Quote 1
Quote 2
PORTIA
What, no more?
Pay him six thousand, and deface the bond.
Double six thousand, and then treble that,
Before a friend of this description
[...]
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. You shall have gold
To pay the petty debt twenty times over: (3.2.311-314, 318-320)
When Portia hears that Shylock is trying to collect a pound of flesh from her new man's BFF, she offers to pay off "the petty debt twenty times over." We notice a couple of things here. First, Portia is very wealthy. Second, she's incredibly generous and values human relationships more than wealth (as opposed to, say, Shylock, who goes around complaining that his servant eats too much).
Quote 3
PORTIA
There are some shrewd contents in yond same
paper
That steals the color from Bassanio's cheek.
Some dear friend dead, else nothing in the world
Could turn so much the constitution
Of any constant man. (3.2.252-257)
Portia's love is going to be in competition with Antonio's friendship. Still, this thought shows that Portia understands the importance of a bosom buddy. She knows she's not the only one in Bassanio's life, even if she is going to be his wife.
Quote 4
PORTIA
I never did repent for doing good,
Nor shall not now; for in companions
That do converse and waste the time together,
Whose souls do bear an equal yoke of love,
There must be needs a like proportion
Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit;
Which makes me think that this Antonio,
Being the bosom lover of my lord,
Must needs be like my lord. (3.4.10-17)
Portia recognizes the depth of the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio. Rather than resent it, she inserts herself into the situation. She won't fight Antonio; she'll actually help him. In the process, Antonio will go from being a competitor to being in her debt. What's more, Portia will come off as benevolent and magnanimous.
Quote 5
PORTIA
You must take your chance,
And either not attempt to choose at all
Or swear before you choose, if you choose wrong
Never to speak to lady afterward
In way of marriage. Therefore be advised. (2.1.40-44)
It seems rather arbitrary and harsh that the condition to try for Portia's hand is that losers can never seek marriage... ever again. Still, it holds up marriage as a really serious affair and helps separate the men from the boys in terms of who's really willing to sacrifice for the chance to marry Portia.
Quote 6
PORTIA
Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself, and what is mine, to you and yours
Is now converted. But now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants,
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants, and this same myself
Are yours, my lord's. I give them with this ring,
[handing him a ring.]
Which when you part from, lose, or give away,
Let it presage the ruin of your love,
And be my vantage to exclaim on you. (3.2.167-178)
According to Portia, marriage is about a woman giving over herself (and all her money and property) to a partner. This is what she does here when she gives Bassanio "this house, these servants" and a ring. (In the 16th century, when a man married a woman, she automatically became his property and legal responsibility.)
At the same time, Portia is also being pretty crafty here. Because she gives him more than he can possibly give her in return, Portia binds Bassanio to her. Check out what we have to say about Portia's ring in "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory" for more on this.
Quote 7
PORTIA
First go with me to church and call me wife,
And then away to Venice to your friend!
For never shall you lie by Portia's side
With an unquiet soul. (3.2.316-319)
Portia's a clever girl. She knows Bassanio is going to leave her to help his BFF, but she insists that they get hitched first. This way she seals Bassanio to her. When he goes to Antonio, he'll go as her husband, not merely as Antonio's friend.
PORTIA [as Balthazar]
Then must the Jew be merciful.
SHYLOCK
On what compulsion must I? tell me that.
PORTIA
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.
[...]
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God Himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this:
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
Which, if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant
there. (4.1.188-193; 199-212)
Portia insists that Shylock should be merciful because God is. We also notice that the notion of mercy in this passage is associated with the Christian concept of salvation.
Quote 9
PORTIA [as Balthazar]
Tarry a little; there is something else.
This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood.
The words expressly are "a pound of flesh."
Take then thy bond, take thou thy pound of flesh,
But, in the cutting it, if thou dost shed
One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods
Are by the laws of Venice confiscate
Unto the state of Venice. (4.1.318-325)
Up until this point, it seems like Venice's strict adherence to the law is going to have a terrible outcome: Shylock will indeed get his "pound of flesh" and, in the process, Antonio will likely bleed to death. But here, Portia manipulates the law and saves the day.
Quote 10
PORTIA
Tarry, Jew.
The law hath yet another hold on you.
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,
If it be proved against an alien
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,
The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state,
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice.
In which predicament I say thou stand'st,
For it appears by manifest proceeding
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant, and thou hast incurred
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke. (4.1.361-378)
Not only does Portia prevent Shylock from shedding "one drop of [Antonio's] Christian blood" (see quote #11), she also points out that, according to the city's laws, anyone who tries to kill a Venetian citizen shall have all his goods seized. Portia is being tough, and we find it a little off-putting that she feels the need to destroy Shylock's whole life when she's already proven her point. On the other hand, we have to wonder whether Shylock would have gone through with killing Antonio or spared him at the last second.
PORTIA
Yes, yes, it was Bassanio—as I think, so was he
called.
NERISSA
True, madam. He, of all the men that ever my
foolish eyes looked upon, was the best deserving a
fair lady.
PORTIA
I remember him well, and I remember him worthy of thy
praise. (1.2.115-121)
Portia's first mention of Bassanio is measured and calm. She doesn't seem particularly stricken by love, but then again she might be understating. Also, she doesn't sound like a girl who was admiring Mr. Bassanio all over Belmont.
Quote 12
PORTIA
[Aside] How all the other passions fleet to air,
As doubtful thoughts, and rash-embrac'd despair,
And shudd'ring fear, and green-ey'd jealousy!
O love, be moderate, allay thy ecstasy,
In measure rain thy joy, scant this excess!
I feel too much thy blessing. Make it less,
For fear I surfeit. (3.2.6)
Portia is again overcome with love, but this time she knows Bassanio will actually be her husband (since he's chosen the right casket), so she tries to temper her love and be a little more practical. We get the hint here that she'll sober up soon enough from the giddy state she was in at the beginning of the scene. As Graziano joked several quotes back, the gloss of new love wears off soon enough. Portia, a very reasonable woman, is already cautioning herself, trying to get her reason and moderation to overcome her passion.
Quote 13
PORTIA
You see me, Lord Bassanio, where I stand,
Such as I am. Though for myself alone
I would not be ambitious in my wish
To wish myself much better, yet for you
I would be trebled twenty times myself,
A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich,
That only to stand high in your account
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account. But the full sum of me
Is sum of something which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd;
Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn; (3.2.7)
Love makes us want to be better than we are. We don't like the fact Bassanio didn't come to woo Portia purely out of love, or that Portia wasn't able to choose her lover freely. But Portia's earnest sentiments here sway us to consider that love (at least hers) is real, not counterfeit.
Quote 14
PORTIA
If I live to be as old as Sibylla, I will die as chaste as
Diana, unless I be obtained by the manner of my father's will. (1.2.15)
Portia would prefer a life of isolation over disobeying her father's will. Still, given the guys she's looking at, it's no great loss not to marry. Portia is strong-willed and doesn't seem like a romantic; she bravely faces the possibility of dying old and alone.
Quote 15
PORTIA
I am glad this parcel of wooers are so reasonable; for there is not
one among them but I dote on his very absence, and I pray God
grant them a fair departure. (1.2.15)
Portia has a ton of choices, but she doesn't like any of them. Her plight is similar to that of Penelope in the Odyssey. Like Portia, Penelope's suitors wanted her for all the wrong reasons. We do wonder, though, at the fact that Portia seems to hate all of the men for their character flaws, when the obvious reason to hate them is that they're trying to use her.
Does she not realize they're all after her money? Does she just not care? This will be important for whether she can love Bassanio, because he's also after her money.