What is 'Mercy'?
Wikipedia-
In a legal sense, a defendant having been found guilty of a capital crime may ask for clemency from being executed.
To be "mercy", the behavior generally can not be compelled by outside forces. A famous literary example that alludes to the impact of the ethical components of the mercy on the legal aspects is from The Merchant of Venice when Portia asks Shylock to show mercy. He asks, "On what compulsion, must I?" She responds:
"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."
- Mercy is 'Kindness or pity shown in not punishing or harming a wrongdoer or enemy etc.
- Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
- A disposition to be kind and forgiving: a heart full of mercy.
- Something for which to be thankful; a blessing: It was a mercy that no one was hurt.
- Alleviation of distress; relief: Taking in the refugees was an act of mercy.
In a legal sense, a defendant having been found guilty of a capital crime may ask for clemency from being executed.
To be "mercy", the behavior generally can not be compelled by outside forces. A famous literary example that alludes to the impact of the ethical components of the mercy on the legal aspects is from The Merchant of Venice when Portia asks Shylock to show mercy. He asks, "On what compulsion, must I?" She responds:
"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."
- Mercy is 'Kindness or pity shown in not punishing or harming a wrongdoer or enemy etc.
- Compassionate treatment, especially of those under one's power; clemency.
- A disposition to be kind and forgiving: a heart full of mercy.
- Something for which to be thankful; a blessing: It was a mercy that no one was hurt.
- Alleviation of distress; relief: Taking in the refugees was an act of mercy.
Quotes:
"But fare thee well; there is a ducat for thee." - Jessica 2.3
This Links to when Lancelot says how badly he was treated by Shylock
(Jessicas Father) when he worked for him. Jessica understands and shows him
mercy even though he is leaving to work for shylocks opposition.
She gives him money.
"I am sorry for thee. Thou art come to answer
A stoney adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy." - Duke 4.1
"Make room, and let him stand before our face.--
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead’st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act, and then ’tis thought
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty,
And where thou now exacts the penalty--
Which is a pound of this poor merchant’s flesh--
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture
But—touched with human gentleness and love,--
Forgive a moiety of the principal,
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses
That have of late so huddled on his back
Eno' to press a royal merchant down
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars never trained
To offices of tender courtesy.
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew." - Duke 4.1
"How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none?" - Duke 4.1
"Then must the Jew be merciful" - Portia 4.1
"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.
'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 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. 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. " - Portia 4.1
This Links to when Lancelot says how badly he was treated by Shylock
(Jessicas Father) when he worked for him. Jessica understands and shows him
mercy even though he is leaving to work for shylocks opposition.
She gives him money.
"I am sorry for thee. Thou art come to answer
A stoney adversary, an inhuman wretch
Uncapable of pity, void and empty
From any dram of mercy." - Duke 4.1
"Make room, and let him stand before our face.--
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead’st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act, and then ’tis thought
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty,
And where thou now exacts the penalty--
Which is a pound of this poor merchant’s flesh--
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture
But—touched with human gentleness and love,--
Forgive a moiety of the principal,
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses
That have of late so huddled on his back
Eno' to press a royal merchant down
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars never trained
To offices of tender courtesy.
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew." - Duke 4.1
"How shalt thou hope for mercy, rend'ring none?" - Duke 4.1
"Then must the Jew be merciful" - Portia 4.1
"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.
'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 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. 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. " - Portia 4.1
Translations:
I feel sorry for you.
You’ve come to face a ruthless enemy,
an inhuman wretch incapable of pity,
without any feelings of mercy.
Make room, and let him stand before our face.--
Shylock, the world thinks, and I think so too,
That thou but lead’st this fashion of thy malice
To the last hour of act, and then ’tis thought
Thou'lt show thy mercy and remorse more strange
Than is thy strange apparent cruelty,
And where thou now exacts the penalty--
Which is a pound of this poor merchant’s flesh--
Thou wilt not only loose the forfeiture
But—touched with human gentleness and love,--
Forgive a moiety of the principal,
Glancing an eye of pity on his losses
That have of late so huddled on his back
Eno' to press a royal merchant down
And pluck commiseration of his state
From brassy bosoms and rough hearts of flint,
From stubborn Turks and Tartars never trained
To offices of tender courtesy.
