MEASURE FOR MEASURE. (WRITTEN ABOUT 1603.) INTRODUCTION. This is one of the darkest and most painful of the comedies of Shakespeare, but its darkness is lit by the central figure of Isabella, with her white passion of purity and of indignation against sin. The play deals with deep things of our humanity-with righteousness and charity, with self-deceit, and moral weakness and strength, even with life and death themselves. All that is soft, melodious, romantic, has disappeared from the style; it shows a fearless vigor, penetrating imagination, and much intellectual force and boldness." Its date is uncertain. Two passages (Act I., Sc. 1. L. 68-73, and Act II., Sc. IV., L. 24-29) have been conjectured to contain a courtly apology for King James I.'s stately and ungracious demeanor on his entry into England;" and possibly the revival in 1604 of a statute which punished with death any divorced person who married again while his or her former husband or wife was living, may have added point to one chief incident in the play. Shakespeare took the story from Whetstone's play Promos and Cassandra (1578), and the prose telling of the tale by the same author in his Heptameron of Civil Discourses (1582). Whetstone's original was a story in the Hecatomithi of Giraldi Cinthio. Shakespeare alters some of the incidents, making the Duke present in disguise throughout, preserving the honor of the heroine, and introducing the character of Mariana to take her wifely place by Angelo as a substitute for Isabella. Measure for Measure, like The Merchant of Venice, is remarkable for its great pleading scenes; and to Portia's ardor and intellectual force Isabella adds a noble severity of character, a devotion to an ideal of rectitude and purity, and a religious enthusiasm. In Vienna," where corruption boils and bubbles," appears this figure of virginal strength and uprightness; at the last she is to preside over the sinful city and perhaps to save it. She is almost "a thing ensky'd and sainted," yet she returns from the cloister to the world, there to fill her place as wife and Duchess. Angelo, at the outset, though he must be conscious of the wrong he has done to his betrothed, is more self-deceived than a deceiver. He does not know his own heart, and is severe against others in his imagined superiority to every possible temptation, A terrible abyss is opened to him in the evil passion of his own nature. The unmasking of the self-deceiver is not here, as in the happy comedies, a piece of the mirth of the play; it is painful and stern. The Duke acts throughout as a kind of overruling providence; he has the wisdom of the serpent, which he uses for good ends, and he looks through life with a steady gaze, which results in a justice and even tenderness towards others. Claudio is made chiefly to be saved by his sister, but he has a grace of youth and a clinging enjoyment of life and love, which interest us in him sufficiently for pity if not for admiration. The minor characters possess each his characteristic feature, but are less important individually than as representatives of the wide-spread social corruption and degradation which surround the chief characters, and form the soil on which they move and the air they breathe. "We never throughout the play get into the free open joyous atmosphere, so invigorating in other works of Shakespeare; the oppressive gloom of the prison, the foul breath of the house of shame, are only exchanged for the chilly damp of conventual walls, or the oppressive retirement of the monastery." ACT I. SCENE I. An apartment in the DUKE's palace. Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, Lords and Attendants. Duke. Escalus. Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfold, [course; Would seem in me to affect speech and disSince I am put to know that your own science Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice My strength can give you then no more remains, 11 †But that to your sufficiency....... I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an Attendant. What figure of us think you he will bear? For you must know, we have with special soul Elected him our absence to supply, Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love, And given his deputation all the organs Of our own power: what think you of it? Escal. If any in Vienna be of worth To undergo such ample grace and honor, It is Lord Angelo. Duke. Look where he comes. Enter ANGELO. 21 No more evasion : Duke. We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice Proceeded to you; therefore take your honors. Our haste from hence is of so quick condition That it prefers itself and leaves unquestion'd Matters of needful value. We shall write to you, As time and our concernings shall importune, How it goes with us, and do look to know What doth befall you here. So, fare you well: 60 To the hopeful execution do I leave you Of your commissions. Ang. Yet give leave, my lord, That we may bring you something on the way. Duke. My haste may not admit it; Nor need you, on mine honor, have to do With any scruple; your scope is as mine own So to enforce or qualify the laws As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand: 70 I'll privily away. I love the people, Escal. Lead forth and bring you back in happiness! Duke. Ithank you. Fare you well. [Exit. Escal. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave [cerns me To have free speech with you; and it conTo look into the bottom of my place : A power I have, but of what strength and nature I am not yet instructed. 80 Ang. Tis so with me. Let us withdraw Be stamp'd upon it. Sec. Gent. No? a dozen times at least. First Gent. What, in metre ? Lucio. In any proportion or in any language. First Gent. I think, or in any religion. Lucio, Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy: as, for example, thou thyself art a wicked villain, despite of all grace. First Gent. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us. Lucio. