Role of female characters in Merchant of Venice in 400 words
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In his relatively short play, "The Merchant of Venice", Shakespear introduces very new and bright ideas such as women's rights and their equality with men which were totally unacceptable for the people of the Elizabethan time. In that male dominated world women were considered no better than cattle or land and to talk directly about their rights and needs was useless and even impossible. However, Shakespeare's talent and wit exceeded that impossibility and enlightened people's minds toward accepting the new ideas they were to face in the future. In this play, Shakespear introduces three female characters that though few in number, are powerful in their effect on the…show more content…
She turns out to be the smartest character in the play especially during the trial scene where she outwits all the men in the court including the Duke and Bassanio by turning the final verdict against Shylock.
Shakespear uses irony to awaken the numb judgments of his audience and make them understand that women should be taken more seriously. One of the best ironies of the play is that Antonio who believed this world is "a stage where every man (not every woman) must play a part" is finally saved from death by Portia, a woman. The other powerful irony arises sympathy towards women is the fact that such a smart and influential girl as Portia has never been given the right to "choose" her destiny and has always been subject to men's will and power: first her independence is confined by her father and then by Bassanio, her husband to whom she gives herself and all she has all at once.