Poetry for the Inner Ear

Shakespeare’s tragicomedy The Merchant of Venice is one of his greatest plays. Shylock and Portia are immortal characters, and they seem to be real human beings of flesh and blood. Portia requests   Shylock to show mercy in the following oft-quoted lines:   ( "The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. ". Portia is the magnet of   universal attraction. The Casket scene, the Trial scene and the Ring-episode reveal her clear vision and penetrative wisdom. The bond-story would have culminated in tragedy, if Portia had not intervened.   Portia’s main argument in the trial scene is to show mercy toward Antonio. According to the contract, Shylock would extract the pound of flesh as the penalty in case of default. But Shylock refuses to show any mercy for Antonio. Portia clarifies that the bond only allows Shylock to remove the flesh , not the "b...