Has your best friend just been sentenced to give a pound of flesh to a Jew? Does he need a lawyer to protect him from the devil? One that's smart, strong, and determined enough to do anything for your friend? In The Merchant Of Venice, by William Shakespeare, Portia was continuously plotting, sometimes against the rules, in order to get what she wanted. Portias character was very determined and would do anything, even deceive others, so as to have things go her own way.
Firstly, Portia went out of her way to bend the rules when Bassanio came to Belmont in order to take the Casket Test. This was done to assist Bassanio in choosing the correct box. Portia made sure he would end up as her future husband. No matter what scenario it was, Portia insisted on changing the events to benefit her plan.
In addition, Portia tricked Shylock into sparing antonio's life. Once Bassanio left Portia, to help out Antonio, Portia realized that she needed to be there for him regardless of what happened. So she disguised herself as a man, Balthazar. In her disguise, Portia went to the court to dupe Shylock the Jew into not being able to kill Antonio. As it said in the play, because it was not in the rules, Shylock could not spill a drop of blood, while taking a pound of flesh. In result, Shylock agreed to let Antonio live. This only happened because Portia made sure of it.
Furthermore, Portia (still disguised as Balthazar) attempted to test Bassanio's love for her. Portia encouraged Bassanio to give the ring (given to him by Portia) to her as payment for her assistance. Although Bassanio would not give the ring up originally, Antonio convinced Bassanio to bring it to Balthazar later. Even though Portia did not plan for it to go that way, she was still able to prove to Bassanio that he was not a faithful husband and show that she would always get her way.
In conclusion, Portia seemed determined to have things go her way, even if it caused the misfortune of others. Whether it was facilitating Bassanios decision during the Casket Test, tricking Shylock into saving Antonios life, and finding out whether or not her husband was faithful; Portia still managed to control the events. I believe because of Portia's diligence, intelligence, and determination, she was able to do what ever she put her mind to and as a result, got everything she wanted.
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