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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper discusses the way in which Shakespeare explores the concept of mercy in two of his plays, The Merchant of Venice and Henry V. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KV32_HVhn5mrc.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
we consider mercy, we think of it as compassion; showing someone else that we care for them. But in Henry V, mercy seems more like a political device than a
gracious act, and in Merchant mercy is used against Shylock to bring him to ruin. In Henry V, the word mercy is used extensively in Act II, Scene II,
when Henry says that he will show mercy to a man who "raild against" him the day before (II.ii.41). That is, he criticized the king. But Henry says that the
man had been drinking, and he considers this is the reason why he spoke out; after considering it, he has decided to pardon him. Lord Scroop says "Thats mercy, but
too much security" (II.ii.44) and urges that the man be punished. The line means that although the king is showing mercy, hes also overconfident and need to punish anyone who
speaks against him since there are likely to be more incidents if he lets this one pass without censure. But Henry replies, "O, let us yet be merciful" (II.ii.47). Scroop
replies that he can be merciful and still punish, and Lord Grey adds that if Henry sends him to prison but doesnt execute him, he will show "great mercy" (II.ii.50).
Henry then turns the discussion around to the real point of the scene. He asks the men with him how, if he cannot learn to be merciful and wink at
small crimes, how "shall we stretch our eye / When capital crimes, chewd, swallowd, and digested, / Appear before us?" (II.ii.55-57). At that point, documents are produced and handed to
Scroop and the others that prove they are traitors; they all confess and Cambridge says "I do confess my fault, / and do submit me to our Highness mercy" (II.ii.77-78).
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