Character Profile- Nerrisa Flashcards
How is Nerrisa a voice of reason?
Nerrisa is Portia’s lady in waiting and close friend. When she is introduced in Act 1, scene 2, several of her lines sound like proverbs which are popular sayings that express the common truth. This makes her seem wise. As Portia’s parents are dead, Nerrisa is her main source of advice. She reminds Portia that her “good fortunes” outweigh her “miseries” and reassures her that she will find a worthy husband
How is Nerrisa close to Portia?
Nerrisa shows her dedication to Portia by disguising herself as the Lawyer’s clerk to help her save Antonio. Nerrisa puts Portia’s happiness before her own. She won’t get married unless Portia does as well and checks that Portia agrees with her match before doing so. The only time that Nerissa and Portia speak in prose to each other is in Act 1 scene 2 which suggests they are comfortable with one another. Nerrisa and Portia’s close relationship is emphasised by the way that Nerrisa mirrors Portia’s character as they both find husbands and trick them into giving away their wedding rings
How does Nerrisa demand loyalty from Gratiano?
Nerrisa’s relationship with Gratiano reveals more about her personality as she’s playful and determined. She gains control in the relationship by tricking him. She gets him to give away the ring he had earlier sworn to “keep forever” before telling him off for supposedly giving it off to another woman. During the play Nerrisa isn’t seen to show much emotion which makes her outburst at Gratiano even more powerful. When Nerrisa criticises Gratiano for giving away his ring and claims to have cuckholded him, she provides some much more needed comic relief for the audience which adds to the light-hearted atmosphere of Act 5 Scene 1
