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Theme Of Women In The Merchant Of Venice

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In act 2, scene one, Portia’s deepest frustration is revealed in her inability to choose her suitor due to her father 's previously established test. This means that she sees that she have the potential to choose her own husband. She wants freedom and control over her own destiny. This tells us how she isn’t a very docile type who easily follows rules and readily accepts control.
In act 2, scene 7, Portia evidently judges the Prince of Morocco by his skin colour, hoping that suitors of the same complexion would choose the wrong casket. This shows her prejudices against skin colour and her racist attitude.
Sexism and Racism are revealed based on what I have leant about Portia.
Women oppression can be seen when her father made it mandatory for her suitors to be chosen via the casket test. She does not have the freedom of choosing who her husband would be even if she has fallen in love with him. Her rights of choosing which men to marry was stripped away from her display the way in which women were treated at that point in time. There is a certain patriarchy within the environment of The Merchant of Venice. Portia’s line “Besides, the lottery of my destiny bars me the right of voluntary choosing. But if my father had not scanted me and hedged me by his wit to yield myself his wife who wins me by that means I told you,” displays how women is treated. She is forced to marry and be the wife of whomever that passed the test. There is the notion of sexism, which is the
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