This essay establishes striking parallels between Queen Elizabeth I of England and Portia from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, arguing that despite historical ambiguity surrounding both figures, they were fundamentally virtuous leaders who made positive contributions to their societies. The paper examines their experiences with suitors, approaches to marriage and governance, use of religious rhetoric, and ability to unite different social classes. Through these four key similarities, the essay demonstrates that both women wielded their wealth and power with shrewd judgment and moral conviction, earning their reputations as beneficial forces in their respective worlds.
There are a number of striking similarities between Queen Elizabeth I of England and William Shakespeare's character Portia in The Merchant of Venice. Both women possessed considerable wealth and power; although Portia was not royalty, she was still a wealthy heiress in the city of Belmont. Because of the money and power associated with these women, they each attracted numerous suitors and experienced noteworthy encounters with men seeking their hands in marriage. Additionally, both became involved with law and governance—the Queen from a national perspective, Portia from a more modest, civil one. These aspects of their character have made them somewhat ambiguous historical and literary figures. Some scholars regard them as unambiguously good, while others believe they caused more harm than good. However, a critical examination of their lives and the parallels between them reveals that although both performed some questionable actions, they were fundamentally good people deserving of their reputations as positive contributors to their respective societies. Their experiences with suitors, their approaches to marriage, their use of rhetoric, and their formation of alliances among different social classes all demonstrate this thesis convincingly.
Both Queen Elizabeth and Portia had similar experiences with suitors attempting to win their hands in marriage. Partly due to their wealth and power, their encounters with prospective husbands were unusual compared to the experiences of average women. As Queen of England, Elizabeth attracted men from across Europe—both from within her native realm and from abroad. Portia's situation with suitors was unique because, as dictated in her father's will, she could only marry the man who correctly selected one of three caskets. Like Elizabeth, Portia also had numerous foreign suitors. In part, the large number of suitors each woman received reflects their own pickiness, partly attributable to their wealth and social standing. In this respect, these women had access to some of the most accomplished suitors available.
The many foreign suitors Elizabeth received included King Eric XIV of Sweden, Archduke Charles of Austria, Henry, Duke of Anjou, and Francis, Duke of Anjou. Over time, she would come to regard her citizens as "all my husbands, my good people" (Haigh 24). Before finally deciding to marry Bassanio, Portia entertained suitors such as the Prince of Morocco, the Prince of Aragon, and "The County Palatine" (Shakespeare Act I, Scene II). The titles and origins of all these foreign suitors testify to the beauty, wealth, and desirability of both Elizabeth and Portia, suggesting they were extraordinarily sought after women. Their desirability, together with the virtues that produced it—intelligence, physical beauty, and religious conviction—supports the view that they were fundamentally good people.
Both Portia and Queen Elizabeth faced significant challenges relating to marriage that further solidified their character as virtuous despite contrary opinions. Portia's situation was extraordinary in that immediately following her marriage, she traveled to Venice with her female companion "accoutred like young men" (Shakespeare, Act III, Scene IV) and helped decide the outcome of the play's central conflict—Antonio's fate after his ships were lost at sea and he cannot repay his debt to Shylock. In this way, Portia had to decide legal matters in a situation that indirectly involved her husband, since Antonio had borrowed money from Shylock specifically to provide a dowry for Bassanio's marriage to Portia. Although Portia had a vested interest in the matter, she strictly applied the law and issued a judgment in which not only was Antonio spared, but Shylock was also required to forfeit some of his wealth to Bassanio.
Queen Elizabeth's marriage situation was markedly different and centered on a controversial choice: as Queen of England, she never married, never named an heir, and never named a successor to her throne. This decision attracted considerable disfavor among several political factions who believed her unmarried state would lead to turmoil after her death—a fact that partly explains the ambiguity in her historical reputation. In reality, Elizabeth strategically maintained her status as an available woman to build diplomatic relationships with the nations represented by her noble suitors. She also refused to name a successor, stating that she would "never break the word of a prince spoken in a public place" (Doran 87), believing that naming an heir would make her vulnerable to assassination. Both Elizabeth and Portia navigated different marriage crises, yet each used these challenges to demonstrate shrewdness and moral clarity, supporting the view that they were fundamentally positive figures.
There are striking similarities in how Queen Elizabeth and Portia employed rhetoric, especially in matters of state and law. Both women possessed a passionate Christian faith that guided their actions when dealing with public concerns. Portia's religious conviction becomes apparent when she presides over the dispute between Shylock and Antonio, holding the former to the letter of the law regarding his claim to a pound of flesh. Before rendering her judgment, Portia urges Shylock to reconsider his demand for Antonio's death, using religious language and imagery as persuasive rhetoric. She specifically tells him:
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven...
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God himself,
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice (Shakespeare IV.i.1 179–186).
This religious rhetoric was equally characteristic of Queen Elizabeth, who is widely known for her work with the church in England. She indirectly helped establish the Church of England when, shortly after ascending to the throne, she created the first nationwide Protestant church and became its supreme leader. Her practice of using Christian faith as part of her secular governance is evident in a speech made shortly after her accession:
...the burden that is fallen upon me makes me amazed, and yet I am God's creature, ordained to obey His appointment, I will thereto yield, desiring from the bottom of my heart that I may have assistance of His grace to be the minister of His heavenly will in this office now committed to me. (Loades 36–37).
When assuming the throne, Elizabeth invoked Christianity and divine will to demonstrate her personal commitment to the office and its moral weight. Similarly, when deciding the dispute between Shylock and Antonio, Portia invoked God and mercy as means of urging compassion, implying her own commitment to justice. Both women demonstrate that their faith was not merely personal but integral to their exercise of power.
Another crucial parallel between Queen Elizabeth and Portia is their ability to reconcile the interests of the merchant class with those of the nobility. Because Elizabeth was a historical figure and Portia a fictional one, Elizabeth was able to achieve this unity in practice while Portia achieved it symbolically. In The Merchant of Venice, Bassanio represents the aristocracy (despite lacking title or noble lineage) because he marries into wealth through Portia. Significantly, his means of winning Portia comes through Antonio, a merchant who secures the loan Bassanio uses as a dowry. Although Portia has married Bassanio, there is a meaningful unity among all three characters—particularly evident at the play's end when Portia's legal work ensures Antonio survives with his merchant fleet intact. The alliance among Portia (representing the state), Bassanio (the nobility), and Antonio (the merchant class) is reflected in this exchange:
I thank you, madam. Give welcome to my friend
This is the man, this is Antonio,
To whom I am infinitely bound.
Portia
You should in all sense be much bound to him.
For, as I hear, he was much bound to you. (Shakespeare Act V, Scene I).
This symbolic synthesis was realized in actual fact under Elizabeth's reign. Elizabeth represented the state itself, and her work with the Protestant church unified her with the aristocracy and broader England. Elizabeth and her nobles actively supported the merchant class and related enterprises, such as the exploratory and privateering efforts of Sir Francis Drake, which brought economic, military, and imperial gains. She alluded to this cooperative vision in her coronation speech, expressing her desire that "I with my ruling and you with your service may make a good account to Almighty God" (Loades 37). These national gains resulted directly from unity among the state, nobility, and merchant class—the same synthesis symbolized in The Merchant of Venice and reflecting the practical benefit both women created through their power and position.
"Both reconciled interests of different social classes"
Haigh, Christopher. Elizabeth I. Longman Pearson, 2000.
Loades, David. Elizabeth I: The Golden Reign of Gloriana. The National Archives, 2003.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. 1596, shakespeare.mit.edu/merchant/full.html.
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