She is not what She Appears Perfect: An analysis of Portia in the Merchant of Venice
Cecily Ran Liao

Abstract
Among all Shakespeare"s female characters, Portia has often been deemed as the most idealized protagonist, attributable to her various merits, inclusive of beauty, intelligence, wealth, rank, kindness, etc. Some of her suitors even praise her as “perfect” as she is thought to be. The current essay aims to roundly analyze such adoring heroine through combining plot analysis and the evidence from second resources, criticizing this viewpoint. Portia"s admirable virtues and her hidden sides are thoroughly disclosed in the analysis, reflecting that it is somehow exaggerating to describe her as a “perfect” creature.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/rah.v11n1a1