"The Quality of Mercy" TUTORIAL Part 1 | Portia Monologue (The Merchant of Venice)

Want to know what this famous speech is really about? In PART 1, I get you "Up to This Point" by doing a quick (and sometimes hilarious) overview of the play from Portia's perspective, so that we know WHY she's saying "The quality of mercy" at all!
Easy to understand and fun to watch-eth 😎
⚡ Next, watch PART 2!
• "The Quality of Mercy"...
I go line by line to let you know what each of these old timey words mean and help you chunk the speech out in 3 sections so you know (and can expertly remember) exactly what Portia's saying.
Also enjoy:
🔴 BLOOPERS from this tutorial (Oops!)
• BLOOPERS - "The Qualit...
🔴 COSPLAY of this monologue (Yee Haw!)
Western Outlaw from Dungeons & Dragons as Portia
• Western Outlaw 🔥 Does ...
🔴 MONOLOGUE Original Performance of "The Quality of Mercy"
• PORTIA Monologue "The ...
And let me know in the comments below which speeches, characters, or plays you'd like me to cover next...
⚡ MONOLOGUE TEXT ⚡
Portia in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
"The quality of mercy is not strained" (Act 4, Scene 1)
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. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
⚡ ABOUT ME ⚡
Shelby Lewis - Actress, Educator, Director, Audition Coach
www.shelbylewi...
IG: @shelbylovesshakespeare
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#shakespeare #tutorial #qualityofmercy

[@joshuabrown5889]

oh how I have missed being taught by you. Thank you for this Shelby. Truly an amazing video that has left this fellow Shakespeare nerd all warm and fuzzy inside 🤗🤗🤗

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Oh Josh, SAME! So glad to hear that watching my video reminded you of our awesome live coaching sessions 🥰 Thank you *so much* for watching and commenting and being an incredible student. You are going to SOAR ⭐️✨ Great luck as the LEAD in your show this summer! 🙌😜

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Here here! A splendid video. Nice to see another Shakespeare addict. 🙌

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Woo hoo indeed 🙌🥰

[@johngilgal8423]

Short and sweet ..👍

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Thanks for watching and commenting John! So glad it was helpful and enjoyable 🥰

[@beeheart6529]

Excellent job explaining!!

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Thanks so much Bee! 🥰🙏🐝 Glad it was helpful. I appreciate you watching and commenting!!

[@kateblack2834]

I just watched your part one tutorial!!! Omg!! You are so flipping good-funny, clever, gorgeous, engaging in every way! Thank you for these gifts you’re giving us all. Wow.

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Oh Kate, thank you very much for these *incredibly generous* words 😌♥️ So grateful to you for watching. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rebeccanelson4343]

The Aladdin connections helped me so much! I’m like, Portia dressings like a man is like Jasmine putting on the banging red outfit.

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

So glad you liked those magical parallels! 🧞‍♂️🪔

[@meganebbeskotte9851]

❤️❤️❤️ loved this!!! I’ve always been bad at Shakespeare, but this was SUPER helpful! Also, loved the Aladdin reference! 😂

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Megan, I’m SO GLAD to hear that this helped you connect with Shakespeare in a new, lovely way! 🥲 No one is bad at Shakespeare. They just haven’t found a helpful nerd like me yet ♥️ Thank you for watching & commenting so others will be able to find me!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

This is the stuff, what? Your enthusiasm warms the cockles. Forsooth, it dost make me tosseth my cap skywards to great Apollo's happy beams.

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

HAHA!! Forsooth! I grant thee deepest thanks of gratitude most o’erwrought and accept thy cap with saucy rapture and Fortune’s cheek o’ the knave! Apollo hath nothing on you, Tristan 😜☀️📜 Excited to have a new Shakespeare friend!

[@snowsquirt85]

Super informative and succinct! So good!! Can’t wait to see the speech itself!

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

WOW thank you Heidi! That means so much to me. Fast & furious & full of Folios 😎 Can’t wait for you to see part 2 as well!

[@TheRealNatiae]

Soooooo....Skylock is basically Ursula within this Aladdin metaphor! “I’ll give you what you want, but if you fail, you belong to me!” Haha loved the Aladdin references!

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Ha! Makes sense 🐙 I see him more as an Iago 🦜 Cranky, seemingly the bad guy, but actually misunderstood and oppressed due to lack of options & what others judge him to be. And loud 😜

[@SkyLilly30]

So informative and easy to understand! (Something I never thought I’d say in reference to Shakespeare) 🤣

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

YAY HANNAH! 😜 So glad to hear it! It is my greatest pleasure to hear that *pleasant surprise* when someone finally understands Shakespeare. You are a officially a genius 🤓👌 Thank you so much for watching!

[@calebyoungconductor]

You’re a Shakespeare guru! 🤯🤓

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Thank you Caleb! So glad you found it helpful and fun and wildly impressive 😏 You're a guru at WATCHING!

[@DefaultSetting]

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the "subscribeth" button???

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Omg THANK YOU 🥰🔴🙏 It’s kinda my favorite thing. So glad it made you smile. Thanks for watching and subscribeth-ing Alex!

[@SusanTrishelMonson]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Thanks so much Susan! Glad you loved the tutorial 🥰✨ And thank you for commenting on both Part 1 and 2. Anon!

[@harleyconn-yo8yr]

i am going to audition for portia, but i do not know what monologue to do. i am thinking "thou knowest the mask of night befalls my face else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek" monologue from romeo and juliet, or olivia's monologue to viola in the twelfth night. any ideas??? this is my first serious audition and i am so nervous!

[@rebeccanelson4343]

This whole video is #hotnerdalert. Oh also, was “one pound of flesh” and idiom for “he gets to kill you” or could Antonio have like cut off his least favorite hand and been like “duces” (✌🏻from the other hand)?

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

Awesome question Rebecca! 😍 Definitely had that thought myself. The internet says that a human hand weighs 1.085 lbs, so I only WISH you could have been there in the courtroom to insert that sneaky WISDOM! That said, as part of the deal, Shylock had the right to take that infamous one pound of flesh *himself* so it begs the assumption that Shylock would choose to take the juiciest part of his enemy and not leave the option for duces 😜 Thanks for asking! Hope this helps!

[@TheRealNatiae]

One question I had. How did each man become eligible to try to open the casket? Other than having great wealth, could any man try if he was willing to take that risk of never marrying if he got it wrong?

[@ShelbyLovesShakespeare]

EXCELLENT question Natalie! Yes. Anyone could try for Portia’s hand, no “requirements” technically. But suitors needed money to travel to Belmont (to Portia/the test) so *that’s* why they were typically wealthy. And quite arrogant 😒 The play mentions 9 suitors-Neapolitan prince, French lord, English baron, a Duke’s nephew, and on and on... And most see it as a business venture to get Portia’s fortune rather than a chance at love. Sad face 😓 Hope this helps! 🥰

[@TheRealNatiae]

@@ShelbyLovesShakespeare yes! So helpful! Thank you!!