Author Topic: Merchant of Venice (Read 1153 times)

love alabama · « **on:** September 10, 2011, 01:13:40 PM »

Is the way Portia treated in Shakespeare's merchant of Venice Catholic?

For example, was her father right in imposing a test for her possible suitors to win her over?

She could have ignored that in the name of freedom ie Femenism but she did not.

What about her general behavior overall?

redcandle77 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 11, 2011, 08:00:01 AM »

I took a class on Shakespeare in college and I've heard there is a lot of latent Catholicisim in his works.

spouse of Jesus · « **Reply #2 on:** September 11, 2011, 08:11:19 AM »

Putting a test on a daughter's possible suitors exists in all cultures except modernism. So it is not just Catholic.
All cultures endowed with natural reason knew that a male can confuse lust with love. Tests were invented to make sure which one of them were honest in his love.
It is why girls were hard to get and men had to try to hard: to distinguish one who loved from one who lusted.
But as in the modern the notion of love is lost, there is no reason for such tests.

Telesphorus · « **Reply #3 on:** September 11, 2011, 11:56:01 AM »

Quote from: love alabama

Is the way Portia treated in Shakespeare's merchant of Venice Catholic?

For example, was her father right in imposing a test for her possible suitors to win her over?

She could have ignored that in the name of freedom ie Femenism but she did not.

What about her general behavior overall?

Do you think that the sort of test mentioned in the play is to be taken as a literal representation of how a daughter's suitor could be chosen? Or is it something fanciful and poetic?

Another thing to consider is that Portia, knowing the answer, could lead the man she wanted in the right direction with hints.

St. Thomas Aquinas was no feminist, it should go without saying.