Portia's Mercy Speech

In this exciting scene at the court, Antonio came to the trial in preparation for his punishment. The Duke made a long speech in which he urged Shylock on the virtues of mercy. However Shylock was unmoved and was determined than ever to get his bond. Portia amongst all the others at the trial knew that justice was on Shylock’s side. But she made a powerful addition to the divine quality of mercy, which brought the play to its climax.

Portia was first presented as a young woman still under the command of her dead father. Like most women of the Elizabethan era, she would not be able to control her own life as long as she is a woman. She described herself as “uneducated, unschooled and unpracticed in front of Bassanio, which displayed her as a vulnerable woman. However when she appeared in the court dressed as Balthasar, she showed her intelligence and strength. Her strong personality took full control of the play and the other characters became overshadowed. Mercy was ne...