How lawyer Portia did she present
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Portia
The Merchant of Venice character
Millais - Portia.jpg
Kate Dolan as Portia, painted by John Everett Millais (1829–1896)
Created by William Shakespeare
Source The Merchant of Venice
Portia is the protagonist of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. A rich, beautiful, and intelligent heiress of Belmont, she is bound by the lottery set forth in her father's will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose among three caskets. If he chooses the right casket, he wins Portia's hand in marriage. If he chooses the incorrect casket, he must leave and never seek another woman in marriage. She is said to be blonde and has curly hair. As Bassanio says to Antonio in (Act I scene I), she is more beautiful than the word itself. It is also seen that she is racist as she says that she will rather accept The Prince of Morocco as her religious adviser than her husband because of his dark complexion, which she refers as that of The Devil. She favours a young Venetian noble, soldier and a scholar, Bassanio. Later in the play, she disguises herself as a man, then assumes the role of a lawyer's apprentice (named Balthazar) whereby she saves the life of Bassanio's friend, Antonio, in court.
Portia is also fond of wordplay and proverbs, frequently quoting and coining them, which was considered a sign of wisdom and sharp wit in Elizabethan era. Some suggest that the character of Portia was based on queen Elizabeth herself, who also had a penchant for proverbs.