In the play The Merchant of Venice, women's roles and responsibilities are a significant social issue proposed by Shakespeare. This theme is communicated by the only three female characters in the play: Nerissa, Portia and Jessica. For example, in Act 4 during the trial between Antonio and Shylock, Portia and Nerissa disguise themselves as Balthasar and Bellario to free their friend. However, Jessica also plays a minor role in portraying the independence of Jewish women in a Christian and Elizabethan society, successfully betraying her father, Shylock. These characters portray Shakespeare's general opinion of women, as well as modern audiences' view of Elizabethan society in many significant ways, accentuating themes, ideas, and contextual connections in the form of the play itself. An example of Shakespeare's view of women is that they were perceived as overly demanding and pompous individuals in Elizabethan society. This is conveyed by Portia's remarks “Let all her complexion so choose me” (2.7) when the Prince of Morocco chooses the golden casket. In this statement there is no remorse for her racist accusation, not even for the idea of ​​having criticized a prince as powerful as her. From this it can be argued that she is cruel, although this is fueled by her anxiety to find the perfect husband, as well as using it as a metaphorical warning to other potential suitors. Shakespeare uses Portia's arrogant and formidable personality to represent Elizabethan society's attitude towards foreign ethnicities. This is an idea that links to the religious conflict between Christianity and Judaism, therefore showing that in Elizabethan times the Christian population was thought to have had the responsibility... at the center of the card... result, this shows that women in Elizabethan society were more marginalized by their gender than by their religion, no matter how defiant or Christian they became. Throughout the play, The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare uses the theme of deception, as well as the unique female characters as props, to shape the idea that Elizabethan society had no place for a woman who could being an “active” individual in Elizabethan society. This infers that no matter how resilient and courageous the Elizabethan Jewish women were, but alone, as demonstrated by Jessica's initiative to leave her father, Shakespeare explicitly reflects that Elizabethan society was sexist and a male-dominated society. Alternatively, this also reflects how modern audiences perceive women today, because the plot of the play reiterates the idea that women are just as important as men surrounded by an egalitarian society..