The Merchant of VeniceThe Analysis of Portia’s Speech (IV. i. 180-202)
... tries to solve the problem peacefully in this speech. She asks Shylock to be merciful.(IV. i. 188) As expected, Shylock despises the advice and demands good reasons. The logic followed by Portia is simply Christian, in which forgiveness is an important decree. Portia begged mercy for Antonio even though he has forfeited the bond because in Christianity, people should show mercy simply because they are human beings. This Christian idea is totally ridiculous to Shylock the Jew, but Portia is either expecting to be rejected or is blind to the truth of their difference in religion. She began the argument for her reason by giving Christian definition of mercy: 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.(IV. i. 180-185) In this quote Portia defines mercy according to morality. She believes in human kindness and thinks Shylock should repent. She thinks mercy is the bliss of human nature that gives blessing to both the giver and the receiver. Mercy is the transcendent value that can make a king great but not the secular power or authority. This reasonable speech, however, is totally like foreign language to Shylock, having no effect on him. But Portia goes on to give more accurate definition of mercy in Christianity: It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God’s When mercy seasons justice(IV. i. 191-193) Here Portia describes mercy as divine, God like. To Portia, it seems that there is no reason why Shylock should not be merciful. Totally forgetting Shylock’s identity as a Jew, she concluded: …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.(IV. i. 193-198) The mistake made by Portia here is exactly same to the failure argument the Duke holds against Shylock in line 88: “How shalt thou hope for mercy rend’ring none?” For the Christians, their ultimate hope is for God to show mercy to them when they go to heaven. They believe that sinners can rely on God’s saving grace to go to heaven; therefore they have to give mercy themselves as to be qualified enough to receive mercy. The statement Portia and the Duke make to persuade Shylock can be seen to be more like a threat than persuasion. By giving the warning that those who do not show mercy will not receive mercy in the Last Judgment, they expect Shylock to fear and turn to the resolution of giving mercy instead of sticking to justice. However, both of Portia and Duke are culturally blinded to the fact that Shylock is not regulated by Christian morals. The Christians expect the coming of Jesus and his mercy for salvation rather than adherence to the law, which is practiced by the Jews. Portia’s persuasion inevitably fails owing to her unawareness of this cultural difference, because of her religious, or Christian logic. As anticipated, Shylock turns down this non-convincing advise. At this point the conflict between Christians and Jews become apparent by their standing for mercy and justice separately. Although their different insistence on either mercy or justice is the result of different religion, the audiences at Renaissance period who agreed to the notion that most Jews were villains would probably interpret this outcome as the effect of the evil nature of Jews that is against Christians all the time. It is true that the reason why Shylock wants to have the pound of flesh of Antonio is out of his hatred against Christians, but why Shylock hates Antonio is caused by many different aspects of factors rather than the commonly believed ideology that the Jews are born to hate Christians. Some say it is because Antonio hinders Shylock’s living by being against usury that Shylock hates Antonio more deeply, and some say that Shylock’s hatred toward Christians is even deeper after his daughter eloped with Lorenzo the Christian. It seems that the distinct stances on mercy and justice is apparent before the turning point of Act Four where Portia starts quibbling, claiming that Shylock can not have the blood of Antonio when taking his flesh. However, as the plot goes on, the changing positions on mercy and justice and the outcome of Shylock makes this mercy-justice issue more complicated. The speech made by Portia between line 180 to 202 can be seen to be a trap that d...