Prejudice In “The Merchant Of Venice”

7 Pages 1839 Words

even before she has the chance to become more familiar with Arragon. She does not care about Arragon and has no interest in him. Portia has no tolerance for people who are not of her origin, who are not Italian. She cruelly mocks Arragon: “Thus hath the candle sing’d the moth. O these deliberate fools! When they do choose they have the wisdom by there wit to loose.” (II, ix, 78-80) She appears only to fancy Bassanio, her attitude towards him changes drastically from her attitude towards the previous men. Portia is very passionate and kind with Bassanio and says everything that he wants to hear: “One half of me is yours, the other half yours – Mine own I would say, but if mine then yours. And so all yours.” (III, ii, 16-18) She even gives Bassanio an unfair advantage by playing a song that foreshadows the correct casket. The one suitor that Portia is partial to, is the man of the same origin, of Italian blood. Finally, we are able to realize Portia’s bias against Jewish people; she addresses Shylock only as “the Jew” when speaking about him, and “Jew” when she is speaking directly to him. Obviously she does not consider Shylock as a person, but instead as some disgraceful being. There are several instances when she does...