How is Jessica and Lorenzo's love story linked to the love story of Portia and Bassanio??
Answers
In The Merchant of Venice, Jessica is Shylock’s daughter. She defies her father’s wishes and social conventions by running off with Lorenzo. Shylock does not think she is ready to marry and, as they are Jewish, he disapproves of her marrying a Christian. Jessica represents a defiant daughter who acts selfishly and impulsively. She not only runs away but takes the jewels that are not rightly hers. By not thinking through the consequences of her rash actions, Jessica nearly destroys her own future. Jessica, in all these characteristics, is presented as a foil character to Portia, who embodies positive traits in a daughter and upholds socially accepted values.
Portia’s father, who is dead, has left a set of conditions about her future husband. While there is an element of choice involved, it falls to the suitor rather than to Portia. Although the question of inheritance enters into her decision, Portia’s primary motivation in following her father’s wishes is not financial. She is...