Portia is one of the main character roles in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, and is often related to as the heroine of the play. Unlike the business city of Venice, her home is set in the contrasting city of Belmont, which represents love and harmony within the play. We are introduced to Portia in Act1 Scene1, when Bassanio describes her as "a fair lady, richly left," but we do not see her until Act1 Scene2. We learn that she has a close relationship with her waiting-woman, Nerissa, and she proves her sharp and witty character when they discuss her many...
strange accident I chanced on this letter." This quote indicates that Portia knew of this letter beforehand, yet she chose not to reveal it and to let the trial commence even though the letter could have prevented it. Her disguise as the lawyer was so successful that it is possible she could have planned her actions in advance, indicating that she engineered the trial to deliberately prove herself as the heroine. Manipulative or not, the audience still admire her, for her self-determination, her intelligence, and her spirited nature, and she still remains the heroine of "the Merchant of Venice."