Index IntroductionExamples of mercy in The Merchant of VeniceConclusionIntroductionHere in Canada we do not have the death penalty as punishment. Our justice system shows mercy to even the worst criminals by sparing their lives. Yet even today, in some countries such as the United States, the death penalty still exists in some cases. It is truly shocking that we still do not show mercy, even though it has been preached to us for a long time. Even in Shakespeare's time it was known that we must show mercy. The poet gives an example of this in his great work The Merchant of Venice. One could go so far as to say that mercy is the main theme of the work. Many times he shows his readers that to receive mercy one must show mercy to others. This is demonstrated with Lancelot who asks his father for forgiveness, with Portia and Nerissa who forgive their husbands after donating their rings, and with Shylock who receives no mercy because he does not show any to Antonio. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayExamples of Mercy in The Merchant of VeniceThe first example of the importance of mercy in this play occurs when Lancelot asks his father for forgiveness. His father, Gobbo, is blind as sand and therefore does not even recognize his own son when he passes him on the streets of Venice. Seeing this, Lancelot decides to take advantage of the situation by playing with his father. When Gobbo asks him for directions to his son's home, Lancelot deceives his father and makes him believe he is dead. This has a painful impact on the old; then, immediately after making the comment, Lancelot kneels before his father and says, “Give me your blessing…” (Shakespeare 82). This shows that even though Lancelot is simply joking with his father, he feels obligated to ask his father for forgiveness. Gobbo then helps his son find a job for Bassanio, and their relationship is stronger than ever because he shows mercy to his son. His actions in this situation clearly show that no matter how small the offense may be, one must ask for forgiveness from the offended person, so that he can receive mercy from him in the future. The second example of the importance of mercy is when Portia and Nerissa forgive their husbands after returning home without their rings. When they got married, they both gave the rings to their husbands Bassanio and Graziano and made them swear never to lose them. However, when the two women arrive in Venice dressed as lawyers, they receive the rings as a gift for having saved Antonio. At that point neither Bassanio nor Graziano know that those lawyers are their wives, but they still give them the rings that they had sworn to keep forever. When they return home to Belmont, their wives are there waiting for them so they can scold them for this very reason, but then they proceed to forgive their husbands and give them back the rings. Portia then says to Nerissa, “Give him this, and tell him to keep it better than the other” (Shakespeare 45). This shows that no matter how important it is to them that men keep those rings, they show mercy in forgiving them and returning the rings. In the end, Portia and Nerissa are rewarded for this merciful act by repairing their relationships with their husbands, and they go on to live a wonderful life together. The third example of the importance of mercy is when Shylock does not offer mercy to Antonio, but expects mercy in return when he is in a difficult situation. The main conflict of this play is Shylock who is owed a pound of Antonio's flesh. All the people of Venice repeatedly beg the Jew to accept his bail, paid several times by.”