We all expect a gentle answer, Jew.
How can you ever hope for mercy for yourself, when you don’t give any now?
Then the Jew must show you mercy.
No-one shows mercy because he has to. It just
happens, the way gentle rain drops on the ground.
Mercy is a double blessing. It blesses the one who
gives and the one who recieves it. Its the strongest in
the strongest people. It looks better in a king then his
own crown looks on him. The kings scepter
represents his earthly power, the symbol of his magesty,
the focus of royal authority. But mercy is higher then the
scepter. Its enthroned in the hearts of kings, a
quality of God himself. Kingly power seems most like
God's power when the king mixes mercy with justice.
So although justice is your plea, Jew consider this.
Justice won’t save our souls. We pray for mercy,
and this same prayer teaches us to show mercy to others as well.
I’ve told you this to make you give up this case.
If you pursue it, this strict court of Venice will need to carry out
the sentence against the merchant there.
Quotations Showing Mercy (With Descriptions)
PORTIA - 4.1
"Why, this bond is forfeit.
And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off
Nearest the merchant's heart. (To Shylock) Be merciful.
Take thrice thy money. Bid me tear the bond."
Translation:
The money wasn’t paid back!
And so the Jew may lawfully claim a pound of flesh nearest the merchant’s heart,
to be cut off by him.—But please have mercy.
Take three times your money. Tell me to tear up this contract.
PORTIA - 4.1
"Tarry, Jew,
The law hath yet another hold on you,
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,
If it be proved against an alien
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,
The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state,
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice -
In which predicament I say thou stand'st;
For it appears by manifest proceeding
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant, and thou hast incurred
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke."
Translation:
Wait a minute, Jew. The law has another hold on you.
The laws of Venice state that if a foreign resident directly or indirectly
attempts to kill any citizen, the person he tried to kill will receive one half of the foreigner’s goods.
The other half goes to the state. Whether the offending person lives or dies is up
to the duke—there’s no one else to appeal to. In your predicament you’ve earned that punishment,
because you’ve clearly contrived indirectly—and directly too—to take the life of the defendant.
So get down on your knees and beg mercy from the duke.
DUKE - 4.1
That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit,
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio’s.
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.
Translation:
I want you to see the difference between us,
so I pardon you even before you ask for a pardon.
Half of your wealth goes to Antonio.
The other half goes to the state.
However, if you show a proper humility,
I may reduce this penalty to a fine.
PORTIA - 4.1
"What mercy can you render him Antonio?"
Translation:
What mercy can you show him, Antonio?
The Theme of Mercy Within the Merchant of Venice - http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/merchant/themes.html
The Divine Quality of Mercy
The conflict between Shylock and the Christian characters comes to a head over the issue of mercy. The other characters acknowledge that the law is on Shylock’s side, but they all expect him to show mercy, which he refuses to do. When, during the trial, Shylock asks Portia what could possibly compel him to be merciful, Portia’s long reply, beginning with the words, “The quality of mercy is not strained,” clarifies what is at stake in the argument (IV.i.179). Human beings should be merciful because God is merciful: mercy is an attribute of God himself and therefore greater than power, majesty, or law. Portia’s understanding of mercy is based on the way Christians in Shakespeare’s time understood the difference between the Old and New Testaments. According to the writings of St. Paul in the New Testament, the Old Testament depicts God as requiring strict adherence to rules and exacting harsh punishments for those who stray. The New Testament, in contrast, emphasizes adherence to the spirit rather than the letter of the law, portraying a God who forgives rather than punishes and offers salvation to those followers who forgive others. Thus, when Portia warns Shylock against pursuing the law without regard for mercy, she is promoting what Elizabethan Christians would have seen as a pro-Christian, anti-Jewish agenda.
