I have some mixed feelings about this play. In general the whole play does not make much sense to me. Unlike the previous two plays that we read, the Merchant of Venice has some holes in the plot. Antonio comes across as a martyr. He repeatedly entreats the Duke to let Shylock have his bond. The play never explains why he is sad or why he is so quick to let Shylock have his bond. Portia sends Bassanio away to help Antonio and then follows him to Venice in secrecy to do exactly the same thing. As if, she is completely sure of her husband’s incompetency. It is almost like she has something to prove. This brings up the part where Portia and Nerrissa play every single male in Venice for a fool. Once again there is no context as to why they decide to do so. The ring fiasco is also strange. Portia and Nerrisa put their husbands into a silly situation, in which – Antonio and Grattiano – have to decide between compromising their wedding vows and granting the only wish of the people who saved Antonio’s life.  Also, Portia knows about the welfare of Antonio’s ships but chooses not to tell him where she got her information from. I think that, since there are so many loose ends in the play and the plot does not make much sense then it was meant to be that way. I think that the play was made for purely entertainment purposes.

1.  I find it interesting that in a play that is heavily concerned with the interactions between Christians and Jews, there are many references to Greek and Roman deities.
2. Portia, Jessica and Nerrissa dress up in men’s clothing. Some contrast can be drawn to the logistical aspects of Shakespearean plays where men always play the roles of women.

As a Patriarchal society, men are considered to be the dominant force, having the most power. Portia however, completely destroys this notion from her actions. We first see this when Bassanio learns of Antonio’s distress. While Bassanio was fretting on what to do of Antonio’s predicament, Portia handles the situation in a cool and collected manner. She asks Bassanio of how much Antonio owes Shylock and in response says, “What, no more? Pay him six thousand and deface the bond. Double six thousand and then treble that” (3.2.300). The way that she takes control of this situation, even when she is wed to Bassanio, shows that she has power over the traditional role of patriarchy.

Later in the play, Portia disguises herself as a judge for the case of Antonio v. Shylock. Using her wits, she traps Shylock into rejecting the ducats and demanding the “pound of flesh” from Antonio. After that, Portia brings forth a loophole where Shylock must obtain the pound of flesh without shedding “One drop of Christian blood” (4.1.309), otherwise he will be punished by the law of Venice. Because of her intellect, she not only saves Antonio from being executed but forces Shylock to pay the price of attempting to take another’s life by giving half his possessions to the defendant and the other half to the state.

After the trial, Portia tests her husband’s faithfulness to their marriage by demanding their wedding ring as a token for saving Antonio’s life. After receiving the ring, she confronts Bassanio back in Belmont about his actions. Although she does not mean much harm, this shows that Portia has led Bassanio around by the nose.