Portia, as several critics note, is a rendering of the ideal woman. As such, she is a portrait or symbol ofQueenElizabeth. Her intellect, her humor, and her views on marriage make her a complicated and intriguing character; and her speech on the Quality of Mercy (Act IV, Scene 1) contributes to her moral and ideal personality. The trick on her husband Bassanio with the ring, though, humanizes Portia: it makes her morerealistic.