Use of Disguises in The Merchant of Venice

Dan Murphy
11/13/13
ENCC 102 AH
Presentation
The Importance of Disguise in the Merchant of Venice
Disguise, a common device used in Shakespeares plays, is all about exceeding normal
established limitations through deception. As humans, were naturally drawn to admire the idea
of disguises. The concept of disguises has been a strong interest because it allows one to be
someone theyre not and do things they normally cannot do. Performing arts, especially theatre,
have become so successful because of peoples natural fascination with disguise. By definition
actors use a disguise to tell a story. Often in a show, some characters will have some quirk or
wild personality, which the actor attempts to appropriately disguise themselves to fit.
Shakespeare made use of this connection between disguise and theatre, and used the
concept of deception in several of his plays. Shakespeare wrote several shows in which
characters disguise themselves as someone else either to do something they would normally be
unable to do or fool others. In Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare has characters cross-dress and
disguise themselves at two different points in the show. In Act Two, Jessica escapes Shylocks
house by dressing as a page, while in Act Four Portia and Nerissa rescue Antonio by posing as
officers of the Venetian court.
Shakespeare had several reasons to do so in Merchant of Venice, the first and foremost
being practicality. Since theatre at that time did not allow for females onstage, Shakespeares
company (as well as other companies at that time) only featured male actors. Female roles were
played by young prepubescent boys. Writing these female characters into disguising themselves
as male roles such as a page or clerk was merely practical since these roles were already being
performed by males.
The second reasoning Shakespeare had behind his use of disguise and cross-dressing was
following the storyline. Jessica would never have been able to leave home as herself, and
Shylock would have insisted on her staying home. Portia and Nerissa would have had no
authority in the court as their female selves. It was only when they disguised themselves as these
male pages or clerks that they were able to hold any authority, or find freedom to travel.
This power difference was another reason on its own that Shakespeare may have been so
interested in characters using disguises or cross-dressing. As an artist, it can be assumed
Shakespeare may have wanted to pose some commentary on political matters of the time, such as
the struggle for female power in a patriarchal society. Although no one knows where
Shakespeare himself stood on the views of gender roles, it can be assumed from the play that
Shakespeare believed it was an issue worth addressing. At the time, Shakespeare was living in a
predominantly patriarchal society. His interest in gender roles may have even been influenced
by Englands ruler at the time, Queen Elizabeth. Surprisingly, England was still very much a
patriarchal society during her reign. In a speech once, she even addressed her troops saying, I
know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a
king.
In the play, Shakespeare has these female characters cross the established lines of gender
roles and experience the power difference between men and women emotionally as well as
physically. Portia has a major character development throughout the play, especially during and
after she cross-dresses to save Antonio. In the start of the play, she follows the established
restrictions of a woman in her society, obeying her fathers wish and determining her future
husband through the use of the three caskets. Even though she knows Bassanio will make a great
husband and is definitely the one she wants to marry, she has him choose from the three caskets
as her father wished.
When Portia disguises herself as a man, it allows her to be an equal to her new husband
and gives her freedom from the restricted role women had in society. When Bassanio asks for
her hand in marriage, she initially takes on the submissive role expected of women at the time
and replies essentially giving control of herself as well as her household and fortune, but then
adds that if he loses the ring, he forfeits any claim he has over her, which takes Portia out of her
submissive role and essentially places her in a position superior to Bassanio.

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