Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare (Act Wise Analysis)

 

Measure for Measure

by William Shakespeare

(Act Wise Analysis) 

Act 1

 

Scene 1:

- Setting: Vienna

- Key Characters: Duke Vincentio, Angelo, Escalus

The Duke, Vincentio, announces he is leaving Vienna and appoints Angelo as his deputy to enforce the laws that have been ignored. Vincentio intends to leave in disguise to observe how Angelo rules. He believes Angelo will restore order but also wants to test the man’s integrity.

 

Scene 2:

- Setting: A street in Vienna

- Key Characters: Claudio, Juliet, Lucio, and other citizens

Claudio and Juliet are in trouble because they have been caught in a pre-marital affair. Claudio is arrested for the crime of fornication, and Juliet is left in a precarious position. Claudio's friend Lucio tries to help him, revealing that Claudio is distraught and that Juliet is pregnant. Claudio’s fate is uncertain, and he seeks help from his friends.

 

Scene 3:

- Setting: A Friary

- Key Characters: Isabella, Mariana, the Duke (in disguise as a friar)

Isabella, a novice nun and Claudio's sister, learns of Claudio’s arrest. She is devastated and wants to appeal to Angelo for clemency. The Duke, disguised as a friar, advises her to plead for her brother’s life.

 

 Themes and Analysis

 

1. Justice vs. Mercy:

   - The play begins with a focus on the strict enforcement of laws. Angelo represents the harsh, unyielding aspect of justice, while Isabella, seeking mercy for her brother, embodies the need for compassion and forgiveness.

 

2. Power and Corruption:

   - Angelo’s appointment as deputy is meant to restore order, but it also introduces the theme of corruption. His rigid adherence to the law contrasts with his own moral failings, suggesting that power can corrupt and distort one’s values.

 

3. Disguise and Deception:

   - The Duke’s choice to disguise himself as a friar introduces a theme of deception. This not only allows him to observe Angelo’s rule but also sets up the complex web of mistaken identities and misunderstandings that will unfold.

 

4. Moral and Ethical Dilemmas:

   - The conflict between law and personal morality is central. Claudio’s predicament raises questions about the nature of justice and the role of personal integrity. The play examines whether strict adherence to the law is always just or whether individual circumstances should influence decisions.

 

5. The Role of Women:

   - Isabella’s role as a novice nun highlights the limited agency of women in this society. Her fight for her brother’s life is both a personal and a societal struggle, underscoring the play's exploration of gender and power dynamics.

 

Act 1 sets the stage for the moral and ethical questions that will be explored throughout the play. It introduces characters who will face significant challenges and dilemmas, setting up a complex narrative that blends comedy, drama, and social commentary.

 

Act 2

 

Act 2 of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure is a pivotal part of the play, further developing the complex themes of justice, morality, and authority.

 

Scene 1:

- Characters: Escalus and Angelo

- Summary: Escalus and Angelo discuss the recent events and the enforcement of laws. Angelo reveals his strict stance on morality, which contrasts with Escalus's more lenient view.

- Analysis: This scene highlights the conflict between justice and mercy. Angelo’s harsh enforcement of the laws, particularly his decision to execute Claudio for fornication, sets up a central tension in the play. Escalus's more compassionate approach foreshadows the later conflicts and questions about the nature of justice.

 

 Scene 2:

- Characters: Mariana, Isabella, Angelo, and various minor characters.

- Summary: Mariana, Angelo’s former fiancée, is introduced. Isabella, Claudio’s sister, pleads with Angelo for her brother’s life. Angelo agrees to spare Claudio but only if Isabella agrees to sleep with him.

- Analysis: The subplot involving Mariana reveals more about Angelo’s character. His proposition to Isabella exposes his hypocrisy and moral corruption. Isabella’s response to Angelo’s demand underscores her own commitment to her principles and sets up the dramatic tension for the ensuing scenes. This scene is crucial for understanding the moral complexities and the power dynamics at play.

 

 Scene 3:

- Characters: Lucio, Mistress Overdone, and various minor characters.

- Summary: Lucio’s conversation with Mistress Overdone reveals more about the corruption and moral decay in Vienna. This scene provides comic relief but also highlights the contrast between the public and private morality of the characters.