The strictures of Renaissance drama demanded that Shylock be a villain, and, as such, patently unable to show even a drop of compassion for his enemy. A sixteenth-century audience would not expect Shylock to exercise mercy—therefore, it is up to the Christians to do so. Once she has turned Shylock’s greatest weapon—the law—against him, Portia has the opportunity to give freely of the mercy for which she so beautifully advocates. Instead, she backs Shylock into a corner, where she strips him of his bond, his estate, and his dignity, forcing him to kneel and beg for mercy. Given that Antonio decides not to seize Shylock’s goods as punishment for conspiring against him, we might consider Antonio to be merciful. But we may also question whether it is merciful to return to Shylock half of his goods, only to take away his religion and his profession. By forcing Shylock to convert, Antonio disables him from practicing usury, which, according to Shylock’s reports, was Antonio’s primary reason for berating and spitting on him in public. Antonio’s compassion, then, seems to stem as much from self-interest as from concern for his fellow man. Mercy, as delivered in The Merchant of Venice, never manages to be as sweet, selfless, or full of grace as Portia presents it.
Mercy in another context. Gods Mercy for man.
Gods Mercy for man is another story of mercy that could possibly relate to this story. it relates because Shylock is a Jew and therefore would know of God's mercy.
Eph 2:3-5 (NIV) ...Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
· A good way to understand the meaning of mercy is to see how it relates to grace:
MERCY is God withholding the punishment we deserve because of our sinfulness. The consequences of sin is death, yet Jesus paid this penalty for us.
If it wasn’t for God’s mercy you would not be here. We are deserving of judgment, of destruction, punishment and condemnation.
FIST SIN – Adam and Eve ate of the tree that God had told them not to eat.
NO BIG DEAL -- only eating fruit; disobeyed and sinned against God.
In God's eyes sin is sin, no different than us trying to justify the "little sins" that we do.
Anything that violates God's Word is sin, regardless of the size or magnitude of it
Man has softened sin so the ‘little sins’ are no big deal
Throughout the bible it is reenforced that God is a God of mercy. He forgives us for our sins even though we have no right to be forgiven. This shows mercy in another context.
"Why, this bond is forfeit.
And lawfully by this the Jew may claim
A pound of flesh, to be by him cut off
Nearest the merchant's heart. (To Shylock) Be merciful.
Take thrice thy money. Bid me tear the bond."
Translation:
The money wasn’t paid back!
And so the Jew may lawfully claim a pound of flesh nearest the merchant’s heart,
to be cut off by him.—But please have mercy.
Take three times your money. Tell me to tear up this contract.
PORTIA - 4.1
"Tarry, Jew,
The law hath yet another hold on you,
It is enacted in the laws of Venice,
If it be proved against an alien
That by direct or indirect attempts
He seek the life of any citizen,
The party 'gainst the which he doth contrive
Shall seize one half his goods; the other half
Comes to the privy coffer of the state,
And the offender's life lies in the mercy
Of the Duke only, 'gainst all other voice -
In which predicament I say thou stand'st;
For it appears by manifest proceeding
That indirectly, and directly too,
Thou hast contrived against the very life
Of the defendant, and thou hast incurred
The danger formerly by me rehearsed.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the Duke."
Translation:
Wait a minute, Jew. The law has another hold on you.
The laws of Venice state that if a foreign resident directly or indirectly
attempts to kill any citizen, the person he tried to kill will receive one half of the foreigner’s goods.
The other half goes to the state. Whether the offending person lives or dies is up
to the duke—there’s no one else to appeal to. In your predicament you’ve earned that punishment,
because you’ve clearly contrived indirectly—and directly too—to take the life of the defendant.
So get down on your knees and beg mercy from the duke.
DUKE - 4.1
That thou shalt see the difference of our spirit,
I pardon thee thy life before thou ask it.
