Question about the Merchant of Venice??

Question

How do you explain Portia's melancholy as scene ii opens?

Answer 1

Basically because she feels compelled to follow her father's will which seemingly leaves her with no control over key aspects her future. There's a lot of discussion on this topic with a little research. This might provide a helpful starting point:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/merc...