who is the lawyer in merchant of venice

by Dr. Celine Abbott 8 min read

In the court in Venice, Shylock demands his pound of flesh. The Duke, presiding over the court, seeks legal advice from the lawyer "Balthazar," who is Portia in disguise.

Who is the director of the Merchant of Venice?

2001 – The Merchant of Venice, a Royal National Theatre production directed by Trevor Nunn. Set around 1930, Henry Goodman played Shylock. 2002 – The Māori Merchant of Venice, directed by Don Selwyn.

What are the legal aspects in merchant of Venice?

We will write a “Legal Aspects in Merchant of Venice” specifically for you! One aspect we can see is the lack of Independence of Judiciary in particular to Shylock’s trial. One basic natural justice principle “Nemo judex in sua causa” is violated as we can see Portia is appearing as an” independent” “impartial” expert in Law to assist the court.

Who is Lorenzo in the Merchant of Venice?

A friend of Bassanio and Antonio, Lorenzo is in love with Shylock’s daughter, Jessica. He schemes to help Jessica escape from her father’s house, and he eventually elopes with her to Belmont.

Who is the most powerful person in the Merchant of Venice?

The most powerful person in The Merchant of Venice is not the Duke, but Portia, because she is the only character who thinks like a lawyer. To this end, Shakespeare is suggesting that knowledge begets power. Even the most unassuming character in the play—an heiress, for example—can command the most authority in the room.

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Is Portia a lawyer in Merchant of Venice?

Shylock, insistent on getting his bond, has Antonio arrested. Portia and Nerissa go to Venice disguised as a lawyer and clerk. In the courtroom, the Duke asks Shylock to show some compassion and Bassanio offers 6000 ducats to repay Antonio's loan.

Who was the law clerk in Merchant of Venice?

NerissaNerissa. Portia's lady-in-waiting and confidante. She marries Gratiano and escorts Portia on Portia's trip to Venice by disguising herself as her law clerk.

What is Portia's lawyer name?

BalthazarLater in the play, she disguises herself as a man and then assumes the role of a lawyer's apprentice (named Balthazar) whereby she saves the life of Bassanio's friend, Antonio, in court.

How was Portia as a lawyer?

Portia was fully prepared. First of all she tried her best that Shylock should forgive Antonio. She appealed to show mercy on him. She told him the qualities of mercy and proved that mercy is a Divine quality and the man who shows mercy is remembered and worshipped like God.

What does Portia brag about as a lawyer?

She plans to disguise as Bellario the lawyer and Nerissa will be dressed as a clerk. She bets that when they are dressed as men, she'll be the prettier of the two. Portia describes how bravely she'll wear her dagger and brag of manly conquests so that she'll be taken for a boy barely one year out of school.

Who is Balthazar in Merchant of Venice?

Balthazar is one of Portia's servants. She sends him to bring her letters to Bellario, and to meet her and Nerissa on the way to Venice with the law-clerk clothes Bellario will give him. Portia steals his name for her disguise as a boy.

Was Portia a doctor or lawyer?

In Portia, we see her as an efficient lawyer in one hand and in the other hand, Shakespeare has established the female rights in the society through her. He has attempted to prove that a female character is capable enough to explore everywhere along with the judicial sector.

Who was Dr Bellario the Counsellor of law?

Bellario, in The Merchant of Venice, is Portia's cousin and a well-respected Doctor of Law from Padua, Italy.

Who accompanied Portia to the court?

The Duke has sent for Bellario, a legal expert from Padua, but learns from a letter that he is ill so has sent a young man, Balthasar, in his place. Portia, disguised as Balthasar, enters the courtroom accompanied by her clerk (Nerissa in disguise).

Did Portia abuse the law?

While Shylock represents a depraved adherence to formalism, his defeat provides the audience with no consolation as Portia abuses Natural Law to her own ends through substantive and procedural means.

Why did Portia disguise herself as a lawyer?

Portia dressed herself up as a lawyer so she could help Antonio in court. She did not want him to know who she was as that might influence the choices he might make. Explanation: The Merchant of Venice is an interesting story written by the extraordinary William Shakespeare.

