In the Merchant of Venice (Act 4, Scene 1), explore the balance between justice and mercy in the major characters' contributions to the scene and...

In The Merchant of Venice’s trial scene, Shylock cries for justice: “If you deny me, fie upon your law!” Antonio owes him money, and the bond they drew up allows Shylock to take a pound of his flesh if he did not pay him back on time. Antonio’s friend Bassanio has more than enough money to repay Shylock, but Shylock insists that he stands “for judgment” and “crave[s] the law.” He will have nothing less than his bond.

Portia disguises herself as a lawyer, and both she and the Duke, who is presiding over the case, beg Shylock for mercy (hence, Portia’s famous speech on “the quality of mercy”). However, they also refuse to compromise justice for mercy because they will not break the law in order to grant Antonio a reprieve. Fortunately for Antonio, Portia finds a way to save his life without breaking the bond. The document allows a pound of flesh but “no jot of blood.” It would be impossible for Shylock to take flesh without shedding blood.

Shylock backtracks and asks for the money instead, but Portia uses his sense of justice against him in order to show how cruel justice can be:

For, as thou urgest justice, be assured

Thou shalt have justice, more than thou desirest.

On top of this, Portia points out that Shylock, because he is Jewish, is considered an alien, and it is illegal for an alien to conspire to kill a citizen. She directs Shylock to beg for his life, which the duke grants in order to demonstrate “the difference of our spirits.”

Antonio then shows a kind of mercy to Shylock by allowing him to keep half of his goods, as long as the other half goes to Lorenzo, a Christian who ran off with Shylock’s daughter, and Shylock’s money should go to Lorenzo after his death. In a final blow, Shylock must convert to Christianity. Shylock reluctantly agrees.

In the end, the characters are able to save everyone’s life and even livelihood by combining mercy and justice. However, it is questionable as to how much Shylock’s fate is merciful and how much it is a self-righteous sense of justice.