Merchant Of Venice Justice Or Mercy Analysis

Justice or Mercy The Merchant of Venice brought to life a large number of contemporary subjects of discussion. This play made mention the issues of racism, the discrepancy between religion and its social status, and even politics. Similar to the structure of today’s legal structure, the court of law back in the Merchant of Venice, unanimously reached the verdict by the usage of a legislative system, which in this case was an assembly of dukes. Something quite overlooked in this play was the trial scene and the procedure in which the verdict was reached. A person could even question if Antonio was judged righteously or if he was favored in the situation. If we study the contemporary courts to gain insight into how they utilize their legislative power, we would notice that whether a person was innocent or guilty, the judge would be obligated to be unbiased towards every case that came through his or …show more content…
Did Antonio legitimately deserve what was coming towards him? One side of the spectrum says that grace should be given at all levels. The Bible does state in Matthew 18:21-22 that “Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy times seven!” On the other spectrum, one may say Antonio rightfully deserves justice; he didn’t stay faithful towards the agreement. Where is the fine line between justice and mercy? Shylock and Antonio had an agreement which the play describes as a bond. They both agreed that this bond would be fulfilled mutually or the consequences that were established would unfortunately be executed. Due to a lack of commitment, Antonio’s consequence then became the pound of flesh. Should Shylock truly allow Antonio exemption from punishment without any penalty, whilst putting himself, being Shylock, into greater debt or should he demand his wage of the