Abstract
This article focuses on the drama between Antonio and Portia. Sometimes understood to embody the Christian willingness to lay down his life for his friend, Antonio is actually practicing the pagan virtue of munificence more than Christian charity. Likewise, Portia displays virtues that on the surface appear to be Christian but underneath are more appropriate to her Roman namesake. In her cunning, deft exploitation of Antonio's plight, Portia is able to subordinate Antonio, and his affection for her husband, to her own marital bliss. In this drama between her and Antonio, we see Shakespeare transposing Roman virtues to a Christian context where private happiness can be secured against threats from the outside world.
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