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. (4.1. 185-95)
PROMPT: Examine Portia's (as Balthazar) courtroom defense. Consider carefully what she argues concerning mercy, the limited power of rulers, and justice. Consider the Martin/Zimmerman case in Sanford, Florida. How might Portia's defense reflect the sentiment of the Martin family? How might Shylock's demand of the letter of the law parallel the Zimmerman defense? Also, add your opinions about similarities and differences between the Martin/Zimmerman case and The Merchant of Venice.
Travyn Martin's family I would imagine feels the unjust application of the letter of the law. Friedrich Nietchze said that justice is put into place to keep a kind of societal balance to keep people from taking revenge into their own hands. If justice does not serve society does not serve society in this way, then there is no justice at all. The irony is that the letter of the law may have perverted justice rather than promote it. Zimmerman is seeking to secure his reputation, and so is Shylock. Shylock, aided by the law, has wronged a previously contemptuous Antonio, just as Zimmerman has perverted the law to serve his own rationalizations for putting himself in a situation where he may provoke Martin into allowing him a justification defense for the use of deadly force. The argument is that both cases seem to highlight the fact that mercy may be necessary for the letter of the law to maintain legitimacy in the eyes of the public domain.
ReplyDeletePortia's argument plays on the idea of human emotion. She explores the realities of mercy in parallel to a human life. She believes that if Shylock carries out the binding contract it would lead to his downfall through possible feelings of guilt. She also explains that mercy is an attribute that is only obtained through God by being a Christian; this thought highlights the relationship between the two religions.(Judaism and Christians)In relevance to the Martin and Zimmerman trial Portia's argument would be that of sentiment and raw human emotion. She would contest that even though there is a law binding agreement, would it supersede the value of a human life. On the other hand, Zimmerman and Shylock claim the letter of the law in order to defend their argument. In their view, the law represents something that is impenetrable and binding; if it is written, it shall be. In both cases, the legal system is manipulated based on the crime or situation at hand, signifying its inconsistencies and revealing the loop holes that were man made.
ReplyDeletePortia appears to be saying that to have mercy is one of the greatest virtues, and that if we as human beings are to ever attain the heights necessary for God-like status, we can only do so by being merciful in our interactions with our fellows. Since God is merciful to us, we must also show mercy. Portia further asserts that mercy affords something positive to both the giver and the receiver. Earthly power is most honorable when justice is tempered with mercy.
ReplyDeleteAs for the family of Trayvon Martin, Portia’s defense would have been best suited in defense of Trayvon himself, since he was put on trial rather than Zimmerman. Trayvon should ultimately have been shown mercy as the oppressed, young black man who was stalked, run down, and murdered by one who felt it was within his right to do so, and with whom a jury of his peers ultimately agreed.
Shylock’s demand for the letter of the law parallels the Zimmerman defense in that in both cases it was the only ground on which either defendant had to stand. The stand your ground defense was for Zimmerman what the contract on a pound of flesh was to Shylock. However, it worked for Zimmerman, and failed for Shylock.
There are a few aspects of The Merchant of Venice seen commonly in the Martin/Zimmerman trial, Shylock representing Zimmerman and Antonio and Portia's defense representing Martin family.
ReplyDeleteFirst, There is a prejudice between Shylock and Antonio, religious and economy. Yet in the Zimmerman/Martin trial, it has been widely speculated as a racial crime.
Shylock is often compared to the devil because of his evil manners, but when placed before the court, he defended the bond/agreement that was made of him and Antonio for forfeiting he would have a pound of Antonio's flesh.
Portia, however plays upon the salvation of "mercy". To ensure he would compromise, she tried her best to persuade Shylock into taking the money and not taking
Antonio's life. On the other hand, Zimmerman took life. In his trial, there was no mercy for the Martin family. As Zimmerman was found not guilty by law, he was guilty by moral and lack of mercy.
Portia played on the defense of mercy but because shylock wanted to stick to the laws, she out wits him with his own agreement. Shylock did not win the case.
In the Merchant of Venice, Shylock has legally been wronged and in keeping with a citizen demands "the letter of the law, but Shylock fails to realize that as the "Other" he can never fairly be represented in a court of law. This case is similar to the recent Trayvon Martin case in that Zimmerman could be compared to Shylock and the Martin family to Antonio in the obvious observation, but it could also be argued that Shylock represents Trayvon Martin. Why I say that is because Trayvon was perceived to be another young black punk with nefarious intentions, and Shylock was considered just a. 'Jew'. Both are illustrations of the Other and how racially, and by being a foreigner verses a native to the area, one can be discriminated against. Portia Although she tries to convince Shylock to show mercy and take the money, to basically drop the charge, Shylock demands the law to be upheld, it is not and in the end they condem the Jew with no thought of mercy.
ReplyDeleteIt is Portia's idea that the only way to justifiably practice law is through the application of mercy. As stated in Portia's argument, mercy is a blessing bestowed upon individuals by God. The king is powerful in his own right. However, he is most powerful when blessed with God's mercy.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the play, Shylock is villainized by society. Being a pariah, he constantly cries for "the letter of the law" as a means to obtain justice. Since justice is depicted as being blind, Shylock feels that he will receive an equal and just trial. He also believes that justice is on his side. The same can be said for Zimmerman. Though he has been scrutinized for his actions, he feels that he had the right to defend himself and that justice was on his side. He cried for the jury's mercy but had none when he killed Martin.
It appears that Portia is suggesting that the law should be conducted via grace and mercy for those lack power. The law, from Portia's perspective, serves impartially to those with status. She forms a bond between the law of man and religion. Portia feels that salvation exists through grace and mercy because God had mercy on mankind.
ReplyDeleteThe legality of the incident is manipulated to serve its intended party, Shylock. Shylock is able to use the law to his advantage because of his status in society. Just as Zimmerman, he is able to bind himself with the law based on its context. Zimmerman's defense is able to prove his innocence based on what the written word of the law. Justice and mercy are factors that seem to be disappearing acts in these unfortunate events. In both cases, the law serves rather unjustly.
The situation between Portia and Shylock can be compared to the Martin and Zimmerman case in many ways. Like the Martin family, Portia is pleading for mercy. Throughout the argument and trying to prove her point, Portia argues that mercy is a gift from God and that they all should consider the true meaning of mercy and that it should be considered. Portia is trying to convince Shylock to have mercy and let Antonia live. Though Portia is pleading this, Shylock doesn't want to consider Portia's opinion. He wants to uphold the law and do what he feel is right.
ReplyDeleteThough Portia is trying to persuade Shylock, Shylock doesn't want to let Antonia free. Shylock is much like Zimmerman. Both cases were based on the human race. They both claim to be "victims" of self defense and doing what they thought was part of the law. Shylock constantly repeats the laws and how it should be upheld and how one must follow the law. Zimmerman cried out for the same thing. Though Zimmerman was freed and the law worked for him, it did not work for Shylock. Shylock eventually failed.