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The Prince says it when sentencing Romeo to banishment.

" let Romeo hence in haste,

Else, when he's found, that hour is his last.

Bear hence this body and attend our will:

Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill."

The Prince has been asked to take bloodthirsty revenge on Romeo by Lady Capulet and to pardon him by Montague. The Prince believes Benvolio's evidence and not the frantic accusations of Lady Capulet, and believes Romeo to be essentially innocent. That is why he does not sentence him to death. But, as he explains in this line, he cannot let Romeo go unpunished. If you go around pardoning out of mercy those that kill, you end up with a lot more people killing. Your mercy may save the life of this killer but not the lives of those who others will think they can kill with impunity.

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13y ago

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