The Quality of Mercy
A Sixth Act to "The Merchant of Venice"
By William M. Blatt
William M. Blatt (born in Orange, N.J., in 1876) was educated in the public schools of Boston, and received his degree of LL.B. from Boston University Law School in 1897. Besides being engaged with the law in Boston and contributing to a number of legal periodicals, Mr. Blatt is also devoted to letters and has published a number of plays, including "Husbands on Approval," and many one-act playlets, including "The Danger of Ideals," which have been given professional performance.
Characters: Shylock, Jessica, Antonio, Gratiano, Portia, Isaac, a servant of Shylock.
Scene: A street in Venice.
Time: An afternoon, two years after the last act of "The Merchant of Venice."
As curtain rises, Portia and Gratiano discovered standing and looking down the street, Gratiano pointing.
| Gratiano | Now Lady Portia look a long way off And see if you can recognize a friend. |
| Portia | A friend? One person only do I see— A man, quite old, who hobbles with a staff. |
| Gratiano | He is the one I mean. Now look again And try to recognize his face, his beard. |
| Portia | Why, is it not old Shylock? Sure it is. And met most opportunely, on my word. Now, dear Gratiano, with this icy heart We must needs waste a score or two of words. |
| Gratiano | To make him help his daughter Jessica? |
| Portia | That is the task. |
| Gratiano | Too much for Hercules. |
| (Enter Shylock.) | |
| Portia | A moment, Shylock, of your precious time. You must remember meeting me before. |
| Shylock | Remember, nay then, how could I forget The noble judge who spoke so clean and fair And took away on quibbles all I owned. |
| Portia | Not all, good Shylock, half of it remained. |