Origin This phrase is taken from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. It occurs where Portia demands Shylock be merciful, stating that “The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven/Upon the place beneath” (Act-IV,…
Tag: merchant of venice
A Pound of Flesh
Origin of Pound of Flesh The origin of this phrase is taken from William Shakespeare’s play, Merchant of Venice. The character Portia says this line on the insistence of Shylock, the Jew, for the payment of Antonio’s flesh, which is…