- Analysis: Lucio’s dialogue is both humorous and revealing. It exposes the hypocrisy of those who enforce the laws while indulging in vice themselves. This scene adds depth to the play’s exploration of corruption and societal failings.

 

 Scene 4:

- Characters: Isabella and the Duke (disguised as a friar).

- Summary: Isabella seeks counsel from the Duke, who is disguised as a friar. The Duke listens to Isabella’s plight and offers advice while secretly planning how to address the situation.

- Analysis: This scene is critical for the development of the Duke’s character. His role as a disguised observer allows him to gather information and devise a plan to address the moral and legal issues in Vienna. It also shows Isabella’s resolve and the depth of her moral convictions.

 

 Themes:

1. Justice vs. Mercy: The tension between strict justice and compassionate mercy is a recurring theme. Angelo’s rigid enforcement contrasts with Escalus’s leniency and Isabella’s moral steadfastness.

2. Hypocrisy: Angelo’s behavior exposes the hypocrisy of those who publicly uphold moral standards while privately failing to adhere to them.

3. Power and Corruption: The play explores how power can corrupt and how those in positions of authority can exploit their power for personal gain.

 

Overall, Act 2 of Measure for Measure deepens the exploration of these themes and sets the stage for the dramatic conflicts and resolutions that follow.

 

Act 3

Act 3 of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure is pivotal as it intensifies the central conflicts and develops the characters' motivations and dilemmas.

 

 Scene 1:

- Characters: Claudio, Juliet, Isabella, Provost

- Summary: Isabella visits Claudio in prison to plead for his life. Claudio is resigned to his fate, but Isabella is determined to save him. This scene highlights Isabella's moral and emotional struggle, setting up her later decisions.

 

 Scene 2:

- Characters: Angelo, Isabella, Mariana

- Summary: Isabella approaches Angelo to plead for Claudio's life, and Angelo offers to spare Claudio if Isabella will sleep with him. Isabella is horrified and refuses. This scene deepens the theme of corruption and hypocrisy, as Angelo, who initially appeared stern and unyielding, reveals his own moral failings.

 

 Scene 3:

- Characters: Isabella, Mariana, Duke (disguised as Friar Lodowick)

- Summary: The Duke, disguised as a friar, devises a plan involving Mariana, Angelo’s former betrothed who was abandoned by him. Mariana will take Isabella’s place to fulfill Angelo’s corrupt bargain. This plan introduces a complex scheme that drives the rest of the play's action.

 

 Scene 4:

- Characters: Angelo, Mariana, Duke (disguised as Friar Lodowick)

- Summary: Mariana and Angelo's arrangement unfolds, with Mariana pretending to be Isabella. The Duke, still in disguise, observes the events. This scene further complicates the plot and underscores themes of disguise and deception.

 

 Scene 5:

- Characters: Isabella, Duke (disguised as Friar Lodowick)

- Summary: Isabella and the Duke (still in disguise) discuss the predicament and the moral implications of Angelo’s demands. Isabella’s distress is evident as she grapples with her choices and the injustice she witnesses.

 

 Key Themes and Analysis:

1. Justice vs. Mercy: The play continues to explore the tension between strict justice and compassionate mercy. Isabella’s moral integrity is contrasted with Angelo’s hypocrisy.

2. Corruption and Hypocrisy: Angelo's fall from a seemingly strict enforcer of the law to a man who abuses his power for personal gain highlights the corrupting influence of power and the gap between appearance and reality.

3. Disguise and Deception: The Duke’s disguise as Friar Lodowick is central to the plot. It allows him to observe and manipulate events from behind the scenes, raising questions about identity and the effectiveness of deception in achieving justice.

4. Moral Dilemmas: Isabella’s moral struggle to protect her brother while maintaining her chastity challenges the audience to consider the complexities of ethical decision-making.

 

Act 3 is crucial for setting up the resolution of the play's conflicts and preparing for the final act, where the various plot threads are brought together.

 

Act 4

In Act 4 of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, the action intensifies as the complexities of justice, morality, and identity come to a head.

 

 Act 4, Scene 1

Summary:

- The Duke’s Disguise: The Duke, disguised as a friar, meets with Isabella and Mariana. He reveals his plan to save Claudio by substituting a different head in his place. This scene reveals the Duke’s elaborate scheming and his manipulation of various characters to achieve his goals.

