Aphorisms & Language

Molly Hone
1.2, lines 1-19. (I cut off the passage at line 19 for this post, before Portia’s predicament and suitors are fully discussed.)

In the first exchange between Portia and her waiting-woman, Nerissa, a simple expression of sadness by the former elicits advice from the latter in the form of multiple aphorisms. Portia responds to these aphorisms with aphorisms of her own that explain her inability and reluctance to follow the advice.

The aphorisms exchanged, such as “It is no mean happiness, therefore to be seated in the mean” (lines 6-7, 1.2.1125, Nerissa), and “It is a good divine that follows his own instructions” (line 14, 1.2.1125, Portia), could seem almost nonsensical to a reader because of their abundance and lack of segue. There are at least 5 clear aphorisms in this passage, and the language of the lines in between them are similar in structure, voice, and function (e.g. “They would be better if well followed” [line 10, 1.2.1125, Nerissa]), rendering the language of the passage mostly aphoristic.

This rapid delivery of the aphorisms, as well as the overall aphoristic tone, suggest that such general advice lacks meaning and importance. This setup could also serve to argue that general advice lacks an adequate applicability to reality. Shakespeare is playing with self-reflexivity in this passage, and instead of creating nonsense he is, presumably, foreshadowing the events of the play.

This self-reflexive setup also seems to comment on internal conflict and moral ambiguity. Portia remarks in the passage that it is not easy to do what one knows is right. Churning out aphorisms like an assembly line is very different from following them. Pondering the actions one may take in a given situation is very different from being in that situation and having to decide on a “right” or beneficial course of action. 

When Portia remarks that the advice will not be able to help her in choosing a suitor, having already previously put the responsibility on herself, not the concept of general advice, she is using the passive voice. Is this an illustration of the alternately weak/strong power that general, aphoristic advice can have? Or is she simply being sarcastic? It seems that her language (“But this reasoning is not in the fashion” [line 19, 1.2.1125]) is playfully, but contradictorially, disowning her previously-stated responsibility. It is interesting, too, how Portia’s words in this line sound so similar to the aphorisms in their passivity. 

This might be a total over-analysis of the passage, but I find that as I read, I have to remember that Shakespeare’s linguistic precision gives each word a lot of weight and purpose, and over-analysis may be difficult to avoid sometimes.

Why Shakespeare is seemingly putting the character of Portia at odds with her own language in this fragment is unclear to me. It might be just a flourish of language, or it might be an important foreshadow of events and themes. Again, I might be completely overanalyzing this short passage and its language. 

Women Rule

It’s a strange kind of contradiction that in Shakespeare’s time women were not allowed to act on the stage and yet they tend dominate and/or hold pivotal roles in many of his plays, especially Merchant of Venice.

Although Portia has no control over which partner she ends up with due to her father’s challenge, she holds a vast amount of knowledge and cunning. When Bassanio must leave to go to Antonio’s aid, he relies on Portia’s wealth to offer up to Shylock. And, unknowing to anyone else present in the room, the Judge and attendant are actually Portia and Nerissa dressed as men. It is true that in order to get their voices heard, they have to assume the identities of men, an understandable predicament for this time period, but the fact that Shakespeare makes the women of the play the heroes shows a great deal of support and trust toward the gender, perhaps he is even making a not-so-subtle statement that women are capable of such tasks.

W While the play shows that women are a capable gender on the outside, Shakespeare also shows the power they hold behind closed doors. The phrase “a man is king of his castle until the queen arrives” has been a frequent joke on the lips of many in reference to a woman’s power over a man. I do not mean in the public’s eye, because women were mostly powerless until the recent past, but within the realm of the household. I believed that this phrase was an American invention created in the women’s rights era, however it seems like it or varieties of it was present in Shakespeare’s time as well. A prime example of this power can be found in Act 4, Scene 1 beginning with Bassanio statement, “Antonio, I am married to a wife /Which is as dear to me as life itself./ But life itself, my wife, and all the world /Are not with me esteemed above thy life./ I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all/ Here to this devil, to deliver you” (lines 277-82). Basically, Bassanio is stating that he would give up his wife for that of his friend’s wife, a grand and pretty statement, but when the judge – his wife! – and Nerissa hear the remarks made by Bassanio and Graziano, they both chafe and Nerissa returns with, “’Tis well you offer it behind her back;/The wish would make else an unquiet house” (lines 288-89). Here, she is warning him that he better be careful unless he wishes to have a fight with his wife. The only unfortunate part is that these words came out of the mouth of what they think is a man, so they have no idea that their wives/women just threatened them. However, the statements alone show that the common principle of a woman ruling her roost is even a part of this time period. Because these women come off as the strong, get-it-done sort of women, it makes me picture them running their households and husbands quite efficiently.

Even their gifts to their husbands portray this control over them. When Portia and Nerissa each gifted their husbands with rings that represented their love, basically “promise” rings, the idea was to ensnare them and have proof of doing so. When the ring comes off, the wife is to understand that their love no longer exists. Later, when Portia tests this love she believes that Bassanio won’t give it up, until the last moment when Graziano chases her down to give it to her. You can almost sense that her plan is to have the ring waiting for him when he returns, possibly sparking a large argument.