Antonio's flesh, but none of his blood.  This means
that the agreement actually prevents Shylock from taking the flesh instead of allowing
him to do it.

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