why is mercy said to be " twice bless'd" in the poem THE QUALITY OR MERCY?
Answers
Mercy is a broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness, kindness and compassion, especially toward someone who does not deserve it.
That it is twice blessed comes from Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, where, in Act IV, Portia states,
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.
It means that when we are merciful, two people are blessed, the person who receives one's mercy, and oneself, for our hearts are softened and we become blessed by the receiver's gratitude.
Answer:
It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. It means that when we are merciful, two people are blessed, the person who receives one's mercy, and oneself, for our hearts are softened and we become blessed by the receiver's gratitude.