(i) Lorenzo and Porita are in a room of Portia’s house in Belmont. Portia makes a sudden resolve to hasten to Venice with a daring scheme for the rescue of Antonio. She wants to take Nerissa with her, so she asks Lorenzo to hold the responsibility and management of the house until her husband returns. Lorenzo is at once ready to obey her honourable command with all his heart.
(ii) On hearing about Antonio’s troubles on account of Bassanio, her husband, Portia immediately sends him, with enough gold to reprey the debts many times over, to Venice to help Antonio out of his misfortune. After Bassanio’s departure Lorenzo praises Portia’s noble gesture and adds that if Portia, learns how nice, kind, generous and true Antonio to whom she has sent help, she will be more proud than she is now.
(iii) Portia tells Lorenzo that she has made a solemn vow to heaven to live in prayer and meditation, in only Nerissa’s company. She adds that there is a monastery two miles from here and there they will live. Actually she is going to the court of the Duke in Venice to rescue Antonio from the cruel trap of Shylock.
(iv) Portia, before setting out on her journey to Venice, orders Balthazar to take the letter and go as fast as a man is capable in getting to Padua. She asks him to give the letter to her cousin, Dr. Bellario and whatever papers and robes he may give him, he must bring them at once with all possible speed to the public ferry, over which the trade route to Vienna passes. She also orders him to waste no time in talking but go at once because she will be there before he arrives.
(v) Portia tells Nerissa that they are going to meet their husbands much sooner than they can ever expect to meet them. Nerissa, of course, does not understand what Portia means. Portia further says that they are going to change their female dress for the male dress. She adds that she will be able to present a smarter person than Nerissa in the male drees, because she will put on her knife and the belt more skilfully than Nerissa, and she will put on much greatef airs as a male personality than Nerissa can possible imitate. While speaking to Nerissa, Portia seems to be in a mood of making mischief.
