In William Shakespeare's tale The Merchant of Venice and Richard III both plays show similar qualities as well as differences between the two plays. The Merchant of Venice and Richard III are similar in that both plays have independent women. These women are not afraid to speak up and lash out with harsh words towards those they don't like. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia never gives up. She has a very strong character and goes so far as to dress as a man and pretend to be a lawyer to save Antonio. The women of Richard III are also quite strong-willed and determined. They speak freely to whoever they want and are not afraid to express their opinion. Queen Margaret shows this confident attitude when she speaks saying, “What, were you all growling before I arrived, ready to grab each other by the throat and now turn all your hatred on me? Has the terrible curse of York so prevailed over heaven that the death of Henry, the death of my lovely Edward, the loss of their kingdom, my painful exile, could do nothing but answer for that peevish brat? Can curses pierce the clouds and enter the sky? Why then do you yield, O opaque clouds, to my rapid imprecations! Even if not by war, by excess your king dies, as ours by murder to make him king” (Act 1, scene 3, page 9). In both The Merchant of Venice and Richard III, some male characters want to marry women because it means they are gaining something in return. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia is rich, which makes her desirable in the eyes of others. They want to marry her because they will gain wealth they didn't have before or add to the wealth they already have. In Richard III, Richard kills powerful royal figures, to get closer to... ... middle of paper ... the ring belonged to his wife. This little information shows that Shylock is suffering inside and hasn't stopped. He wants the people around him to understand him, but he's still a horrible person for the things he says. Richard III and The Merchant of Venice are both manipulating plays in their own way. The reader knows that Richard is the bad guy, yet one can't help but find his words funny. These two stories show the reader the similarities of these two plays as they both have strong-willed female characters. The difference between a happy ending and a tragic ending can only be determined by one's interpretation. However it can be assumed that since Richard was eventually killed, this could lead to a happy ending because his reign of terror is over. However, because so many deaths occurred, one might assume otherwise and label this story a tragic story.