Nerissa

Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice
In William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Nerissa doesn't have a major impact on any action in the play but plays as Portia's side kick. She lives on the island Belmont with Portia. She is Portia's handmaid, which means she understands that she will never have the money or popularity that Portia has, but they remain close friends despite these realizations. Nerissa advises Portia while she has doubts about her test to find a suitor. After Bassanio visits the island, Nerissa falls in love with Bassanio's friend, Gratiano. They get married before Gratiano heads back to Venice. Nerissa doesn't appear again until the scene in the courtroom where she plays as Stephano. Nerissa disguises as Balthazar's law clerk to help free Antonio of his debt. While in Venice, Nerissa, still disguised as Stephano, tricks Gratiano into giving her his ring, which he promised he would never part ways with, as payment for freeing Antonio. The play ends with Nerissa taunting Gratiano about giving his ring away before she reveals to him that she was the law clerk.

Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice
In Merchant of Venice, Nerissa is still friends with Portia and still her maid in waiting, but in this book, she is more sarcastic, more self-centred, and not as interested in Portia's well-being like in the play, Merchant of Venice.

- ×͜×Aᴅɪᴷᴵᴺᴳ×͜×

Gallery
Heather Goldenhersh as Nerissa                                                                                                                           in Michael Radford's "The                                                                                                                                      Merchant of Venice."

Reference List

 * 1) Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Ed. Leah S. Marcus. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.
 * 2) Moore, Christopher. The Serpent of Venice. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2014. Print.
 * 3) http://www.hotflick.net/flicks/2004_The_Merchant_of_Venice/004TMV_Heather_Goldenhersh_001.jpg