The Merchant of Venice: Act IV sc i - Portia

Summary: In this scene Portia is pleading to Shylock for the life of Antonio. Antonio is responsible for the debt that Bassanio owes Shylock. Bassanio is Portia's partner and needed money to be with Portia. When Bassanio borrowed the money the punishment for failure to pay back the money on time was 'a pound of flesh' which would cause certain death. Bassanio didn't pay the debt back in time and now Shylock wants his 'pound of flesh' from Antonio. Portia is trying to get Shylock to change his mind and see the virtue of being merciful.


Find and highlight these techniques in the speech:
metaphor
alliteration
repetition

Answer the following questions using quotes where applicable:
How does Portia describe mercy? It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

How important and powerful is it? it is the mightiest
What can one achieve through mercy? Mercy seasons justice
How is religion part of this speech? (You need to do some thinking on this one.) it talks about jews and how mercy seasons justice


PORTIA
VERSE VS PROSE
POETRY            CLASS (LOWER)

[The quality of mercy is not strain'd,]                     =EASY
[It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven]         (SIMILIE)
[Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;]           MERCY = GOD
[It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:]    PARALLEL STRUCTURE 
'[Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes]          
[The throned monarch better than his crown;]
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,          TEMPARY
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;                     LREPEATED 
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,It is an attribute to God himself;              THEME
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,                        METAPHOR        SYBOLISM
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;                                                        METAPHOR
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.