Elizabeth I and Portia: Power, Virtue, and Governance

Introduction: Two Women of Power and Ambiguity

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.

Suitors and Desirability: Status and Selectivity

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.