Compare and contrast between poria and jessica
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Shakespeare endows both Portia and Jessica with the traits that break norms of the society in the contemporary Elizabethan society. Both of them are bold and dare to exercise their own will in matters of importance. Both cross-dress to signify freedom they like to exercise. However, they differ from one another in many aspects. Jessica is a Jew and hence Shakespeare portrays her as a controlled character with low self-esteem. She converted herself from a Jew into a Christian through her marriage to Lorenzo. Jessica's discontent with her house and her father was clearly evident when she exclaims that her `house is hell' and looks upon Lorenzo to save her enabling her to become a Christian and thereby enhance herself and her living conditions. Unlike Portia, Jessica disempowered her father by stealing and distorting his hopes by escaping with a Christian. Shakespeare has conveyed Jessica as a much more submissive character which becomes evident greatly through her marriage scene. The fact that Jessica appears with `page's suit she hath in readiness' emphasizes that she is disguised as a servant. This also implies that she will not be given the opportunity to exert a significant amount of influence. Portia has been clearly evident as an instrumental character to the play's development as a result of her greatness, high self-esteem, abilities, intelligence and manipulative power.