JUSTICE AND MERHCANT OF VENICE COMPARISON STUDY

Portia and Frome are incredibly distinct but also very similar. There are many similarities and
differences between them. Portia is a powerful character. Frome being one of the minor character
in the play but an extremely prominent one.

Portia pleaded the case of Antonio against the court. She wanted that Antonio should be saved at
any cost. She was very intelligent. The Duke was the judge in the trial. Portia was fully prepared.
First of all she tried her best that Shylock should forgive Antonio. She appealed to show mercy
on him. She told him the qualities of mercy and proved that mercy is a Divine quality and the
man who shows mercy is remembered and worshipped like God. But Shylock did not move a
little and was adamant on his demand of a pound of flesh according to the bond. Then very
skillfully and confidently Portia allowed him to make the flesh and asked Antonio to be ready.
When Shylock wanted to pierce the knife into Antonio’s chest she warned him with a condition
“According to Bond you have full right to take the flesh but without shedding even a single drop
of blood otherwise all your wealth will be confiscated by the state. ‘Now Shylock was helpless.
He recoils and asks for mercy. He is pardoned by the Duke conditionally. Thus I can say that it is
the skill virtue and intelligence of Portia which saved the life of Antonio and taught a lesson to
Shylock. Her impersonation of a lawyer was so convincing that it's conceivable she planned her
actions ahead of time, implying that she staged the trial to prove herself as the heroine. Whether
manipulative or not, the audience admires her for her self-determination, cleverness, and
vivacious character, and she continues to be the Merchant of Venice's heroine. Another example
to show that Portia is quick witted is her performance in the courtroom where she appears as a
lawyer for Antonio, Bassanio’s good friend. Antonio had pledged his life to the moneylender
Shylock to raise money for Bassanio to go and try his luck in winning Portia’s hand. Even
Bassanio did not recognize his wife in court. While Portia talks about mercy to the moneylender,
she also agreed that it was only fair that Shylock took a pound of flesh from Antonio’s body as
his payment per the agreement. However, she challenged him to do so without shedding a single
drop of blood as the agreement did not allow for Antonio to lose blood. Portia easily wins the
case using the exact law terms without having any legal training or prior experience as a lawyer.

Frome being one of the minor character in the play but an extremely prominent one. Frome does
mount a very strong defense for Falder in the play. His speech is often cited for its eloquence,
and for its historically important espousing of empathetic legal treatment for a man whose guilt
is not in question. The Trial Scene in both the play sets the play in motion. The play is really
important related to the Trial Scene which concretises the conflict between two abstract forces of
antagonism—law versus humanity in both . Frome and are Portia are so similar that they
sympathize and see things with a humanistic lens. Frome argues that Falder has not intentionally
committed the forgery it is because of temporary madness that he alters the cheque. His is a
simple crime but the punishment given to him is more than what he actually deserves. Hector
Frome, the advocate of Falder in the play, is a mouthpiece of Galsworthy. His argument in the
play clearly exhibits Galsworthy’s humanistic faith that the convict must be treated as a patient
and not a criminal. Frome argues that Falder has not intentionally committed the forgery it is
because of temporary madness that he alters the cheque. His is a simple crime but the
punishment given to him is more than what he actually deserves. Frome being the advocate of is
a very balanced and righteous advocate.

The situation for Portia was purely out of love, she had no affiliation with Antonio yet she took
the risk of disguising herself and appearing in court only because of how much she loved
Bassanio and she was aware that Antonio was truly cherished by Bassanio. In the case of Frome,
he was appointed as the counsel of the defendant, it was his job or duty to attempt and win the
case in favour of Falder, there was no cordial relationship between Falder and Frome, it was a
mere professional agreement.

ALTERNATE ENDING

The detective arrives to arrest Falder .His last hope was also been taken away from him he didn’t
understand what to do where to go ,he could clearly see the detective running towards him he
thought this is is the end of him and the story of his beloved.He saw the policeman rushing in.
The detective raced in and was taken aback when he couldn't find the folder anywhere only a
stunned Ruth standing numb and sweating the detective looked back and forth of the
room ,outside the window everywhere then finally threatened Ruth shouting “where is Falder
you better tell me otherwise you and your lover wouldn’t see the light tomorrow .Stunned and
scared by the threatening she replied with trembling voice “I don’t know please leave me alone’’
.Then the detective noticed a door at the corner of the room he opened hastily to his surprise it
was a door leading to the backyard. He dashed out the door in pursuit of Falder, but despite
hours of searching, he was unable to locate him. He reasoned that Folder couldn't have gone far
and must be hiding someplace nearby, but looking for him at night would be a waste of time and
energy.

Ruth was seen running towards the railway station where they had agreed to meet and evacuate
the city. Meeting Ruth was like getting a lungful of air after almost drowning, the rush of relief
and happiness he felt from holding the longest, yet shortest, conversation he has had so far in the
past few weeks was ravishing. When she arrived, Falder was already there with his children
ready to leave. But, to her astonishment, she noticed the detective approaching them, and she
promptly signaled Folder, who jumped inside the train's next compartment with his children, and
Ruth followed suit. The investigator was spotted after the train for quite some time but was
unable to catch up with it, and they eventually escaped after all the turmoil.An unaccomplised
detactive heading back to his office his officials welcomed him with a suspension for a year. The
detective was the only sole earner of his family with an ill mother and a disabled father . He
couldn’t afford a year suspension without his job his family would go into poverty he pleaded the
officials but this was a prestige case for the office so they decided to go with the punishment .

Right after a month his mother passed away as he couldn’t afford her medicines or treatment .He
had to leave his father at an old age home to take care of his health condition and the detective
decided to get back to the case that pushed the detective to an deepest pit in his life. The
detective got an information from the railway station that the train boarded by Falder was a train
to South America .He headed to South America with the little money he borrowed from his
friend. The detective got the address from one of his friend who is a detactive as well in South
America.He decided to head to Falder’s house at the same very night.

It was a Friday night , the moon was giving away light . Falder was eating in his house with his
children . Hardly had he finished eating when he heard someone shout. He left the hall and
checked his door. He saw that his door was broken. He came in and saw the body of Ruth lying
on the floor. When he turned back, he briefly saw someone rushing out of the house. He started
to run after him but couldn't unfortunately catch him. He could see the assailant, and upon closer
inspection, he realised it was the detective assigned to apprehend him.He came back to see Ruth
is breathing and has her pulse active .He rushed her to the hospital but couldn’t save her .Ruth
took her last breathe in the arms of the love of her life .A devasted Folder walk on the empty
road without any direction and without any destination to reach.