The Merchant of Venice Writing Assignment

The Conflict on Mercy
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The Conflict on Mercy
Money is at the center of the play The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. The play revolves around Antonio, a Venetian merchant who is unable to pay a loan to Shylock, the Jewish moneylender. The play shows the fundamental difference between Christian and Jewish attitudes towards wealth, mercantilism and usury. The monetary conflict between the Antonio and Shylock leads to a trial where the issue of mercy takes center stage. Portia other Christian characters are of a contrary view to that of Shylock.
During the trial, the other characters (Christians) expect Shylock to show mercy even though the law is on his side, but he refuses to do so. In response to Shylock’s question of what would compel him to show mercy, Portia gives a long reply of her understanding of mercy based on the view of Christians at that time about the difference between the Old and New Testaments. Th...