Measure for Measure Group at eNotes

I'm currently playing the Duke in a production of Measure in Redlands,...

Wed, 6 May 2009 11:19:34 PST

I'm currently playing the Duke in a production of Measure in Redlands, CA. When I first started rehearsals, I asked the same questions you did about him. The Duke is a man-child at the start of the show. He has vlountarily isolated himself from the rest of the world, and as a result, is immature. I think his character arc goes from child to adult during this play. When he is forced to see that there are consequences for his actions, through...

-the Duke decides to give him a chance through the use of the "bed...

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:46:52 PST

-the Duke decides to give him a chance through the use of the "bed trick." If Angelo is really a good man, he will change his mind when Isabella (Mariana) comes to him in the dark. But he doesn't, of course, and I think the Duke, at this point, would have merely forced him to marry Mariana to set an example for the rest of the city. However, Angelo gets his way sexually, and then FAILS to keep his end of the bargain! He demands Claudio's head...

Hi. This is a response to lrosenb, and hopefully the start of a...

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:04:38 PST

Hi. This is a response to lrosenb, and hopefully the start of a conversation. I had the same doubts and questions about the Duke upon the first reading of the text. For all of his power, clever disguising and manipulation of the other characters (esp. Angelo, Isabella & Claudio) - in the end, he comes across as devious and rather "ineffectual." So, why does he do all of this to begin with? Why "pretend to go to Poland?" Why leave Angelo...

How on earth can one play the part of the Duke without his seeming...

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 12:40:54 PST

How on earth can one play the part of the Duke without his seeming merely a big bore who moves the plot forward? Are there interesting sides to his character that one might at least explore and try to convey to an audience? What makes him a fully rounded person? I'm so used to Shakespeare's great characters, this one is giving me headaches. Help!

Government is an interesting question - and one of the questions...

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:12:06 PST

Government is an interesting question - and one of the questions "Measure for Measure" keeps asking is what constitutes good or bad government?The Duke abdicates his office at the very beginning of the play, leaving Angelo in charge (nobody knows precisely why he does this - lots of speculation, but no absolute and total explanation given in the play). The Duke has let everything slide, he says: We have strict statutes and most...

Could someone give me a starting point for discussing the issue of...

Sun, 9 Nov 2008 13:41:39 PST

Could someone give me a starting point for discussing the issue of government in "Measure for Measure"?

It depends on what you mean by dramatic effect--it's a sound effect that...

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:47:57 PST

It depends on what you mean by dramatic effect--it's a sound effect that can simply mean that someone is at the door. However, if it contributes to any of the above themes--say, someone needs to disguise himself because there's someone at the door, you could make the argument that they add to the dramatic effect. Also, remember that Shakespeare rarely wrote stage directions other than entrances and exits. Most stage directions were added by...

what about the usage of stage direction, such as the knocking on the...

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 19:09:16 PST

what about the usage of stage direction, such as the knocking on the doors? does it contribute to the dramatic effects of the play?

What creates drama in the play is the portrayal of the conflicts...

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:51:24 PST

What creates drama in the play is the portrayal of the conflicts between opposing forces - Justice and self interest, sex and innocence, desire and self denial. The audience is asked to respond to the plight of characters caught up in these conflicts. For instance Isabella is caught between her desire to remain pure and become a nun and Angelo's desire for her. Therefore the audience sympathises with her when he blackmails her with her...

Dramatic Effects of "Measure for Measure"?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:26:15 PST

What are the dramatic effects of this play?

As is true in most cases of comic relief, the existence of a comic...

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:56:08 PST

As is true in most cases of comic relief, the existence of a comic character or subplot in a story fraught with dramatic tension helps to establish a pacing for the story's mood. If too much tension and suspense is built upon the audience, then the later scenes lose their dramatic impact. However, if the dramatic moments are lightened by comedic elements, then the audience is put at ease. Then, when the next moment of drama occurs, the...

The play Measure for Measure by written William Shakespear does not with...

Tue, 20 May 2008 05:02:55 PST

The play Measure for Measure by written William Shakespear does not with its title.Angeke who considers himself a man of virtue who works with the law and punishes anyone who offended the law is not given a fair share of punishment when he breaks the law himsslf. he is only forgiven.A woman like miss overdone who out of mercy takes care of Locio's illegal child is rather put in prison bacause she did not get anyone to plead on her...

What is the function of the comic sub plot in "Measure for...

Sun, 18 May 2008 15:26:31 PST

What is the function of the comic sub plot in "Measure for Measure?"

Considering that this play is all about the potential corruption of...

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:20:40 PST

Considering that this play is all about the potential corruption of people in power, I would say that the quote, "The law makers are the law breakers" would refer to the fact that Duke Vincentio is trying to catch those people of Vienna who are using their power for their own gain, rather than for the good of the people of Vienna. The people in power, "the law makers," have become those who simply do what they want to...

In "Measure for Measure," explain the statement "The law...

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:57:41 PST

In "Measure for Measure," explain the statement "The law makers are the law breakers."

There are a couple of ways that critics view the marriages in the play....

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:30:48 PST

There are a couple of ways that critics view the marriages in the play. One view is to see the marriages as a way for the men to reassert their control over females. Others see the marriages as a way of restoring balance between the sexes. There is no doubt that a double standard exists for men and women in society, especially regarding sex outside of wedlock. If a man and woman engaged in sex before marriage, it was blamed on the woman, who...

Some argue that the Duke's orchestrated series of betrothals and...

Fri, 11 May 2007 13:18:44 PST

Some argue that the Duke's orchestrated series of betrothals and weddings function as a way of reasserting male control over females. By contrast, others see the marriages as a method of restoring balance between the sexes. You could argue either one of these for your paper.

What role does marriage have in Measure for Measure?

Fri, 11 May 2007 12:58:51 PST

What role does marriage have in Measure for Measure?

To be honest, I'm not sure we see enough of the female communities to...

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:17:31 PST

To be honest, I'm not sure we see enough of the female communities to compare them as collective units…but that quibble aside, we can make some observations of similarities. First and most simply, whether we're talking about the convent or the house of prostitution, they exist as partial enclaves within regimes of masculine power and legality. Two related points follow. These communities exist in part to protect women from men—and they...

In Chapter 3, how do the different feminine communities in Measure for...

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:56:22 PST

In Chapter 3, how do the different feminine communities in Measure for Measure suggest similarities between them (Isabella, Mariana, and Mistress Overdone?)