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 feature independent women. These women are not afraid to speak out and attack those they don't like with harsh words. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia never gives up. He is a very strong character and goes so far as to dress as a man and pretend to be a lawyer in order to save Antonio. The wives of Richard III are also quite strong-willed and determined. They speak freely to anyone they want and are not afraid to express their opinion. Queen Margaret shows this confident attitude when she speaks saying, “What, were you scolding before I came, ready to take you by the throat and now turn all your hatred on me? Has the terrible curse of York so prevailed in heaven that the death of Henry, the death of my adorable Edward, the loss of their kingdom, my lamentable banishment, could almost answer for this sullen kid? Can curses pierce the clouds and enter the sky? Well, yield yourselves, dark clouds, to my rapid curses! But not by war, but by excess, die your king, as ours by murder to make him a king” (Act 1, scene 3, page 9). In The Merchant of Venice and Richard III, some male characters want to get married. ladies because it means they gain something in return. In The Merchant of Venice, Portia is rich, which makes her desirable to others. They want to marry her because they will gain wealth they did not have before or add to the wealth they already have. In Richard III, Richard kills powerful royal figures, in order to get closer to... ... middle of paper ... his ring belonged to his wife. This little piece of information shows that Shylock is grieving inside and has not stopped. He wants the people around him to understand him, but he's still a horrible person for the things he says. Both Richard III and The Merchant of Venice manipulate plays in their own way. The reader knows that Richard is the bad guy, but we can't help but find his words entertaining. These two stories show the reader the similarities of these two plays in that they both have strong-willed female characters. The difference between a happy ending and a tragic ending can only be determined by one's own interpretation. However, it can be assumed that because Richard was ultimately killed, it could result in a happy ending as his reign of terror is over. Yet, given the large number of deaths that have occurred, one might assume otherwise and call this a tragic story..