"The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath" is from which play by William Shakespeare?
This phrase which is used here is taken from William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice". It occurs where Portia demands Shylock be merciful, stating that “The quality of mercy is not strained, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath” (Act-IV, Scene-I).
Portia's statement is directly making an appeal to Shylock to spare Antonio’s life. She is saying that, as all people pray and plead to God for mercy or to be merciful and kind towards mankind, likewise Shylock should be merciful and kind to him. He will get a reward when he gets to heaven.
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10 Comments
JRW
"The quality of mercy is not strained" would be one of the more famous Shakespearean quotes
seane
Why don't we just watch all the Shakespeare plays here instead of visiting them line by line....
Ben
Getting nauseated and tired of Shakespearean quotations? Don't you have other guys besides Shakespeare?
wandajaneburlinson
My class on Shakespeare was one of my best college experiences.
Cheryl Perkins
Not a fan of Shakespeare, but my late brother who hated school and left at 15 was a huge fan and loved to quote it.
Kathryn Cavanagh
Merchant is my favourite Shakespearean play. So knew the answer without even trying.. Lol..
dlh
Got it with majority help! Thank you, this is not my area of expertises.
Cherie Hunt
Saw The Merchant of Venice performed at the new Globe Theatre in London.
John Seiple
And William is big enough to forgive you, Gene and Leo....”for the quality of mercy is not strained” even for unread boys who languish in the depression of an incorrect response....
billyboy915
Gene Wilkerson, Leo McKinnon,
You two are missing out on some of the greatest English literature in the world. The loss is yours.