Character in The Merchant of Venice
Portia ♀ female
589Lines Spoken
1.1First Scene
5.1Last Scene
22.1%Of Play Dialogue
Portia is the #1 role in The Merchant of Venice by line count (589 lines, 22.1% of the play), sharing the stage most often with Nerissa — 7 scenes together across Acts 1 to 5.
Portia’s position in the full cast
| # | Role | Lines | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portia (this role) | 589 | 22.1% |
| 2 | Shylock | 355 | 13.3% |
| 3 | Bassanio | 336 | 12.6% |
| 4 | Antonio | 189 | 7.1% |
| 5 | Lorenzo | 179 | 6.7% |
| 6 | Gratiano | 175 | 6.6% |
| 7 | Launcelot | 168 | 6.3% |
| 8 | Salarino | 104 | 3.9% |
| 9 | Morocco | 103 | 3.9% |
| 10 | Jessica | 86 | 3.2% |
Who Portia shares the stage with
| Scene partner | Shared scenes |
|---|---|
| Nerissa | 7 |
| Gratiano | 5 |
| Lorenzo | 4 |
| Bassanio | 4 |
| Jessica | 3 |
| Antonio | 3 |
| Salerio | 2 |
| Servant | 2 |
| Morocco | 2 |
| Salanio | 1 |
Voice signature
Opening line (Act 1, Scene 1): “By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of”
Longest speech (Act 3, Scene 2): “A thousand times more fair, ten thousand times more rich;”
Exit line (Act 5, Scene 1): “And we will answer all things faithfully.”
Every scene where Portia speaks
| Act / Scene | Lines spoken | Share of scene |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1, Scene 1 | 87 | 27.4% |
| Act 2, Scene 1 | 17 | 34.7% |
| Act 2, Scene 7 | 9 | 11.3% |
| Act 2, Scene 9 | 20 | 19.6% |
| Act 3, Scene 2 | 126 | 37.5% |
| Act 3, Scene 4 | 71 | 81.6% |
| Act 4, Scene 1 | 138 | 29.2% |
| Act 4, Scene 2 | 13 | 59.1% |
| Act 5, Scene 1 | 108 | 33.1% |
How Portia’s dialogue distributes across the play
Portia’s dramatic peak falls in Act 3 with 197 lines.
Other plays featuring a character named Portia
| Play | Lines |
|---|---|
| Portia in Julius Caesar | 92 |
Questions about Portia
Is Portia the lead role in The Merchant of Venice?
Portia is ranked #1 by line count among 23 speaking characters in The Merchant of Venice — carrying 22.1% of the play’s dialogue.
What is Portia’s longest scene?
Act 4 Scene 1, where Portia speaks 138 lines.
Who does Portia speak to the most?
Portia shares the most scenes with Nerissa — 7 scenes together across The Merchant of Venice.