The Merchant of Venice: Act IV sc i - Portia

Find and highlight these techniques in the speech:
metaphor
alliteration
repetition

Answer the following questions using quotes where applicable:
How does Portia describe mercy? How important and powerful is it? She describes it as being mightiest in the mightiest obviously describing what she believes as very powerful action. She beleives that the quality of it is 'not strained' meaning that its qualities are limitless. This obviously means a lot too her and she see's it as something very important and powerful.
What can one achieve through mercy?
How is religion part of this speech? (You need to do some thinking on this one.) Portia brings God and religion quite a lot into this speech. She compares the power of mercy to something like God's, "And earthly power doth then show likest God's". 
PORTIA

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
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;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.