How would the plays be different if Portia took Desdemona's place, and Desdemona took Portia's?

Question

1. Can you could help me to find some sources in internet about: Women in Shakespeare's dramas (the Merchant of Venice and the Tragedy of Othello).
Actually I am going to compare and contrast Portia and Desdemona for my research paper. Also I want to find out that how the plays would be different if Portia took Desdemona's place and Desdemona took Portia's. Therefore I think I have to know a lot about their characteristics.

2. what is your own answer to this question?

Answer 1

You could look on the Royal Shakespeare Company's website

www.rsc.org.uk

It's a strange question, you may need to add some more details. Do you mean in terms of their character spirit in a different situation? They are both strong characters although Portia is aware of her destiny or at least the path she is treading. Desdemona is unaware of events leading to Othello's madness and the fact that Iago is manipulating behind the scenes and so is oblivious to the reasons for her death. You'd have to understand that in order to create what would essentially be two completely different versions of the two tragedies.

Good Luck!

:o)

Answer 2

Actually since Shakespeare, the same person,wrote both plays, they would have been the same with just a different name for the character. I know, your teacher has forgotten that these ARE fictional characters, not real people with lives of their own, but if you tell her to get a grip you'll fail.
Portia probably wouldn't have married Othello in the first place, her dad wouldn't have let her. And she was too smart to marry someone so easily manipulated. At the very least she wouldn't have fallen for Iago's cheap little tricks.
She was a very assertive, aggresive person, as witness by that silly business with the ring; most men wouldn't take kindly to being used like that, especially as she does it in front of his best friend to show how much smarter she is than him. Nice, I don't think.
Desdemona seems to have married Othello to get away from home and rebel against her folks and the system, knowing her father liked O. but not as a son in law. She obviously likes or loves him but doesn't really understand what she's gotten into. A rich girl with a new, expensive toy. She wouldn't have been any help in the Merchant of Venice situation, she would just have sat there and wondered to her maid what was going to happen and probably swooned while Shylock killed his victim.

Answer 3

Portia is not the sort of weedy wimp who would just lie down on the bed and say : "Oh go on then, murder me, I understand.''. She was no door mat. She was ready to compete in a man's world and win.
And, if Desdemona had been Portia, Shylock would have had his pound of flesh and the court case would have gone very, very badly.

Answer 4

sry havent read about those