As the scene continues, this discomfort in following her fathers will is reinforced by her scornful views of many of the suitors. However, the way that Shakespeare makes Portia comment on her suitors in such a way in this scene makes her seem self important because she is talking above some important people, she is very honest and doesn’t hold back in insulting these people. However, this scene could be staged as humorous and full of sarcasm, the inclusion of exclamation marks in the scene definitely suggests to create a lighter touch so as to not contradict the character of Portia.
This scene also serves to show us Portia’s unconditional loyalty to her father with the line, “I will do anything Nerissa, ere I’ll be married to a sponge” meaning she would marry anyone however vile to follow her fathers will. But however keen to follow her fathers will, she is very blatantly judgemental, and she talks openly about how she remembers him favourably. Shakespeare often includes indirect compliments towards Portia through other characters, and nearing the end of this scene, Nerissa remarks, “True madam, he of all men that ever my foolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a fair lady”.
The intelligence that Shakespeare adds to Portia’s character at the beginning
of the play is again used nearing the end of the play, and although her character is consistently presented as witty by Shakespeare, this wittiness is presented in a far more prominent manner in this scene. This wit and ability to trick others is presented most strongly when she puts a twist on shylocks bond. First Shakespeare makes Portia lull Shylock into a false sense of security by ‘accepting’ that by law shylock is indeed entitled to the taking of 1 pound of Antonio’s flesh, and she then finds a loophole in the law by which not only to spare Antonio’s life, but also to criminalise shylock. This shows incredible wit and her ability to think on the spot and is shown by this paragraph;
“Tarry a little, there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood,
The words expressly are ‘a pound of flesh’.
Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh,
But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed
One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and
Goods
Are by the laws of Venice confiscate
Unto the state of Venice.”
In contrast to this confidence is when Shakespeare writes her into the casket scene. In this scene, we first see her to be witty like in the trial scene as she mocks other suitors cleverly, but when Bassanio is introduced, she shows typical signs of nervousness and anxiety. In her speech before Bassanio makes his choice, Shakespeare adds dashes at the ends of half completed lines to show that she is interrupting herself. This is the first time that we see Portia in such a way, and it serves to show just how diverse her character, it also shows an apparent weakness for love and that behind the wit and mocking is a more loving and a softer side.
The compassion that she shows towards Bassanio is extended into the next scene when she offers any sum of money to save Bassanios friend Antonio. The sheer fact that she would offer such a sacrifice to save an unknown character is enough to convince the audience that she has a heart, but Shakespeare reinforces it further by making her dress up in mens clothing and travelling a huge distance just to represent him in court.
I think Shakespeare wanted to create a character who held the story together and so created this very stable but unpredictable character to create an overwhelming sense of wit and compassion through a describes beautiful character.
