Compare and contrast Portia of The Merchant of Venice with Viola of Twelfth Night.

One of the main similarities between Portia of The Merchant of Venice and Viola of Twelfth Night is that both characters disguise themselves as men to gain access to spheres in society formerly forbidden to women. For instance, Portia disguises herself as a male lawyer in order to gain admittance to the court, successfully argue in defense of Antonio, and save the day. Along the same lines, Viola disguises herself as a boy in order to gain employment with Orsino, Duke of Illyria. As such, both women use male disguises to their own advantage.

One major difference between the two women is the manner in which they find love. While Portia enjoys the direct attention of Bassanio (not to mention several other suitors, who aren't so lucky), Viola spends most of the play ignored by Orsino, who is in love with Olivia and doesn't notice Viola until the end of the play. As such, Portia is able to find love relatively early in the play, while Viola must wait much longer to win Orsino's love.