- The Plot Unfolds: The Duke arranges for Isabella to agree to Mariana's plan, which involves a bed trick. Mariana will take Isabella's place in the bedchamber to deceive Angelo, who has demanded Isabella's virtue in exchange for Claudio's life.

 

Themes:

- Deception and Disguise: The Duke's use of disguise continues to be a major theme. His manipulation highlights the play’s exploration of the nature of authority and justice.

- Virtue and Morality: Isabella's struggle with her own moral values is central here. She must navigate the challenge of saving her brother while remaining virtuous herself.

 

 Act 4, Scene 2

Summary:

- Mariana’s Role: Mariana, in Isabella’s place, spends the night with Angelo, who is unaware of the deception. This scene is crucial for the resolution of Claudio’s fate, as it shows how Mariana's willingness to deceive Angelo plays a key role in the Duke’s plan.

- The Duke’s Plan in Motion: The Duke, still in disguise, observes the developments. His manipulations of various characters, including his own role as a friar, underline the theme of control and intervention in human affairs.

 

Themes:

- Justice and Mercy: The bed trick orchestrated by the Duke serves to uphold the themes of justice and mercy. By deceiving Angelo, the Duke aims to correct the wrongs of the past and ensure justice is served.

- Sexual Morality: The bed trick scene continues to explore themes of sexual morality and virtue, questioning how far one should go to achieve justice.

 

 Act 4, Scene 3

Summary:

- The Duke’s Intervention: The Duke’s plans continue to unfold as he brings together several characters to reveal the truth of the situation. This scene sets the stage for the resolution of the major conflicts in the play.

 

Themes:

- Resolution and Reconciliation: This scene begins to tie up loose ends and set up the final resolutions of the play’s various conflicts, particularly those related to justice and forgiveness.

 

Overall, Act 4 of Measure for Measure is crucial in moving the play towards its resolution. The Duke's machinations are pivotal, revealing both his cunning and his moral complexities. The themes of deception, justice, and morality are explored in depth, setting up the final act's resolution of the play's central conflicts.

 

Act 5

Act 5 of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure is the climax and resolution of the play's complex plot.

 

 Summary

Scene 1:

The Duke, disguised as a friar, has been observing the events unfold. He arranges a public trial where he reveals his true identity and the various deceptions that have occurred. The Duke announces the pardons and resolutions of various characters’ fates.

Scene 2:

This scene focuses on the resolution of the main characters’ storylines. Isabella, who has been pleading for her brother Claudio's life, is eventually revealed to be a key figure in the Duke's plan. Angelo's hypocrisy is exposed, and he is forced to marry Mariana, whom he had previously wronged. Claudio is revealed to be alive, and his engagement to Juliet is restored. The Duke proposes marriage to Isabella, although she remains ambiguous in her response, allowing the audience to interpret her choice.

 

 Themes and Analysis

Justice and Mercy:

The play’s exploration of justice and mercy culminates in Act 5. The Duke, who has been hiding his true identity, uses his authority to restore order and enact justice. The act demonstrates a balance between strict enforcement of the law and the need for mercy, reflecting the play’s central theme.

Hypocrisy and Corruption:

Angelo’s downfall highlights the theme of hypocrisy. His harsh enforcement of the law contrasts with his own moral failings, underscoring the play’s critique of those in power who fail to live up to their own standards.

Restoration and Forgiveness:

The act is marked by reconciliation and forgiveness. Characters who have been wronged or who have wronged others are given opportunities for redemption. The Duke’s plan to restore order and resolve conflicts reflects the play’s emphasis on the possibility of forgiveness and new beginnings.

Marriage and Morality:

The play concludes with multiple marriages, which serve as a resolution to the conflicts and moral questions posed throughout the play. The Duke's proposal to Isabella is significant as it challenges traditional notions of morality and the role of women.

Ambiguity:

The ending is deliberately ambiguous, especially regarding Isabella’s response to the Duke’s proposal. This ambiguity invites audience interpretation and discussion about the play’s messages on power, morality, and personal choice.

 

Act 5 brings closure to the play’s intricate plot, tying together its themes and offering resolutions that reflect both the complexities and the potential for redemption in human behavior.