Shakespeare and Jews

Venice & fictional Belmont (beautiful mountain)

Antonio, a Venetian merchant, secures a loan from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, to help his friend Bassanio woo Portia. The loan agreement stipulates that if Antonio defaults, Shylock can claim a pound of his flesh. When Antonio's ships are lost at sea, he cannot repay the debt, and Shylock demands his pound of flesh. Portia, disguised as a lawyer, cleverly saves Antonio by pointing out a loophole in the contract: Shylock can take the flesh but not a drop of blood. Shylock converts and forfeits his wealth.

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 thronèd 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 sceptered sway.
It is enthronèd 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.

Portia, Act 4, Scene 1
The Merchant of Venice
William Shakespeare
Catholic-in-secret

A modernist Jesuit would wish I had never read the play, at 14.
St. Ignatius HS is where I first learned grammar systematically.
Gerald Smith SJ could not have imagined this thing, "internet".
He required that we memorize and recite Portia's soliloquy.
The school has no teaching Jesuits now, hence not Jesuit.