Portia (The Merchant of Venice) Portia (The Merchant of Venice) Portia is the protagonist of William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice". A rich, beautiful, and intelligent heiress of Belmont, she is bound by the lottery set forth in her father's will, which gives potential suitors the chance to choose among three caskets. If he chooses the right casket, he wins Portia's hand in marriage. If he chooses the incorrect casket, he must leave and never seek another woman in marriage. She is said to be blonde and has curly hair. As Bassanio says to Antonio in (Act I scene I), she is more beautiful than
The Maori Merchant of Venice The Maori Merchant of Venice The Maori Merchant of Venice () is a 2002 New Zealand drama film in the Māori language (with English subtitles), directed by Don Selwyn. The play "The Merchant of Venice" was translated into Māori in 1945 by Pei Te Hurinui Jones, and his translation is used for the film. It is the first Māori-language film adaptation of any of William Shakespeare's plays. The film was shot in Auckland, but "recreate[d] 16th century Venice, with costumes and surroundings to fit the original setting". Almost all the film's actors are Māori, many of them acting for the