Measure for Measure
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Summary
As the law of Vienna gets worse and crime goes up, the Duke Vincentio decided that he should go out into the streets and study what happens when he puts a substitute ruler in his place. He chooses Lord Angelo, a respected and highly praised man as the temporary ruler when he announces that he has been called out of the country. He really dresses as a friar with the help of his friend Friar Thomas and wanders the streets of Vienna.
Angelo’s first acts of business were to have prostitution houses knocked down and to imprison a young nobleman, Claudio. Claudio’s crime was that he had gotten his fiancée, Juliet, pregnant, which wasn’t an unusual occurrence. He admits to it and as he passes by his friend Lucio on the way to the prison he asks him to go to the convent and find his sister, Isabella and ask her to plead with Angelo. When Lucio tells Isabella, who is a novice, about her brother’s misfortunes she declares that in her youth she and Juliet were like cousins and agrees to go to Angelo and beg him to let Claudio go. At the same time, one of the Duke’s companions, Escalus, who knew Claudio’s father pleads with Angelo to let him go, Angelo responds by decreeing that Claudio would be executed the next day.
The disguised Duke talks to Juliet who tells him that she and Claudio are in love and that the sin was as much hers as Claudio’s.
Isabella, arriving at Angelo’s pleads his cause heartily and with passion, even had a little coaching from Lucio who knew the way to touch Angelo. Her imploring did not change Angelo’s mind, but her beauty and grace stirred something else. He told her to come again, and at their second meeting he is lusting for her so much that he throws away all etiquette. Angelo tells Isabella that she can win Claudio’s life, if she will sleep with him. Isabella is shocked and tells Angelo that she will expose him in public, but Angelo reminds her that no one would take her word over his.
Isabella goes to Claudio and tells him to prepare for his death. He is also shocked at Angelo’s proposal, but in the end the fear of death overcomes him and he begs his sister to give into Angelo. This show of cowardice from her brother infuriates Isabella, but the Duke, still dressed as a friar, had overheard the conversation. Her takes Isabella aside and tells her of a way to keep her virginity and to get her brother free. Five years ago Angelo was betrothed to a lady named Mariana, but he broke off the engagement. Mariana is still in love with Angelo, so the Duke proposed that Isabella have Mariana take her place at the appointed time and place, where it will be dark.
After Mariana agrees, Isabella awaits her brother’s release. So does the Duke, talking with the jail keeper in the meantime. Angelo, afraid of public exposure, has word sent to the jail keeper that Claudio shall die right away and his head brought to him as reassurance. The Duke convinces the jail keeper to hide Claudio in another room and send the head of another prisoner who had died of natural causes. When Isabella comes to ask of her brother the Duke informs her that he is dead, and that the Duke will be returning, then she can expose Angelo and bring about his downfall.
Angelo is also informed of Claudio’s death and the Duke’s return. When he is alone he confesses that is regrets taking advantage of Isabella and killing Claudio.
When the Duke comes back he is greeted by a grand celebration, but when the time came Isabella and Mariana, veiled, step forward and confront the Duke. Isabella accuses Angelo of violating her virginity. The Duke has her arrested for wrongly accusing a man of high birth. Mariana claims that Angelo is her husband, but he denies it. The Duke asks to see the friar who had told the women to confront him like this and makes an excuse to leave.
When the Duke returns he is dressed as the friar and before the crowd he criticizes the government. Escalus orders his arrest and is backed up by Lucio who said that the friar had spoken to him about how the Duke liked his wine and also enjoyed whorehouses from time to time. When Lucio takes off the friar’s hood the crowd is stunned that it is the Duke himself. Angelo confesses his crimes and is sentenced to wed Mariana then to be put to death. Mariana and Isabella plead for his life so the Duke relents and Angelo only has to marry. Claudio is taken out of prison and strongly advised to marry Juliet. Lucio is sentenced to marry a prostitute and Duke Vincentio asks Isabella for her hand in marriage.
Measure for Measure can seem very problematic with its prostitutes and Angelo’s supposed rape of Isabella. Shakespeare wrote his plays for his audience, who the majority of were regular Londoners. They appreciated the vulgarity of the plays, just like nowadays they would appreciate a soap opera. The first time through the play the reader/playgoer tends to find Isabella the damsel in distress and heroine while Angelo is the villain, corrupt with power. Isabella’s case is a tough one, but she spends more time speaking of her innocence than really taking much action and Angelo is only acting on his animal instincts. He tells Isabella that he loves her, but he is only mistaking his lust for love. Mariana’s part is small, but she keeps quite a few out of trouble; ending up with a prize and a punishment for Angelo. The Duke seems to understand humans very well, knowing that sometime “sins” are just human nature. He watches as things grow worse and is always there right on time to give someone a push here or there to make their situation not so horrible. Even though the plight of Claudio and Juliet is what the play revolves around, they aren’t fully developed as characters.
Lord Angelo – (1.1, lines 23-5) to the Duke of his decision for his substitute “Escalus: If any in Vienna be of worth / To undergo such ample grace and honor, / It is Lord Angelo” – Angelo is a respected man, and in the court there was agreement of who should take the Duke’s place.
Isabella – (2.2, lines 135-152) Isabella pleading with Angelo for Claudio’s release “O, it is excellent / To have a giant’s strength, but it is tyrannous / To use it like a giant . . . ” – Isabella goes on for a while longer describing how Jove (the thunder god) does not abuse his power, and so on. She tends to speak at great length for things that can be explained quite simply.
(3.1, line 58-on) When Isabella goes to tell Claudio of Angelo’s offer it takes her a while to get to the point, which probably aggravates her brother; he has to prompt her over and over until he gets the gist of it.
(1.2, lines 44-51) speaking of a prostitute who had just entered “Lucio: Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof as to come to – Second Gentleman: To what, I pray? Lucio: Judge. [Guess] Second Gentleman: To three thousand dolors a year. First Gentleman: Ay, and more. Lucio: A French crown more.” – “three thousand dolors a year” – dolors means “disease” and “pains”, which when referred to the previous line of “purchasing” diseases plays a pun on “dollars”. “French crown” refers to both the coin and diseases transmitted on contact called the “French disease” in England.
(2.4, lines 44-51) Angelo leading up to his proposition with Isabella “It were as good to pardon him that have made, as to remit / Their saucy sweetness that do coin God’s image in stamps that are forbid. ‘Tis all as easy / falsely to take away a life true made / As to put metal in restrained means / To make a false one.” – Angelo uses the metaphor of counterfeiting coins to say that those who act lustfully and who’s acts have brought about unlawfully begotten children should be pardoned. “Metal” is played on by mettle (spirit) and “restrained” meaning “forbidden” and “illegal”.
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