Shakespeare uses similar comic elements to effect similar outcomes in his works. Many of his plays utilize trickery and disguise to accomplish similar endings. Trickery plays a major role in The Merchant of Venice and drives most of the action, while mistaken identity, specifically Portia's disguise as the 'learned attorney's' representative, plays a major role in the resolution of the play. The first instance of trickery in the play is Bassanio's plan to present himself …showed first 75 words of 2196 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2196 total…Kernan. San Diego: HBJ, 1970. 165-173. Oz, Avraham. The Doubling of Parts In Shakespearean Comedy: Some Questions of Theory and Practice. Shakespearean Comedy. Ed. Maurice Charney. New York: New York Literary Forum, 1980. 175-184. Rossiter, A.P. Much Ado About Nothing. William Shakespeare: Modern Critical Views: Comedies & Romances. Ed. Harlod Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 163-176. Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. Baltimore: Penguin, 1959. Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Washington Square Press, 1964.