Why is Portia in the court of justice?

Portia was there to defend Antonio against Shylock's claim to a pound of his flesh for forfeiting on a bond which he had signed as a guarantee for the repayment of a loan in the amount of three thousand ducats.

What is the setting of the Merchant of Venice?

Shakespearean comedy. Setting. Venice, 16th century . The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play written by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599.

Who is Antonio in Venice?

Antonio – a prominent merchant of Venice in a melancholic mood. Bassanio – Antonio's close friend; suitor to Portia; later the husband of Portia. Gratiano – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Nerissa; later the husband of Nerissa. Lorenzo – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Jessica; later the husband of Jessica.

Why did Bassanio and Gratiano leave Venice?

Bassanio and Gratiano leave for Venice, with money from Portia, to save Antonio's life by offering the money to Shylock. Unknown to Bassanio and Gratiano, Portia sent her servant, Balthazar, to seek the counsel of Portia's cousin, Bellario, a lawyer, at Padua .

What was the first big screen adaptation of Shakespeare's Merchant?

2003 – In Shakespeare's Merchant, a film directed by Paul Wagar, Antonio and Bassanio have a homosexual relationship. 2004 – The Merchant of Venice, directed by Michael Radford and produced by Barry Navidi. This was the first "big-screen" adaption of the play.

Who were the two friends of Antonio and Bassanio?

Salarino and Salanio (also known as Solanio) – friends of Antonio and Bassanio. Salerio – a messenger from Venice; friend of Antonio, Bassanio and others. Magnificoes of Venice, officers of the Court of Justice, gaolers, servants to Portia, and other attendants and Doctor Bellario, cousin of Portia.

Who is Portia's last suitor?

The last suitor is Bassanio, whom Portia wishes to succeed, having met him before. As Bassanio ponders his choice, members of Portia's household sing a song that says that "fancy" (not true love) is "engend'red in the eyes, / With gazing fed"; Bassanio chooses the lead casket and wins Portia's hand.

What is the plot of Gilbert's Shylock after the trial?

Plot summary. Gilbert's Shylock After the Trial, an illustration to The Merchant of Venice. Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor.

When was The Merchant of Venice written?

The Merchant of Venice, comedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written about 1596–97 and printed in a quarto edition in 1600 from an authorial manuscript or copy of one.

Why does Bassanio ask Antonio for a loan?

Bassanio, a noble but penniless Venetian, asks his wealthy merchant friend Antonio for a loan so that Bassanio can undertake a journey to woo the heiress Portia. Antonio, whose money is invested in foreign ventures, borrows the sum from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, on the condition that, if the loan cannot be repaid in time, ...

What is the Merchant of Venice about?

Merchant of Venice critically shows many key aspects of Law throughout the play. It shows when Laws can be unjust, how words can be twisted. It shows the flaws involved in Laws. Again it shows that the pen is mightier than the sword. Literature is beautifully used here to represent the legal system of Venice. Here we will be analyzing the legal aspects of the play. We will also be focussing on how injustice was met out to Shylock throughout the trial.

Why did the court want to deliver justice to Shylock?

As we can see Venice at that time was a major commercial hub of Europe, the court initially wanted to deliver justice to Shylock to uphold the rule of law in the territory of Venice. Strong legal security and rule of law is important for any place to become a major commercial center.

What is just not given by the court?

What is just is not given by the court. It’s common sense to understand that when flesh is taken blood comes with it. A literal interpretation of rule here doesn’t serve the purpose of justice. Basic common sense is not applied by the court.

Who plays Portia in Merchant of Venice?

He would do that through most of the play then reveal himself as a woman in the last scene. Lynn Collins plays Portia in The Merchant of Venice. Portia, an only child, has recently lost her wealthy father, a citizen of Belmont. He has doted on her and, unusually for the time, educated her to the point where she has become a legal scholar.

Who is Portia in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice?

