The
quality of mercy is not strained;
It
droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the
place beneath. It is twice blest;
It
blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘T is
mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The
throned monarch better than his crown:
His
sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The
attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein
doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy
is above this sceptred sway;
It is
enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an
attribute to God himself;
And
earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy
seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though
justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in
the course of justice, none of us
Should see
salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that
same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds
of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To
mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if
thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs
give sentence ‘gainst the merchant there.
Summary: 'Portia at Court' is a poem written by
William Shakespeare in 'The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I'. Here the poet tries his level best to show the importance
and greatness of mercy. Portia, the protagonist, tries to make the Jew
understand the necessity or significance of mercy in human life. She told that
mercy is a heavenly quality and the people who will show this to their fellow
beings are also great and blessed by the God, the Creator of the Universe.
Thus, we see that the magnanimity of mercy is shown by the poet in the poem
very successfully through the earnest appeal of Portia.
