Note to The Merchant of Venice, 3.3.29. "impeach the justice of his state"


Return
to
The Merchant of Venice,
Act 3, Scene 3, line 29.
impeach the justice of his state: call into serious question the willingness of Venice to enforce laws impartially. —As Bassanio goes on to point out, Venice was a great commercial center, home to merchants from all over the world. If Venice failed to enforce a legal contract, those merchants would lose confidence and might take their business elsewhere.