Although this argument seems convincing, it is a false authority fallacy. Portia makes false authority to herself and Christian religion. Portia assumes she is the lawyer who knows the laws; therefore, she also thinks that everyone believes in God like her, who is a Christian. Richard Jones and Franklin T. Baker state that, Shylock “inherited a nature embittered by centuries of insult and outrage.” (Three Interpretations of Shylock). What they want to convey is that Shylock has been living under insults especially from Antonio, and that outrages him to the point he wants revenge. Shylock does not see a reason why he should forgive Antonio when Antonio offended him without a reason. Portia is unable to move Shylock’s heart by using her pathos approach. From having failed to get Shylock’s emotion, Portia changes her approach to ethos. Portia starts to use her appeal to ethnic, which is ethos, to assure Shylock that she is the authority. Portia is able to show the crowd that she is a real and authentic lawyer that is well informed of the laws that she discusses. When Bassanio attempts to make a deal of paying ten times the bond, Portia …show more content…
According to the Venetian law, someone is not from Venice who attempts to murder Venetians is considered guilty. He has done things against the law. Shylock’s credibility is gone now because of the crime he committed. His action leads him to be a criminal and stops him from getting the money offered at the beginning that he asks for. Portia is a clever woman who accomplishes saving her husband’s best friend escape death by using her pathos, ethos, and logos strategies. It is a huge success for her from fooling everyone in the trial including her husband. She appeals to emotions when she asks Shylock to be merciful to Antonio. Portia fails to use emotions to Shylock, so she appeals that she has the authority as a lawyer. She keeps arguing by using logics against Shylock. Reasoning does not have an effect on the cold-hearted Shylock at first. When Portia presents what Shylock can do according to the bond, he knows that he is wrong for refusing Portia’s previous offers. Portia also points out Shylock’s wrongdoings in Venice, and that leads Shylock to lose his credibility. Not only being unable to get revenge on Antonio, Shylock does not even get the money Antonio’s side offered at the beginning. Portia’s intelligence saves Antonio and gives Shylock a lesson for being