The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays. It has been praised for its strong female characters, but also criticized for its portrayal of women as manipulative and vindictive.
Some feminist critics have argued that the play is misogynistic, while others have argued that it is actually quite progressive for its time. The truth probably lies somewhere in between.
There is no doubt that the play contains some problematic elements from a modern perspective. But it also contains some very strong and independent female characters, which was relatively rare for Shakespeare’s time.
So, what can we make of the women in The Merchant of Venice? Are they victims or villains? Strong or weak? Progressive or regressive?
The answer, of course, is that they are all of these things. They are complex and contradictory characters, just like the play itself.
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, there are several debates about religion and friendship, but the concept that intrigued me the most was the role of women. The two women in this play assume the function of saviors for males who appear powerless and lost in comparison to them.
In a time where women were not seen as individuals with their own agency, these women take control of their lives and the men around them.
The first woman we meet is Portia. She is one of the main characters in the play and is betrothed to Bassanio, a close friend of Antonio, the titular merchant. Portia is an interesting character because she is very well-educated and knows her own mind. She is not afraid to stand up for herself or those she loves. When her father dies, he leaves behind a will that says she can only marry the man who chooses the correct casket out of three options: gold, silver, or lead. If he chooses incorrectly, he will be banished from her presence forever.
Many men come to try their luck, but all of them choose the wrong casket. When Bassanio comes to try his luck, he is torn between the two caskets, but Portia convinces him to choose the lead casket. She tells him that “the greyhound is for courage” and “the rose is for love.” This shows that she values intelligence and loyalty above all else.
Bassanio chooses the lead casket and wins her hand in marriage. They are very happy together and she seems content with her decision. The next time we see Portia, she is disguised as a lawyer named Balthazar. She has come to save Antonio from Shylock, who is trying to collect a pound of his flesh.
She does this by using her wit and intelligence to outsmart Shylock. She also shows her loyalty to Antonio by risking her own life to save him. In the end, she gets Shylock’s money and saves Antonio’s life. She is a true heroine.
The other woman in the play is Nerissa, Portia’s servant. She is also betrothed to one of Bassanio’s friends, Gratiano. Like Portia, she is very intelligent and loyal. She helps disguise Portia as Balthazar and accompanies her to court.
Nerissa also uses her wit to outsmart Shylock. She pretends to be in love with him so that he will let her go. She also gets his money and saves Gratiano’s life. She is another true heroine.
These women are the saviors of the men in the play. They are intelligent, loyal, and brave. They take on the role of the heroes in a time when women were not seen as capable of such things. I think they are a great representation of what women are capable of.
Women’s roles in many Shakespearian plays frequently exhibit their tenacity, strength, and intellect. This may be an indication of the playwright’s perception that women should be on an equal footing with men. Nonetheless, her presence leads to a strong, autonomous woman returning to society with her spouse at the end of his drama.
This is the case in The Merchant of Venice. Portia, the strong and clever female lead, stands out amongst the other women in the play. She is an excellent example of a woman who does not let her gender hinder her ability to be successful. She is able to think quickly on her feet and save her husband’s life when he is in need.
Despite Portia’s smarts and strength, she still ultimately falls back into the traditional gender roles of a woman in society. She gives up her independence to become a wife and subserves herself to her husband. Though this may have been seen as necessary at the time, it does not paint women in the best light.
It seems that Shakespeare was ahead of his time in understanding that women are just as capable as men, but he ultimately catered to the norms of society by having them conform in the end. This is an interesting perspective on feminism within The Merchant of Venice.
In The Merchant of Venice, the women take on adventurous roles to rectify the situations their husbands got them into and accomplish personal objectives, but they still go back to being submissive wives in the end. Portia, Nerissa and Jessica’s cross-dressing escapades let them compare first-hand the difference between life as a man or woman and experience feminist concepts .
Although their time in these positions of power was short lived, it is a significant commentary on women’s roles in society.
Feminism is defined as the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. This term first appeared in France and the United Kingdom in the late 19th century before it came to the United States. In “Merchant of Venice”, there are two types of feminism being explored: liberal feminism and radical feminism. Liberal feminism is the belief that men and women should be treated equally under the law. Radical feminism takes this one step further by asserting that not only should men and women be equal, but that they are also equal in all aspects of life.
The play opens with Antonio borrowing money from his friend Bassanio so that he may go on a business venture. He agrees to put up his “pound of flesh” as collateral, not knowing that this will come back to haunt him. If he is unable to repay the debt, then Shylock, the moneylender, will be able to take Antonio’s life.
While all of this is going on, Portia is living in Belmont with her father. She is a beautiful and wealthy woman who has many suitors vying for her hand in marriage. However, her father has placed a condition on her marriage: the man must choose correctly from one of three caskets (gold, silver, or lead) in order to win her hand. The suitor who chooses the casket containing her picture will be her husband.
As the play progresses, we see Antonio’s ships sink and his business venture fail. This leaves him unable to repay his debt to Shylock. In order for Shylock to get his “pound of flesh”, he must go before the court and plead his case. The court sides with Shylock, much to Portia’s dismay. She disguises herself as a man and goes to Venice in an attempt to save Antonio’s life.
