Portia

E494621

Portia is a wealthy, intelligent, and quick-witted heiress in Shakespeare’s play "The Merchant of Venice," renowned for her resourcefulness and famous courtroom disguise as a male lawyer.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Shakespearean character
fictional character
literary character
appearsIn The Merchant of Venice NERFINISHED
associatedWithTheme gender disguise
justice
law and equity
marriage and loyalty
mercy
boundBy father’s will
characterTrait compassionate
eloquent
intelligent
learned in law (disguised)
quick-witted
resourceful
strategic thinker
wealthy
creator William Shakespeare NERFINISHED
disguiseAs Balthazar NERFINISHED
male lawyer
employerOf Nerissa NERFINISHED
famousLine “The quality of mercy is not strained”
fictionalResidence Belmont NERFINISHED
firstAppearanceAct Act I of The Merchant of Venice NERFINISHED
friendOf Nerissa NERFINISHED
gender female
helpsCharacter Antonio NERFINISHED
Bassanio NERFINISHED
inspiredBy motifs from Italian novelle (disputed, general influence)
involvedIn trial over Antonio’s bond
languageOfWork Early Modern English NERFINISHED
legalRoleInDisguise doctor of laws
literaryPeriod English Renaissance NERFINISHED
marriedTo Bassanio NERFINISHED
nationalityInFiction Italian
notableFor courtroom scene in The Merchant of Venice
disguising herself as a male lawyer
“quality of mercy” speech
occupation heiress
opposesCharacter Shylock NERFINISHED
roleInWork heroine
protagonist
selectionBy casket test
workAuthor The Merchant of Venice NERFINISHED

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Shylock isOpposedBy Portia
Shylock losesCourtCaseTo Portia
Peggy Ashcroft knownForRole Portia
this entity surface form: Portia in The Merchant of Venice
Ellen Terry notableWork Portia
this entity surface form: Portia in "The Merchant of Venice"
Porcia Catonis name Portia
Portia, Missouri hasName Portia