Portia (The Merchant of Venice) original Portia Shakespeare drew from was Porcia Catonis, the wife of the Roman statesman Brutus. She was also compared to the wife of Brutus within the play in Act 1 scene 1 when Bassanio talks to Antonio. The strength of the role of Portia has made it attractive to many notable actresses. Frances Abington, Sarah Siddons and Elizabeth Whitlock all played Portia in the 18th century when actresses first started appearing on stage in performances of the play. More recently, the role has been depicted in the cinema and on television by a number of notable actresses such as Maggie
The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company The Country Wife Directed by Heather Nathans 2009 Cyrano de Bergerac Directed by Ian Gallanar 2009 Twelfth Night Directed by Jenny Leopold 2009 Julius Caesar Directed by Frank Moorman 2010 Lysistrata Directed by Ian Gallanar 2010 Much Ado About Nothing Directed by Ryan Whinnem 2010 Hamlet Directed by Ian Gallanar 2010 Titus Andronicus Directed by Kevin Costa 2011 Cymbeline Directed by Ian Gallanar 2011 A Midsummer Night's Dream Directed by Ian Gallanar 2011 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Directed by Scott Alan Small 2011 Our Town Directed by Ian Gallanar 2012 The Merchant of Venice Directed by Teresa