Thought for the Day

I watched The Merchant of Venice last night, the new Al Pacino version, which was extraordinarily good (and more on that in another post) but one speech by Shylock jumped out at me.

At the time that they play is set, the Catholic Church forbids lending money for interest (called usury). The only people who are able to do so are the Jews of Europe. But they are despised and hated. The Jews of Venice, where the play is set, are required to wear a red hat during the day and at night must return to the walled enclave, called the Geto, where the doors are locked until dawn.

Still commerce requires lending, and nascent capitalism requires interest, so the Jews perform an invaluable service. Shylock enters into a debt with Antonio, but he has a twist. Suspecting a chance to revenge himself, or amuse himself, he agrees to lend an enormous sum for no interest. The only catch: if Antonio fails to pay the debt (called a bond), Shylock may take a pound of flesh. (Yeah, this play is the source of that phrase. Same for a favorite, but hard to use, word I love: wantwit) Antonio, having five ships at sea and expecting an enormous windfall, readily agrees.

And then misfortune strikes all around. Shylock's daughter runs off to marry a Christian member of Antonio's circle of hangers-on. Antonio's ships don't come in. Shylock decides to have his revenge by carrying out the letter of the bond against Antonio.

Shylock is approached by everyone to not go through with it, but his anger, his thirst for revenge, is unstoppable:

SALERIO. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh. What's that good for?

SHYLOCK. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge.

He hath disgrac'd me and hind'red me half a million; laugh'd at my losses, mock'd at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies.

And what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions, fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?

If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.

If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

A powerful lesson in bigotry for us all, even today, four hundred years later.

The anti-Jewish vileness at the heart of the play is difficult for us today, but the lessons on making bonds (giving your word) and carrying that through regardless of cost are still vital. So is the play's entreaty for mercy. It is the source of another famous phrase: The quality of mercy is not strained.

PORTIA. Then must the Jew be merciful.
SHYLOCK. On what compulsion must I? Tell me that.
PORTIA. 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.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this-
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation; we do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy.

Again, words of wisdom for us today.