For half thy wealth, it is Antonio’s.
The other half comes to the general state,
Which humbleness may drive unto a fine.
Translation:
I want you to see the difference between us,
so I pardon you even before you ask for a pardon.
Half of your wealth goes to Antonio.
The other half goes to the state.
However, if you show a proper humility,
I may reduce this penalty to a fine.
PORTIA - 4.1
"What mercy can you render him Antonio?"
Translation:
What mercy can you show him, Antonio?
The Theme of Mercy Within the Merchant of Venice - http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/merchant/themes.html
The Divine Quality of Mercy
The conflict between Shylock and the Christian characters comes to a head over the issue of mercy. The other characters acknowledge that the law is on Shylock’s side, but they all expect him to show mercy, which he refuses to do. When, during the trial, Shylock asks Portia what could possibly compel him to be merciful, Portia’s long reply, beginning with the words, “The quality of mercy is not strained,” clarifies what is at stake in the argument (IV.i.179). Human beings should be merciful because God is merciful: mercy is an attribute of God himself and therefore greater than power, majesty, or law. Portia’s understanding of mercy is based on the way Christians in Shakespeare’s time understood the difference between the Old and New Testaments. According to the writings of St. Paul in the New Testament, the Old Testament depicts God as requiring strict adherence to rules and exacting harsh punishments for those who stray. The New Testament, in contrast, emphasizes adherence to the spirit rather than the letter of the law, portraying a God who forgives rather than punishes and offers salvation to those followers who forgive others. Thus, when Portia warns Shylock against pursuing the law without regard for mercy, she is promoting what Elizabethan Christians would have seen as a pro-Christian, anti-Jewish agenda.
The strictures of Renaissance drama demanded that Shylock be a villain, and, as such, patently unable to show even a drop of compassion for his enemy. A sixteenth-century audience would not expect Shylock to exercise mercy—therefore, it is up to the Christians to do so. Once she has turned Shylock’s greatest weapon—the law—against him, Portia has the opportunity to give freely of the mercy for which she so beautifully advocates. Instead, she backs Shylock into a corner, where she strips him of his bond, his estate, and his dignity, forcing him to kneel and beg for mercy. Given that Antonio decides not to seize Shylock’s goods as punishment for conspiring against him, we might consider Antonio to be merciful. But we may also question whether it is merciful to return to Shylock half of his goods, only to take away his religion and his profession. By forcing Shylock to convert, Antonio disables him from practicing usury, which, according to Shylock’s reports, was Antonio’s primary reason for berating and spitting on him in public. Antonio’s compassion, then, seems to stem as much from self-interest as from concern for his fellow man. Mercy, as delivered in The Merchant of Venice, never manages to be as sweet, selfless, or full of grace as Portia presents it.
Mercy in another context. Gods Mercy for man.
Gods Mercy for man is another story of mercy that could possibly relate to this story. it relates because Shylock is a Jew and therefore would know of God's mercy.
Eph 2:3-5 (NIV) ...Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.
· A good way to understand the meaning of mercy is to see how it relates to grace:
- Mercy--not getting what you do deserve / withheld punishment
- Grace--getting what you don't deserve / unmerited favor
MERCY is God withholding the punishment we deserve because of our sinfulness. The consequences of sin is death, yet Jesus paid this penalty for us.
If it wasn’t for God’s mercy you would not be here. We are deserving of judgment, of destruction, punishment and condemnation.
FIST SIN – Adam and Eve ate of the tree that God had told them not to eat.
NO BIG DEAL -- only eating fruit; disobeyed and sinned against God.
In God's eyes sin is sin, no different than us trying to justify the "little sins" that we do.
Anything that violates God's Word is sin, regardless of the size or magnitude of it
Man has softened sin so the ‘little sins’ are no big deal
Throughout the bible it is reenforced that God is a God of mercy. He forgives us for our sins even though we have no right to be forgiven. This shows mercy in another context.