Throughout the play, “The Merchant of Venice,” Shakespeare utilizes the theme of duplicity, and the misperception of people. “The Merchant of Venice” is a play about a Merchant, named Antonio who has a friend named Bassanio. He needs to borrow money to marry a wealthy beautiful maiden named Portia. To get this money Antonio has to get a loan from a jew named Shylock. Throughout the play, characters that used duplicity, affected the outcome of the plot by changing it in a way to work in their favor. A misinterpreted character is Portia, because society saw her as a woman of beauty and riches, and is a prisoner under the control of men. Throughout the play, Portia is able to show that she has great intelligence through the use of duplicity. Shakespeare
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After Portia saved Antonio in his case, she went to Bassanio and tried to collect her reward In this moment, Portia is still dressed up as a man. “And for your love, I’ll take this ring from you.” (4.1 445) and “I will have nothing else but only this. / And now methinks I have a mind to it.” (4.1 450-451). From the beginning, Portia had a plan to use duplicity, and make Bassanio give up his ring. Her intelligence knew that he would give it up because it was for Antonio. Portia seems jealous of Bassanio and Antonio’s relationship, and she wants test him to see if that is the truth about him. During the court case, Bassanio made a comment about Portia saying: “Antonio, I am married to a wife which is a dear to me as life itself, but life itself, my wife, and all the world are not with me esteemed above thy life” (4.1 294-296). When Portia heard this, she got the feeling that Bassanio might love Antonio more than her. He would give up their marriage to save Antonio. When Portia said “I will have nothing else but only this. And now methinks I have a mind to it.” Instead, most lawyers would ask for money, but since she knew that the only way to test him what their marriage meant to him, she had to ask for the ring. Therefore, with all this knowledge she used her deceptive
After Portia saved Antonio in his case, she went to Bassanio and tried to collect her reward In this moment, Portia is still dressed up as a man. “And for your love, I’ll take this ring from you.” (4.1 445) and “I will have nothing else but only this. / And now methinks I have a mind to it.” (4.1 450-451). From the beginning, Portia had a plan to use duplicity, and make Bassanio give up his ring. Her intelligence knew that he would give it up because it was for Antonio. Portia seems jealous of Bassanio and Antonio’s relationship, and she wants test him to see if that is the truth about him. During the court case, Bassanio made a comment about Portia saying: “Antonio, I am married to a wife which is a dear to me as life itself, but life itself, my wife, and all the world are not with me esteemed above thy life” (4.1 294-296). When Portia heard this, she got the feeling that Bassanio might love Antonio more than her. He would give up their marriage to save Antonio. When Portia said “I will have nothing else but only this. And now methinks I have a mind to it.” Instead, most lawyers would ask for money, but since she knew that the only way to test him what their marriage meant to him, she had to ask for the ring. Therefore, with all this knowledge she used her deceptive