Measure for Measure | Other Characters (Descriptions)
Abhorson
He is the executioner at the prison where Claudio is being held. His role in the play is a minor one. In IV.ii.21-60 when the provost offers him the bawd Pompey as an apprentice, Abhorson initially objects, arguing that Pompey will "discredit" the executioner's profession. In IV.iii.20-65, Abhorson is prevented from executing Barnardine because that prisoner is too drunk to be prepared for death. While Abhorson's encounters with Pompey and Barnardine are comical, his presence in the play also functions as a grim reminder that Claudio has been sentenced to death.
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