Portia, The Merchant of Venice. Portia is a character in Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice. She’s not exactly like the characters usually classed as strong women in Shakespeare (like Rosalind or Lady Macbeth) because she isn’t called on to make a stand on anything, do something courageous, or defy some of the obstacles stacked up ...

What happens if Antonio is late with the payment?

Shylock has jokingly said that if Antonio is late with the payment the penalty will be a pound of his flesh. Antonio has agreed to that. In the event, the ships are late. At the same time, Shylock’s daughter has eloped with a Christian and taken his money and jewellery.

Who is Bassanio engaged to?

In the meantime, Bassanio has chosen the right casket and is engaged to Portia. He learns that the Duke of Venice doesn’t know how to deal with the case and asks Portia to disguise herself as a famous young law scholar and act as a judge in the case, which she does.

What is Portia's claim to fame?

Portia’s main claim to fame in the halls of English dramatic literature is that she delivers one of the most famous monologues, filled with some of Shakespeare’s most beautiful poetry, expressing some of the wisest sentiments that exist in any play: The quality of mercy is not strained . As a character in a Shakespeare play, ...

What year was the Merchant of Venice?

The Merchant of Venice (1969 film) The Merchant of Venice. (1969 film) The Merchant of Venice is a 1969 drama short film directed by Orson Welles based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name.

Who played Shylock in the movie?

Orson Welles as Shylock. Charles Gray as Antonio. Irina Maleeva as Jessica. Jonathan Lynn as Tubal. Anthony Ainley as Bassanio. Dorian Bond as Launcelot Gobbo. Further cast members were Bill Cronshaw, Mauro Bonnani and Nina Palinkas. Bonnani was not a professional actor, but an editor who was then working on Welles's Don Quixote, ...

Is Merchant of Venice a short film?

The Merchant of Venice is a 1969 drama short film directed by Orson Welles based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. While actually completed, it is frequently cited as an unfinished film, though better described as a partially lost film due to the loss of film elements.

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Overview

Plot summary

Bassanio, a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats to subsidise his expenditures as a suitor. Bassanio approaches his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant of Venice, who has previously and repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees, but since he is cash-poor – his ships and merc…

Characters

• Antonio – a prominent merchant of Venice in a melancholic mood.
• Bassanio – Antonio's close friend; suitor to Portia; later the husband of Portia
• Gratiano – friend of Antonio and Bassanio; in love with Nerissa; later the husband of Nerissa

Sources

The forfeit of a merchant's deadly bond after standing surety for a friend's loan was a common tale in England in the late 16th century. In addition, the test of the suitors at Belmont, the merchant's rescue from the "pound of flesh" penalty by his friend's new wife disguised as a lawyer, and her demand for the betrothal ring in payment are all elements present in the 14th-century tale Il Pecorone by Giovanni …

Date and text

The date of composition of The Merchant of Venice is believed to be between 1596 and 1598. The play was mentioned by Francis Meres in 1598, so it must have been familiar on the stage by that date. The title page of the first edition in 1600 states that it had been performed "divers times" by that date. Salerino's reference to his ship the Andrew (I, i, 27) is thought to be an allusion to the Spanish ship St. Andrew, captured by the English at Cádiz in 1596. A date of 1596–97 is consider…

Themes

The play is frequently staged today, but is potentially troubling to modern audiences because of its central themes, which can easily appear antisemitic. Critics today still continue to argue over the play's stance on the Jews and Judaism.
English society in the Elizabethan and Jacobean era has been described as "ju…

Performance history

The earliest performance of which a record has survived was held at the court of King James in the spring of 1605, followed by a second performance a few days later, but there is no record of any further performances in the 17th century. In 1701, George Granville staged a successful adaptation, titled The Jew of Venice, with Thomas Betterton as Bassanio. This version (which featured a

Adaptations and cultural references

The play has inspired many adaptions and several works of fiction.
• 1914 – The Merchant of Venice, a silent film directed by Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley.
• 1916 – The Merchant of Venice, an unsuccessful silent British film produced by Walter West for Broadwest.