"When Mercy Seasons Justice": Poetic Justice in Comedy

Characteristically, he associates "the lower part of Mankind" with "Frailties"; in the next paragraph he talks about "the Follies of the Lower Part of Mankind" (3: 210; my emphasis). [...]the problem remains that inferior or unworthy characters are rewarded with a prosperity that seems gratuitous. [...]Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this: According to this definition, The Merchant of Venice is a tragicomedy; it brings Antonio painfully close to death, and Shylock also faces capital punishment for a brief moment. The defendant at this second trial in Belmont has quite a lot to answer for. Because of his prodigality, he first took his friend's wealth to court his wife, and then he took his wife's gift to pay the lawyer who saved his bankrupt friend.