Feature
The Fullness of Mercy
Western Literature & the Illumination of a Divine Attribute
by Christine Schintgen
The treatment of the theme of mercy in Western Literature confirms what Shakespeare wrote in The Merchant of Venice—namely, that "it blesseth him that gives and him that takes." In other words, mercy benefits not just the one on whom it is bestowed, but also—just as much, if not more—the one who bestows it. Mercy is the decision, on the part of a person who has the power to exact retribution or just payment from another, not to demand this payment or retribution. Properly understood, mercy does not conflict with justice; rather, it constitutes a deeperform of justice, one that recognizes that although the other has sinned against me, I have sinned many times as well. The fact that God has forgiven me prompts me to understand that everything I have has not been earned but freely given to me by God; and so, in justice to God, I should try to give to others and to forgive them as freely as God has given to me.
In what follows I would like to consider some notable situations involving mercy in Western literature and observe the movement from a suspicion of the value of mercy to a recognition of its benefits. For we find that in the literature of the ancient world, mercy is not particularly prized, but in that of the Christian world, it is valued greatly, both for what it can give to others, and for what it does for oneself—namely, keep one in right relationship with God.
Mercy in Homer
Numerous examples from ancient Greek literature, particularly the Iliad and the Odyssey, show that in general mercy was not greatly valued. I propose to examine one such instance, from Book VI of the Iliad. During one of the many battles of the Trojan War, the Trojan warrior Adrestus is captured, and he begs the Greek Menelaus to spare his life:
Adrestus hugged [Menelaus'] knees and begged him, pleading,
"Take me alive, Atrides, take a ransom worth my life!
Treasures are piled up in my rich father's house,
Bronze and gold and plenty of well-wrought iron—
Father would give you anything, gladly, priceless ransom
If only he learns I'm still alive in Argive ships!"
The heart of Menelaus is moved by this plea, but just as he is about to hand Adrestus over to an aide to be taken back to the ships, his brother, King Agamemnon, appears on the scene. Agamemnon sternly admonishes Menelaus for considering mercy, shouting:
"So soft, dear brother, why?
Why such concern for enemies? I suppose you got
Such tender loving care at home from the Trojans.
Ah, would to God not one of them could escape
His sudden plunging death beneath our hands!"
Menelaus comes round to Agamemnon's position, which the poet describes as "rough justice, fitting, too":
Menelaus shoved Adrestus back with a fist;
Powerful Agamemnon stabbed him in the flank,
And back on his side the fighter went, face up.
The son of Atreus dug a heel in his heaving chest
And wrenched the ash spear out.
Here there is no sense that mercy is desirable for the giver. The enemy has not shown kindness to our side, so why should we show kindness to him? That would be "softness." Better by far to execute "rough justice"; that is more "fitting." It is true that at the end of the epic, the great hero Achilles releases the body of Hector to his father Priam, but that is not so much mercy as relinquishment of anger, since Hector is already dead, and Priam has not done Achilles any personal injustice.
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