perform vs portray

perform

verb
  • To behave theatrically so as to give the impression of (a quality, character trait, etc.); to feign. 

  • To fulfill contractually agreed-to terms. 

  • To exhibit an expected pattern of behavior; to function; to work. 

  • To act in accordance with (a contract); to fulfill one’s terms of (a contract). 

  • To do (something); to execute. 

  • To do (something) in front of an audience, such as acting or music, often in order to entertain. 

  • To behave in accordance with, and thereby in turn shape, (a social notion or role). 

  • To behave in ways that carry meaning in social contexts. 

portray

verb
  • To play a role; to depict a character, person, situation, or event. 

  • To describe in words; to convey. 

  • To paint or draw the likeness of. 

  • To represent by an image or look. 

How often have the words perform and portray occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )