Back in Act 3 scene 2 when we hear that earful from Portia how Bassanio is her everything and she is nothing I wrongly accused her of being a woman lacking confidence who is still being governed by her omnipresent and very dead father. When finishing the play though we see how she outsmarts everyone. Sure, she was still slightly controlled by the rather creepy presence of her very dead father, but she does get the guy.  A wide variety of suitors come to pursue her and engage in the lottery of casket picking, but she only wants Bassanio. Whether her choice in men is good or not isn’t really the issue (even though come on Portia, Bassanio? The guy who wants your money and is willing to let his best friend sacrifice a pound of flesh for said money? But moving on from that). Portia does manage to get Bassanio to pick the right casket because no one really believes that was luck (remember the music playing? Knowing now what we know about Portia she was probably giving very subtle hints). She breaks free from her father’s grasp and is able to marry the guy she wants while still saving the day back in Venice. Not only is Portia smart enough to twist the law to her convenience in order to save Antonio, but she gives Shylock every opportunity to be mercyful. She plays on his religious character and gives a speech on how powerful mercy is ( 4.1.180). Shylock doesn’t budge, but she did give him a chance which considering how badly everyone treats Shylock was very fair in my opinion. Lastly, remember when Portia gave Bassanio that precious ring telling him not to part with it or their love would be over? Well she puts this to the test when she cross dresses as the lawyer that saves Antonio then asks him for the very ring she gave him. Bassanio as expected gives it to her proving to her where his loyalties lie (ANTONIO FOREVER!) She doesn’t go into a fit though, she’s much to smart for that instead when they are all back in Belmont she says things like ” What ring gave you, my lord? Not that, I hope, which you received of me” (5.1.184). She goes on to even say that she slept with the lawyer to get the ring back. By the end it appears that the happy couple is going to be okay after all, but the readers can’t help see a huge caution sign for Bassanio– don’t cross Portia, much less for Antonio or there will be hell to pay.

(Above I have some pictures of Portia dressed as a man. I tried seeing how it would have been performed with a man playing a woman playing a man, but people are much more interested in the portrayal of Shylock in theater)