The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice must default on a large loan provided by an abused Jewish moneylender, notable is Portia's speech about which titled quote by Portia in William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"; it occurs during Act IV, Scene 1, set in a Venetian Court of Justice?
The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a 16th-century play by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in Venice must default on a large loan provided by an abused Jewish moneylender. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1599. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes, and it is best known for Shylock and the famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech. Also notable is Portia's speech about "the quality of mercy". Critic Harold Bloom listed it among Shakespeare's great comedies.
Hamartia The term hamartia derives from the Greek ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνειν "hamartánein", which means "to miss the mark" or "to err". It is most often associated with Greek tragedy, although it is also used in Christian theology. "Hamartia" as it pertains to dramatic literature was first used by Aristotle in his "Poetics". In tragedy, hamartia is commonly understood to refer to the protagonist’s error or flaw that leads to a chain of plot actions culminating in a reversal from their good fortune to bad. What qualifies as the error or flaw can include an error resulting from ignorance, an error of judgement, a flaw in character, or a wrong-doing. The spectrum of meanings has invited debate among critics and scholars, and different interpretations among dramatists.