Summary of The Quality Of Mercy By William Shakespeare:


About the poet:
William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor,considered the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called the national poet of England , mostly known as the "Bard of Avon". His oeuvre, including collaborative projects, consist of nearly 39 plays,154 sonnets , two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of dubious authorship. His plays have been translated into almost every major language..
About the Poem:
"The quality of mercy" is a quote by  Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, occurs during Act 4, Scene 1, set in a Venetian Court of Justice. It is the famous speech where Portia begs Shylock for having mercy on the Merchant. The speech is regarded as one of the greatest speeches in Shakespeare’s entire  literary works.
Summary:The speaker (Portia) justifies the fact that the quality of mercy is not strained if it is showered upon the people who remain beneath the status of that person. She gives the example of the rain that drops downwards from heaven. Mercy blesses both who offers mercy and the one who receives it. Therefore, in a way, it is doubly blessed. It obtains utmost power when a person having the capability to provide mercy grants it to the people of inferior rank .For a monarch; it is more indispensable than his crown. A monarch’s sceptre, the embodiment of the awe and majesty wields temporal power. But if mercy is enthroned in the heart of a king, it is an attribute to God himself. Seemingly, the earthly power is then equated with the power of God, when justice is guided by mercy. Therefore, Jew (Shylock), no doubt justice is your aim, but if everyone is judged without mercy, none of us could be acquitted. We all pray for mercy and that prayer inspires us to perform an act of mercy. I have said all this to extenuate the merchant’s offence. If you insist on your plea of rigid justice, the Venetian court will definitely give the verdict against the Merchant.


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