Portia
The Merchant of Venice character
Kate Dolan as Portia (1886), by John Everett Millais
Created by	William Shakespeare

Portia is a female character and a protagonist in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. In her creation Shakespeare drew from the historical figure of Porcia,^[1] the daughter of Cato the Younger, as well as several parts of the Bible.^[2]

Portia is fond of proverbs, frequently quoting them, which was considered a sign of wisdom and sharp wit in the Elizabethan era. It has been suggested that the character of Portia was based on Queen Elizabeth, who was reigning at the time the play was written. ^[3]

Character

Portia is a wealthy heiress in Belmont. She is bound by the lottery set forth in her father's will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose one of three caskets, made of gold, silver and lead, respectively. If they choose the correct casket – the casket containing Portia's portrait and a scroll – they win her hand in marriage. Portia is glad when two suitors, one driven by greed and another by vanity, fail to choose correctly. She favours Bassanio, a young but impoverished Venetian noble but is not allowed to give him any clues to assist him in his choice.

Later in the play, she disguises herself as a man and then assumes the role of a lawyer, Balthazar, whereby she saves the life of Bassanio's friend Antonio in court. In the court scene, Portia finds a technicality in the bond, as it does not allow for the removal of blood, thereby outwitting the Jewish moneylender Shylock and saving Antonio from giving the pound of flesh demanded when everyone else including the Duke presiding as judge fails. It is Portia who delivers one of the most famous speeches in The Merchant of Venice:

The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

Despite Portia's lack of formal legal training, she wins her case with reference to the exact language of the law. She uses the tactics of what is sometimes called a Philadelphia lawyer in modern times and in doing so demonstrates that she is far from powerless, irrespective of her earlier lack of choice in the marriage. However, the concept of rhetoric and its abuse is also brought to light by Portia – highlighting the idea that an unjust argument may win through eloquence, loopholes and technicalities, regardless of the moral question at hand – and thus provoking the audience to consider that issue. Portia and Bassanio go on to live together along with the former's lady-in-waiting Nerissa and her husband Gratiano.

Portrayals

The strength of the role of Portia has made it attractive to many notable actresses. Frances Abington, Sarah Siddons and Elizabeth Whitlock all played Portia in the 18th century when actresses first started appearing on stage in performances of the play. More recently, the role has been depicted in the cinema, on television, and in theatres by a number of notable actresses such as Maggie Smith, Claire Bloom, Sybil Thorndike, Joan Plowright, Caroline John, Lynn Collins, Lily Rabe, and Gemma Jones.

Cultural references

The character of Portia has had a considerable and long-lived cultural impact.

• Abigail Adams adopted the pen name "Portia" in letters to her husband, John Adams, the second president of the United States. John signed his letters with "Lysander".^[4]
• The New England School of Law was originally known as the Portia Law School when it was established in 1908 as a women-only law school and was known by that name until 1969.^[5]
• In his Rumpole novels author John Mortimer has Rumpole call Phyllida Erskine-Brown (née Trant) the "Portia of our Chambers".^[6]
• Georgina Weldon, the celebrated Victorian litigant and amateur soprano, was referred to as the "Portia of the Law Courts".^[7]
• Portia is a moon of Uranus, one of several such named after Shakespearean characters.^[8]
• Portia de Rossi (born Amanda Lee Rogers), married to Ellen DeGeneres, adopted the name Portia to reinvent herself after becoming a model and actress.^[9]
• The Portia Hypothesis, which states women with masculine-sounding names tend to be more successful in a legal profession than otherwise identical counterparts, is named after the character.^[10]