Men's Control in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, the scene opens to reveal a society controlled by men. Men, who live in the foreground of Venetian society, wield their power in business, government, and family life. In the background, women conduct their lives quietly. They are subservient to their husbands and fathers and are regarded as helpless and in need of male guidance in areas of decision making. Though in Shakespeare’s time such a societal structure was largely acceptable, the modern reader views the subjugation of women with aversion, and the ways in which Shakespeare presents the female characters in this play perhaps show that he too was not entirely comfortable …show more content…
Portia laments her inability to act according to her own volition, saying, “O me, the word choose! I may neither / Choose who I would nor refuse who I dislike, so is / The will of a living daughter curbed by the will of / A dead father” (1.2.22). The extent of male dominance in Venetian society is evidenced by the high degree of authority that Portia’s father continues to hold over her life even after he is dead. Choosing a spouse is one of the most life-altering decisions a person can make, but Portia has no say in the matter. Instead, she must entrust her destiny to a system of boxes and riddles, and for the most part, she is a willing societal minion, but only when dressed as a woman.
Once Portia slips into male garb, her behavior is shockingly different. The audience sees not a restricted, powerless Portia, agonizing over the possible misfortunes of being wed to ill-complexioned braggarts, but a confident, even cunning Portia. Disguised as a male lawyer, Portia becomes an entirely new character, intelligent and well versed in the law, about which the reader is previously unaware that she knows anything. In the courtroom, the tables are turned and gender roles are reversed. No longer is Portia under the thumb of the men who
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3131 Words | 13 PagesRelationships in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice 'The Merchant of Venice' is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and Act 1 Scene 3 is a key scene. There are three characters involved in the scene and these are: Antonio, Bassanio and Shylock. Shakespeare portrays their characters effectively as well as the contrasting relationships between them. He uses various themes, his language and style and the plot of the bond to achieve this. Before I look…
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Essay on Portia of William Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice
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