Please help me regarding this qn on the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare! Thanks :))?

Question

In Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 4, where Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as men to save Antonio, what are the literary devices used that generate humour among the audience? This is apart from the fact that in Shakespearean theatres, young males used to the play the roles of woman, so male disguising themselves as males again makes it funny. But what else? :/ 
Help me please thanks :)

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

there are 4 free study guides here to help you

http://www.antistudy.com/search.php?title=merchant+of+venice

i would suggest you concentrate on the way that Portia effectively ties shylock in knots and leaves him dependant on the duke for pardoning his life and antonio for the "forfeited" money - bear in mind that anti-semitism was rife in England at the time and seeing a Jew tricked out of his goods like that would have been a hoot in itself

Please help me regarding this qn on the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare! Thanks :))?

1 Answer