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet. Thou art the list. 31 First Gent. And thou the velvet thou art good velvet; thou'rt a three-piled piece, I warrant thee I had as lief be a list of an English kersey as be piled, as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak feelingly now? Lucio. I think thou dost ; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of thy speech: I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee. 40 First Gent. I think I have done myself wrong, have I not? Sec. Gent. Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free. Lucro, Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes! I have purchased as many diseases under her roof as come toSec. Gent. To what, I pray? Lucio. Judge. 51 Sec. Gent. To three thousand dolors a year. First Gent. Thou art always figuring diseases in me; but thou art full of error; am sound. Lucio. Nay, not as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee. Enter MISTRESS OVERDONE. First Gent. How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica ? Mrs. Ov. Well, well; there's one yonder arrested and carried to prison was worth five thousand of you all. Sec. Gent. Who's that, I pray thee? Mrs. Or. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio. First Gent. Claudio to prison? 'tis not so. Mrs. Or. Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested, saw him carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his head to be chopped off. 70 Lucio. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so. Art thou sure of this? Mrs. Oc. I am too sure of it and it is for getting Madam Julietta with child. : Lucio. Believe me, this may be he promised to meet me two hours since, and he was ever precise in promise-keeping. Sec. Gent. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the speech we had to such a purpose. First Gent. But, most of all, agreeing with the proclamation. 81 Lucio. Away! let's go learn the truth of it. [Exeunt Lucio and Gentlemen. Mrs. Ov. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what with the gallows and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk. Enter POMPEY. How now! what's the news with you? Pom. Yonder man is carried to prison. Mrs. Ov. Well; what has he done? Pom. A woman. 90 Mrs. Ov. But what's his offence ? Pom. Groping for trouts in a peculiar river. Mrs. Ov. What, is there a maid with child by him? Pom. No, but there's a woman with maid by him. You have not heard of the proclamation, have you? Mrs. Ov. What proclamation, man? Pom. All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be plucked down. Mrs. Ov. And what shall become of those in the city? 101 Pom. They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too, but that a wise burgher put in for them. Mrs. Ov. But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs be pulled down? Pom. To the ground, mistress. Mrs. Or. Why, here's a change indeed in the commonwealth! What shall become of me ? Pom. Come; fear you not good counsellors lack no clients: though you change your place, you need not change your trade; I'll be your tapster still. Courage there will be pity taken on you: you that have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you will be considered. Mrs. Ov. What's to do here, Thomas tapster? let's withdraw. Pom. Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the provost to prison; and there's Madam Juliet. [Exeunt. Enter PROVOST, CLAUDIO, JULIET, and Officers. Claud. Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world? 120 Bear me to prison, where I am committed. Claud. Thus can the demigod Authority Claud. From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty: 130 As surfeit is the father of much fast, Or whether that the body public be A horse whereon the governor doth ride, 170 Which have, like unscour'd armor, hung by the wall So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round And none of them been worn; and, for a name, Now puts the drowsy and neglected act Freshly on me: 'tis surely for a name. Lucio. I warrant it is: and thy head stands so tickle on thy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may sigh it off. Send after the duke and appeal to him. Claud. I have done so, but he's not to be found. 180 I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service : To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him : SCENE III. A monastery. Enter Duke and FRIAR THOMAS. Duke. No, holy father; throw away that thought; Believe not that the dribbling dart of love Can pierce a complete bosom. Why I desire thee To give me secret harbor, hath a purpose More grave and wrinkled than the aims and ends Of burning youth. Fri. T. May your grace speak of it: Duke. My holy sir, none better knows than you How I have ever loved the life removed keeps. I have deliver'd to Lord Angelo, 10 A man of stricture and firm abstinence, And so it is received. Now, pious sir, You will demand of me why I do this? Duke. We have strict statutes and most Duke. I do fear, too dreadful: Sith 'twas my fault to give the people scope, Twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them For what I bid them do for we bid this be done, When evil deeds have their permissive pass And not the punishment. Therefore indeed, my father, 40 I have on Angelo imposed the office; And yet my nature never in the fight I will, as 'twere a brother of your order, Visit both prince and people: therefore, I prithee, Supply me with the habit and instruct me 50 Lucio. Gentle and fair, your brother kindly greets you: Not to be weary with you, he's in prison. Lucio. For that which, if myself might be his judge, He should receive his punishment in thanks : It is true. 30 Isab. O, let him marry her. Lucio. This is the point. 51 The duke is very strangely gone from hence; 'Twixt you and your poor brother. 70 Isab. Doth he so seck his life? Lucio. Has censured him Already; and, as I hear, the provost hath A warrant for his execution. Isab. Alas! what poor ability's in me To do him good? |