Mini Essay on Portia’s Speech about Mercy

Prompt:

Read and listen to Act 4 in The Merchant of Venice. Then write a brief one-paragraph essay that discusses three points Portia makes in her speech starting at line 184 about why mercy is so important.

During lines 184 to 194, Portia makes a speech about mercy in an attempt to persuade Shylock to show compassion towards Antonio. First, she claims that the act of showing mercy is a blessing for both the one shown mercy and the merciful. Secondly, she mentions mercy as the strongest trait amongst the strongest. Lastly, she regards mercy as more important than the scepter and power of a King. Portia compares the two, identifying a King’s scepter as his earthly power, whereas mercy is considered a Godly attribute greater than a King’s materialistic influence. She continues, explaining how a King is most like God when he acts with both justice and mercy. Portia concludes her speech stating that justice won’t save our souls. We pray to God for mercy who in turn teaches us to show mercy. Based on this concluding point, Portia explains that mercy is important because it is what allows us to experience eternal life with God. When she says “That in the course of justice none of us should see salvation”, Portia explains that if the fate of our afterlife depends on mere justice, none of us will receive salvation. Therefore it is only through mercy from God are we able to accept the gift of salvation. However, in Shylock’s case, mercy is important because you are shown the mercy you give. When Portia asks for Shylock’s mercy against Antonio, he refuses to show Antonio any. Thus when Shylock’s plan backfired and he was accused of attempted murder, Portia in exchange showed him no mercy. Not only did she reject Shylock his 3000 ducats, but she also sentenced him to the forfeiture of his job, possessions, and life. It was the duke and Antonio, both Christians, who showed Shylock a final bit of mercy and allowed him to live and keep half his estate if he converted into Christianity and gave up half his possession to Lorenzo, his son-in-law. 

Reflection:

Portia’s speech on mercy is arguably the most iconic scene in the Merchant of Venice. When I first started analyzing her speech, I was surprised by its persuasiveness and relevance to Christianity. Her points were valid, and the comparison she made between mercy and God correlated to Shylock and his Jewish religion. Albeit I did require help from Sparknotes, the actual writing of the piece wasn’t challenging as I was able to identify why Portia made her speech and the message she was trying to convey. Personally, I found Portia’s point about how mere justice won’t save our souls the most insightful.