In this passage, Shylock alludes to a story in the bible. Through alluding to this story, …show more content…
Through comparing him to a colt, Portia expresses how the prince is strong, but not necessarily intelligent. Furthermore, this point is demonstrated when Portia continues her explanation and comments on how the prince only talks about his horse. Another example of Portia expressing disdain is the last sentence, where Portia comments on how Portia believes the prince’s mother may have had an affair with a blacksmith. Combining the metaphor and the final insult, Portia clearly conveys her dislike of the Neopolitan …show more content…
Through phrases that evoke a negative response, Portia conveys her disdain through appealing to Nerissa’s emotions. For example, the first line refers to being an old maid, which is generally not pleasing. Furthermore, Portia delineates in the second part of the passage that the only pleasing aspect of the suitors is that the suitors are not currently in Belmont. All in all, by openly expressing dislike to being an old maid and the suitors, Portia appeals to Nerissa’s emotions to convince her of how unfair the situation