Portia makes a well-known speech about the value of mercy in Act IV Scene I of Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice.” Shakespeare explores different perspectives on mercy throughout the play, and Portia’s speech is an important part of that exploration.

In this excerpt, Portia, who is posing as a lawyer, is presiding over the case of Antonio, who has been ordered to forfeit a pound of flesh to the moneylender Shylock. Portia urges Shylock to show mercy and forgive Antonio’s debt, saying “The quality of mercy is not strained, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven, Upon the place beneath” (Act IV, Scene I).