In
Merchant of Venice one of the most distinctive
characters that surprises the readers at the end of the play is Portia. She is
most surprising due to the fact that she is first introduced in the play as
being some sort of prize that the male figures compete for because she is
wealthy and beautiful. No one regards her as being a threat or smart enough to
cause trouble because her full potential is not revealed yet. But she is indeed
resourceful and can sometimes come off as being a free spirit who abides
rigidly by rules when in reality she seems to be almost a prisoner in her own
home. But as the play goes on Portia’s character changes for the better and we
come to realize that she isn't afraid of breaking the rules. Only difference is
that she is smart enough to make the law work for her and is still able to get
away with her actions.
Portia
reminds me very much of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games movie because in this film we are seeing a new type of heroine who defies gender stereotypes in cinema. She is not a victim, nor is she passive or cold. She takes action, and is compassionate yet still strong and takes care of her own. We start noticing her as this girl who pretty much has to take care of the ones she loves and is good with a bow but as the movie goes on we come to realize that she has amazing hidden skills which is what helps her survive the games.
In terms of romantic interests. She also has guys chasing
after her just like Portia’s suitors. But only difference is that both guys
chasing Katniss love her whereas Portia’s suitors just wanted to take advantage
of her. Katniss is eventually caught having to choose between her best friend
from home, Gale, and another contestant in the games with her, Peta. Overall
both women are independent and make it very clear that they don’t need a male
figure in their life to take care of them. These women take charge of the
relationship and are fearless.
Hi Sandy. I found your comparison between Katniss and Portia to be interesting in regards to showing our lack of progress between Shakespeare’s time and ours. As you point out, while we have seen some improvement since Shakespeare’s time, the bad outweighs the good in terms of representing female sexuality in films and TV. Far too often, we see the sidekick girl pining away after our hero, or the sex object that always ends up out of reach from the male’s grasp. One issue that you did not address is Portia’s cross dressing solution at the end of the play. Unlike Portia, Katniss does not need to pretend to be a man to achieve her desires. She is a woman, but she is able to contain the same amount of agency that you would normally see for a male protagonist. While part of me still does hate the fact that a love triangle must exist, the films do tend to portray these interests as secondary to her overall goal of survival, and in that way, I can let this slide.
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