Jessica's Elopement
The audience becomes privy to Jessica's plan to elope with Lorenzo long before Shylock finds out. Indeed, Jessica's fleeing Venice occurs while Shylock is dining with Bassanio. In a moment of dramatic irony, the audience is aware that Shylock will lose his daughter at the same time he plans to gain new "flesh" in the form of Antonio's repayment.
Portia's and Nerissa's Disguises
When a Venetian officer and doctor appear in the trial scene in Act Four, the audience knows that the two characters are really Portia and Nerissa in disguise. That the other characters are so easily manipulated by the two "men" underscores Portia's earlier point that masculinity is in many ways only a performance of power rather than a reality.
Bassanio's Sacrifice
During the trial, Bassanio admits that he would sacrifice his wife, Portia, in order to free his friend, Antonio, from his contract with Shylock. Of course, Bassanio is unaware that he is admitting this in front of Portia, who is disguised as the doctor "Balthazar" and who will test Bassanio's loyalty to her by asking for the ring she gave him in Belmont.
Portia's Ring
At the end the play, when Portia confronts Bassanio about how he gave away her ring, he pleads with her to understand that he gave it to someone very important and that it was painfully difficult for him to part with it. Bassanio does not know that the person he happily gave the ring to was his wife in disguise, and Portia is able to use her revelation of the ring as a testament to her power over her husband.
