Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“The quality of mercy is not strained.”
- Source
- The Merchant of Venice
- Date
- c. 1596
- Local voice
- Fictional character · Portia
Meaning of “The quality of mercy is not strained.”
Portia begins by arguing that real mercy cannot be forced; its moral value comes from being freely given rather than mechanically compelled.
Where does it come from?
The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1; opening of Portia’s mercy speech during the trial.
Why the local voice matters
Portia begins the mercy speech in The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1, while disguised as the learned doctor Balthazar.
