Throughout Act IV, Shakespeare exposes Portia’s duplicity and manipulation when she disguises herself as a man. Portia tests the potency of Bassanio’s commitment to her when asking for his marital ring; furthermore, by giving away his ring, Bassanio reveals that his faithfulness to his wife is not significant enough to persuade him to keep his ring. Thus, when he returns to Belmont, Portia pretends to be both furious and disappointed in him. She proclaims, “I will become as liberal as you” (V.i. 226). Portia convinces Bassanio that she will become just as “liberal” or generous as he is. Her generosity includes giving away her body, which she mentions as a way to make Bassanio panic. She makes him believe that her faithfulness to their marriage is questionable, and the only alternative is for him to watch her closely. She says, “Watch me like Argus” to exaggerate that he must watch her as if he had one hundred eyes (V.i.230). She convinces Bassanio that she is capable of misbehaving, which ultimately persuades him to become more watchful of her. While Bassanio believes he must monitor Porita’s faithfulness, Portia inherits the ability to watch Bassanio more closely. Portia exposes early on that she is concerned about Bassanio’s faithfulness when she deceitfully asks for his ring, and Shakespeare publicizes that she uses manipulation to foster a committed marriage.
Jacky--An insightful examination of the forms that Portia's & Bassanio's relationship takes by the end of the play. The penultimate word seems a bit out of place, though, given the mutual distrust that you describe!
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