The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare is set in Italy at the end of the 1500s. The play focuses on 4 main characters: Antonio, Bassanio, Shylock and Portia. Antonio is a Venetian merchant in love with his best friend. Bassanio is Antonio's best friend and Portia's husband. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender and is hated by the Venetians because of his religion. Finally there is Portia, a rich woman from Belmont. She is forced, by her father's will, to marry the suitor who will choose the right casket. Bassanio ends up being the lucky suitor and manages to marry Portia. Immediately after the wedding they receive the news of Antonio's imminent death sentence. Portia, being a loving wife, gives Bassanio money to pay the limit. He decides to disguise himself as a doctor named Balthasar and replaces Bellario, so he can defend Antonio. Balthasar's (Portia) duty is to look into the Duke's case and see if it is still valid. She wants to save Antonio from death because he is her beloved husband's best friend. In court, Portia demonstrates her intelligence and courage in ways that Italian society deems worthy. Portia's mercy and justice speech to Shylock explains to the court about mercy and how a good Christian man should act, indicating his devotion to Christianity. Portia, disguised as Balthasar, asks Antonio if he actually signed the contract and he confesses that he did. Portia begs Shylock to consider mercy, in which lies the king's terror and fear; but mercy is above this dominion of the scepter. He is enthroned in the hearts of kings; it is an attribute of God himself, and earthly power therefore shows itself to be more similar to God. It is when mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, though justice is your plea, consider... middle of the paper... Der's life lies in the Duke's mercy alone 'against all other voices. (4.1.362-375) Shylock's revenge is completely destroyed by Portia by further using the law Throughout The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare displays several stereotypes. The stereotypes of the suitors, women and Shylock are in the play for comedic effect, but today show how racist and discriminatory English society once was. The fact that Portia is a woman in Italian society does not prevent her from being as brave and intelligent as men. Women are not respected and are seen as property and Portia is more than a piece of property. She saved Antonio easily, but society neither cares nor appreciates her. If she had gone to court as a woman, no one would have listened to her or cared about what she had to say. Without Portia dressing as a man, Antonio would also have died.