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 …
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…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.