portia Flashcards
(9 cards)
how does portias character shift
portia moves form being the passive object of her suitors desires to being the active character who untangles the plot and brings about a happy ending
how do we know she loves bassanio
she shows she loves Bassanio by trying to delay his choice but she remains true to her oath by not helping him to choose the correct casket.
why does she disguise herself as a man
bringing here into the court allows shakespeare to show a femal character taking control of the action.
her diguide provides dramatic irony as bassanio talks to her about his wife, not realising who she is
enables her to test bassanio for the ring, relationship may not be that strong ring symbolises commitment - giving it away shows hes willing to break a personal promise
“The quality of mercy…
is not strained - Shows her eloquence, wisdom, and moral intelligence. She argues that mercy is divine and powerful — a clever way to manipulate the court into showing leniency while still following the law.
simile - Mercy is compared to gentle rain, suggesting it is natural, pure, and divine. It cannot be forced—just like rain, it must fall freely.
“A Daniel come to judgment!”
shylock compared portia to a bibilcal figure known for wisdom - shows her witt and ability to outsmart everyone whilst staying calm
“If to do were as easy as to know what were good to do…”
🌀A philosophical moment — shows Portia is not just witty, but deeply reflective. Could be used in morality, justice, or power questions.
antithesis of ‘to do’ and ‘to know’ shows Portia contrasts knowing what is right with actually doing it, pointing out the difficulty in living by moral ideals.
“Curbed by the will of a dead father”
shows her struggle for control
A … raw … of these bragging …
A thousand raw tricks of these bragging jacks - colloquial lang of bragging jacks, this is informal, almost mocking the men. This tone shows her wit and ability to outsmart the men
I, the woman, am the better soldier
Shows she believes she is better then men, confidence, irony - as it challenges traditional stereotypes of gender and mall dominated society
