Character Sketch of Portia and Shylock

 

Character sketch of Portia

Among the heroines created by Shakespeare, Portia occupies a high position. She produces a powerful impression on our minds, and her role in the play is most conspicuous and memorable. When the play the Merchant of Venice is mentioned anywhere, people think of two persons, namely Shylock and Portia; and these two persons are inseparable from each other in our minds because we remember Shylock chiefly as a villain wanting to take the life of his enemy Antonio, and we think of Portia as the person who defeats Shylock’s evil design. And, of course, Portia has other qualities also to impart a measure of greatness to her.

Her Sense of Humour and Her Sparkling Wit   

Portia has a strong sense of humour and sparkling. When she is first introduced to us, she tells Nerissa that she is feeling weary of the world. But this sad mood lasts only for a few minutes, and she begins to talk about the various suitors who have arrived at Belmont to try their luck at the caskets. Portia has something very amusing to say about each of these four suitors. Her comment on her English suitor is perhaps the most amusing. Portia’s comments on her various suitors show also her powers of minute observation and her penetrating judgment of human character.

Her Devotion to the Memory of Her Father

Portia is devoted to the memory of her father who, while dying, had devised a kind of lottery for the purpose of her choice of a husband. She is determined to carry out the terms of her late father’s will. Of course, she can disregard her father’s will and marry a man based on her own judgment. But she has implicit faith in her father’s wisdom, and she is convinced that her father’s will would prove to be the means of her getting the right man as her husband.

Her Compassionate Nature

Portia has essentially a compassionate nature. Her famous “Quality of Mercy” speech is proof of that. Mercy, she says, is an attribute to God Himself. Unfortunately, the Jew pays no heed to Portia’s plea. At the same time, we must acknowledge the fact that, in pronouncing the punishment to which Shylock has rendered himself liable, she tends to forget her own ardent plea for mercy. She allows the Christians to have their own way with him. She allows them to force him not only to part with all his wealth but also to be converted to Christianity. 

Her Modesty, Humility, and Femininity

Although Portia is a woman with a powerful intellect and extraordinary powers of reasoning, she yet remains a woman at heart with a lot of modesty, humility, and compassion. When Bassanio puts his hand on the lead casket, she feels overwhelmed. When he actually opens the lead casket and, finding her picture in it, claims her with a kiss, she makes a speech that embodies the very spirit of humility. She describes herself as an unschooled, un-lessoned, and unpracticed woman, and then goes on to make a complete surrender of herself to the man who has won her as his wife.

Her Generous Disposition

Portia is a very large-hearted and generous woman. Every wealthy person is not generous. Some wealthy persons are also the greatest misers. Shylock is, of course, the most striking example of this sort of thing. But Portia combines her vast material wealth with an inner treasure of generosity. On learning the plight of Bassanio’s dearest friend, she offers t Bassanio any amount of money that he may need for the rescue of Antonio from the clutches of the Jew. And then she dons a lawyer’s clothes to function as a judge in the case because she has hit upon a plan to save Antonio’s life.

The Muse of Wisdom and Love

For all these reasons, one of the critics describes Portia as the Queen of this play, and as the Muse of wisdom and love.

 

Character Sketch of Shylock

A Villain Deserving of Pity- Shylock is one of the most well-known characters in all of Shakespeare's plays. He is also a contentious character. Some critics and readers see him as a complete villain, while others believe that, despite his villainy, he deserves some sympathy.
 

A swindler- Shylock is a moneylender by trade. Money lending in and of itself is not something shameful, discreditable, degrading, or even objectionable. However, money-lending becomes odious and abhorrent when a money-lender becomes an exploiter by charging exorbitant interest rates.
 

His Christian intolerance, as well as his extreme miserliness- Shylock, repulses us not only because of his usury but also because of his religious intolerance. He despises Christians and despises them fiercely. At one point in the play, he says in an aside that he despises Antonio for two reasons: first, because Antonio is a Christian, and second because Antonio lowers the rate of interest in Venice by lending money for free.

His shady and devious dealings- Shylock is a cunning and deceitful man. Initially, he expresses his reluctance to lend to Antonio because Antonio has been mistreating him. However, a completely different thought-form in his mind. He then agrees to make the loan, but on the condition that the bond is signed including a clause stating that if Antonio fails to repay the loan within three months, he will be entitled to cut off a pound of Antonio's flesh closest to his heart.

Shylock is an obvious choice for the play's antagonist because he is the dark character who is unquestionably on the outskirts of society. He drives the plot's main conflict about the debt, and he is adamant about wanting Antonio's flesh rather than monetary compensation. The role of Shylock has been played in a variety of ways. He is sometimes portrayed as evil, and other times as a result of the bullying he endures in Venice.