Original artwork, not a still
The Merchant of Venice ‧ 1600
The quality of mercy is not strained.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Mercy, the speaker says, is not forced or squeezed out of anyone. It arrives freely and unconstrained, a gift instead of a compelled payment. The line defines compassion by its spontaneity, suggesting that forgiveness given under pressure would no longer be the real thing.
Context reviewed
