n just hand over everything including themselves, no questions asked, to a man they hardly know and yet willingly and happily marry. I have a hard time believing that women of his day did this duty so graciously.Portia’s portrayal of being such a strong figure and at the same time, a woman who is subservient to her times, makes me question whether Shakespeare really knew what was gong on in the minds of the Elizabethan women. Just the fact that he disguises his women characters up as men in order to bring them to higher levels, leads me to believe that he is just making it all up as he goes along. Don’t get me wrong, I love most of Shakespeare’s work. It’s just his female characters that I have a problem with.When reading Shakespeare it is easy to question what his motives might have been. Scholars have been doing this for centuries. We will never be sure as to whether or not Shakespeare was reflecting the times or his own feelings. One must keep in mind when reading Shakespeare that hs writings are not historically accurate and therefore most likely only reflect his views on things. I only hope that is the case, for I can’t imagine women ever being so passive. Could we have really been the passive beings that Shakespeare portrays women as, I seriously doubt it....
