Portia is a rich lady of Belmont. She is among the best heroines created by Shakespeare. She possesses most virtues in proper moderation. Her faults a her virtues balance each other.
We find the following main points in her character:
1. Her Beauty : Portia possesses not only physical beauty but also beauty of character.
She is a goldilocks and her golden locks hang on her temples like a golden fleece. She is renowned for her physical beauty and that is why all desire for her. She possesses beauty of character too in an eminent degree. She is an ideal woman dutiful loving and self effacing. She obeys the will of her dead father and does not violate even a little.
2. Her Intelligence : Many suitors come to her and she understands their characters immediately. Her intelligence can also be seen from the quickness with which she understands that Bassanio is worried after reading Antonio’s letter. She notes the change of colour on his face and feels that he is so worried because the letter has given him bad news about his friend. Portia does not take anytime in making a plan to save Antonio.
3. Her Strong Sense of Justice :
Portia possesses a strong sense of justice. When Bassanio requests the Duke to break the Law in order to save Antonio’s life Portia immediately objects that by doing so the importance and value of the laws of Venice would be destroyed forever.
Her love of justice is also touched with mercy and kindness. Soon after she enters the court she begs Shylock to have mercy on Antonio. But she fails.
Then she puts such arguments and pleads the case so well that Antonio’s life is saved and Shylock equests to show mercy on him.
ihus Portia’s character is made up of beauty the finest of human virtues great intelligence determination force of character loyalty to her husband and her dead father etc.
4. Her Sense of Humour and Her Sparkling Wit
Portia is a lady with a cheerful and optimistic disposition. She has a strong sense of humour and a sparkling, scintillating wit which she shows in the very beginning and then continues to show till the very end. It is only on one occasion in the whole play that she feels melancholy, and even sick of the world.
When she is first introduced to us, she tells Nerissa that she is feeling weary of the world. But this melancholy mood lasts only for a few minutes, and is dispelled as soon as Nerissa begins to talk to her 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. This comment ends with her saying that the Englishman perhaps bought his doublet in Italy, his round hose in France, his bonnet in Germany, and his behaviour everywhere.
Subsequently she shows her sense of humour in setting the Rings story afoot and bringing it to an end which gives rise to plenty of mirth and laughter.
Portia’s comments on her various suitors show also her powers of minute observation and her penetrating judgment of human character.
5. Her Devotion to the Memory of Her Father
Portia is genuinely 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, it is possible for her to disregard her father’s will and to marry a man on the basis of 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.
