distorted_identity__mixed_genres_project_.mp3 |
Women like Portia in The Merchant of Venice tend to only crossdress as a last resort: the world they live in is so heavily centered around masculinity that assuming the role of the opposite sex is the only outlet they have to accomplish the goal they have set. The “death” of the masculine persona a character creates for herself is almost always inevitable, but this loss is only in exterior appearance. No matter how much or how little time they spend crossdressing, they will never be able to completely separate themselves from the alternate identity they’ve created if their actions had significant enough of an impact on those around them. The primary reason women like Portia crossdress is to leave enough of an impression to be taken more seriously even after their identity is revealed, but they are still not fully credited with their own achievements. From the perspective of the other characters, it was not necessarily Portia who aided Antonio in court, but rather Portia disguised as doctor Balthazar. It makes sense to commend going through such lengths to reach a goal, but the act of crossdressing on its own is treated as more of an extraordinary feat than the intent behind it.