Portia Analysis Flashcards
(4 cards)
“One half of me is yours, the other half yours”
Repetition of “yours” shows how Portia is ready to devote herself to Bassanio
Two halves could represent her money, and her as a person, showing that she is not only ready to hand over her possessions to Bassanio, but also herself
“That in the course of justice, none of us shall see salvation”
Portia reveals how the concept of salvation is more of a Christian concept, showing a religious divide between the Christian characters and Shylock, and potentially revealing bias within the court
Foreshadows Shylock’s eventual fate
Prompts the question of whether justice can ever truly be achieved by a society with people in power
“The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as gentle rain from heaven”
Portia attempts to convince Shylock to be merciful - a concept that a Christin audience of the time would find humourous as they would feel Jews are incapable of mercy.
Creates a religious divide between Christians and Jews
“So is the will of a living daughter curb’d by the will of a dead father”
Portia shows juxtaposition between her independence and control as a women
She expresses her frustrations about not being able to choose her husband due to the patriarchal society
The idea of a “will” suggests that Portia is just seen as a possession that can be given away - a concept which would be frowned upon by a modern audience.
