The Merchant of Venice - Act 4 Scene 1 - Part 3

I chose this video first and foremost because the idea of disguise has always been interesting to me. I never really made sense to me how Shakespeare created plays where characters could simply put on a hat and their identity was hidden. The Merchant of Venice was my favorite play that we read this semester and the courtroom scene with Portia was a key plot changing scene in this play. This is also a scene where Portia disguised herself as a judge and changed the fate of Antonio. Personally, I do not understand how Portia wearing those clothes would hide her identity, but as it is often said, the audience understands and it is an element of comedy. This scene was one of my favorites, despite the poor disguising of Portia.

The questions I have regarding this clip is...

How did audiences feel about the element of disguise in Shakespeare’s plays?

And

Why was Portia displayed at strong and independent women in The Merchant of Venice, when Shakespeare’s plays most often displayed women as reliant on men?