In the merchant of venice act 3 scene 4,
1. What does Portia tell Lorenzo that she and Nerissa will do? What is their actual plan?
2. 1. How is Portia equipped to portray a man?
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Find the play, the act, and the scene you need and read carefully. The original Shakespearean English is in the left-hand column; modern-day English is in the right-hand column.
To find the answers to your questions, you can refer to Act 3, Scene 4 of "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare.
1. In Act 3, Scene 4, Portia tells Lorenzo that she and Nerissa will dress up as men and go to Venice. Their actual plan is to disguise themselves as young doctor-of-laws and his clerk. They intend to use this disguise to assist in the trial of Antonio, who is the titular merchant, and also Shylock's debtor.
2. To understand how Portia is equipped to portray a man, you can examine the text of the play. In the scene leading up to Act 3, Scene 4, Portia reveals that she possesses the necessary resources to convincingly portray a man. She says, "I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching." This suggests that she has studied and understands the art of acting. Additionally, she mentions that she possesses "cases of buckram" to pad her body and make it more masculine, and also has the ability to change her voice to sound like a man. These resources, combined with her intelligence and quick thinking, allow Portia to successfully take on the role of a man in the play.