Summarize the opinions of Portia regarding her suitors other than Bassanio.
Portia, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, expresses very little enthusiasm for any of her suitors other than Bassanio. She is bound by her father's casket game and is openly critical of those who come to try their luck. Here's a summary of her opinions:
-
The Neapolitan Prince:
She finds him obsessed with his horse and overly concerned with his own abilities, calling him "a colt indeed, for he doth nothing but talk of his horse."
-
County Palatine:
She criticizes his constant frowning, implying he's overly serious and unpleasant. She says that he does nothing but frown, as though he were determined to live up to his rank.
-
Monsieur Le Bon:
Portia mocks his attempts to imitate the behaviors of all the other suitors, finding him to be without any distinct personality of his own. "God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man."
-
Falconbridge, the young Baron of England:
She notes his lack of a common language and finds him poorly dressed. She suggests he is unable to communicate and lacks style. "You know I say nothing to him, for he understands not me, nor I him."
-
The Scottish Lord:
She criticizes his tendency to be easily influenced by the English baron and suggests that he may be a coward. She jokes about him getting hit by the Englishman.
-
The Duke of Saxony's nephew:
She dislikes his drunkenness, fearing that if she married him, she would have to constantly endure his inebriated state.
In essence, Portia finds fault with all of them, highlighting their various flaws and peculiarities, and making it clear that she has no genuine interest in any of them.
Source: SparkNotes on The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, scene 2