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Question
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
| Portia: | ... Lorenzo, I commit into your hands The husbandry and manage of my house Until my lord's return: for mine own part, I have toward heaven breathed a secret vow To live in prayer and contemplation, Only attended by Nerissa here, Until her husband and my lord's return. |
- Who does Portia refer to as 'my lord'?
Where is her lord?
Why had he left in such haste? [3] - What does Portia ask Lorenzo to do? Why does she make this request? [3]
- Explain, in your own words, the ‘secret vow’ that Portia speaks of. [3]
- What instruction does Portia give to her servant, a little later in the scene? [3]
- What do we learn about Portia’s real intention from her conversation with Nerissa?
Which Portia do you prefer- the modest Portia of the Casket scene or the businesslike Portia we meet in this scene?
Give one reason for your response. [4]
Solution
- Portia addresses her husband, Bassanio, as "my lord". Bassanio had moved to Venice from Belmont. Due to his friend Antonio's pending trial and his impending death from his debt to Shylock, he had departed quickly.
- When she and her husband Bassanio are not present, Portia gives Lorenzo control and supervision of her estate. Portia plans to leave for Venice to save Antonio from Shylock's evil plan of taking a pound of Antonio's flesh, which was forfeited when he failed to repay the three thousand ducats before the due date (three months from the date of borrowing), according to the bond.
- Portia mentions a secret vow she made to heaven, a vow to live a life of prayer and reflection until Gratiano and Bassanio return. Now that Portia is married and her husband has hurried to help his friend, she submits to help her husband in any way possible. The "secret vow" that Portia mentions is her secret plan for fighting the case, disguised as an eminent lawyer, on behalf of Antonio, her husband's dearest friend.
- Portia expresses that she intends to spend her time in contemplation and prayer at the nearby monastery alongside Nerissa until their husbands safely return. She directs the servants to acknowledge Lorenzo and Jessica as their master and mistress in the absence of Lord Bassanio and herself. Additionally, she instructs her servant, Balthazar, to visit her cousin, Doctor Bellario, in Padua to collect specific documents and clothing. From there, she guides Balthazar to take the ferry to Venice and join her at the earliest, as she anticipates arriving in Venice before him.
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Portia later confides in Nerissa, revealing her true plan. She discloses that they intend to meet their husbands in disguise, assuming the roles of a lawyer and his clerk. Portia elaborates to Nerissa on the specific mannerisms they must adopt to convincingly portray a male image while dressed in male attire. I admire the pragmatic side of Portia, as she maintains control over her circumstances, possesses a clear understanding of her objectives, envisions the future, and remains resolute in seeking justice for Antonio.
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