Breaking of Boundaries in 'The Merchant of Venice'

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The Merchant of Venice – Essay Q2: While authority is held in high regard in The Merchant of Venice, certain characters break traditional boundaries. Discuss examples from the play. Although authority is held high in The Merchant of Venice, certain characters break traditional boundaries. Portia, Jessica, and Lancelot are all characters in this play that seem to defy the rules of their society. Portia disguises herself as an unbiased legal authority and gets away with it. Jessica betrays her Jewish father by stealing money and gold and runs away with a Christian man. Lancelot goes against his morals and disrespects his helpless blind father. Even in a society with such set boundaries, some characters urge to break tradition. Portia breaks tradition in The Merchant of Venice by dressing up as an unbiased legal authority and “saves the day.” She has to help Antonio – who is her husband's best friend and the reason her and Bassanio were able to get married. She felt helpless as a woman, so she had no choice but to take the disguise of a man. “Which makes me think that this Antonio, being the bosom lover of my lord, must needs be like my lord. If it be so, how little is the cost I have bestow'd in purchasing the semblance of my soul from out the state of hellish cruelty!” Antonio has done so much for her and Bassanio, she felt she must do this much for him. Portia disguises herself as Doctor Balthazar and saves Antonio from the wrath of Shylock by explaining to the court that Shylock can take a pound of flesh, but reminds him that if a drop of blood is spilled, then he will be guilty of conspiring against the life of a Venetian citizen and all his lands and goods will be confiscated by the state. Portia was able to save the day, without anyone thinking she was a woman. Jessica goes against the tradition of society by betraying her father. In a society
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