Return to Elementary Literature 7
The quality of mercy is not strain’d.
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.
‘Tis 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 the sceptred sway;
It is enthroned 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.
—From The Merchant of Venice
Questions for Study
- In what sense has the one who gives mercy the greater blessing? Why is mercy greater than kingly power? Is it equally beautiful in the lowly and in the mighty?
- What sentence in the Lord’s Prayer is suggested by the last lines? Is it wise that we should demand only justice for ourselves but temper our own justice with mercy?
- Why do you think this is one of the most widely known and quoted passages in literature?
Return to Elementary Literature 7
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