The quality of mercy is not strained;
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 throned 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;
becomes : suits. 
 Portia here suggests that the attribute of mercy does more honor to a king or queen than the ceremonial trappings of their majesty – the trinkets associated with their status such as a throne or a crown. 
 It’s an interesting statement for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as an ‘heiress’, Portia is paying herself something of a compliment. She clearly believes that she has the right to fulfil a position of high status – not just through her superior lineage and ancestry, but by her virtues and character. 
 Secondly, the speech is littered with divine imagery and references. A central tenet in monarchist states at this time was that the King or Queen was God’s representative on earth – so if mercy is a divine attribute, it simply  has  to be one embodied by the head of the church. 

The Quality of Mercy