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Justice can only be just by being merciful. If the body in power was not merciful and punished the offenders with the same punishment for the same act of wrongdoing it can fail to be completely just. There are other variables that should be considered before deciding the punishment. The degree, to which a crime is committed, the number of times it has been committed, to whom it has affected, and under what special circumstances …

…mercy because that is what he thought was moral. But in the end Javert’s beliefs in set laws conflicted with his morality and conscience. The mercy that is shown to Jean Valjean is shown to him as a reward for becoming a righteous person. Jean Valjean is a man who does the right thing for no compensation except for his own conscience. He does not expect any reward for what he does. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**