Study Questions for Measure for Measure
Act One, Scene One
In the first scene of the play, the Duke of Vienna is preparing to leave the city on secret business, and he delegates his authority to a young magistrate, Angelo, who will be representative of the Duke, and an older counselor, Escalus.Act One, Scene Two
Lucio is a dissolute young nobleman who likes to hang out with the low life of the city. In this scene, Lucio and two of his friends are discussing the possibility that Vienna will go to war. In the middle of the scene, they learn that another friend, Claudio, has been arrested for getting his finacee, Julietta, pregnant. The news is delivered by Mistress Overdone, who runs a brothel, who also announces that all the houses of prostitution outside Vienna are being closed. Further in the scene, Claudio himself is led on stage by the arresting officers.Act One, Scene Three
In this scene, the Duke reveals his intentions to return to Vienna dressed as friar, a member of a Catholic religious order, in order to observe the effects of his absence on the city.Act One, Scene Four
In this scene, we meet Isabella, the sister of Claudio, who is a novice, or nun-in-training, preparing to take her final vows in order to join the Order of Saint Clare. Also known as the Poor Clares, this Catholic order was founded in Assisi, Italy in 1212. The nuns of the order wore white habits or uniforms. Lucio visits Isabella at the convent in order to inform her of Claudio's imprisonment and to ask her to intercede on behalf of her brother.Act Two, Scene One
The scene begins with a brief dialogue between Angelo and Escalus about the nature of justice and mercy. The bulk of the scene involves the trial of a set of comic low-life characters from the bad part of town. The main players are: Elbow, the local constable (an elected position from the local citizenry); Froth, a customer at the tavern/brothel where Pompey works as a "tapster" - a bartender who "taps" beer, but also a pimp or bawd who sets up dates among prostitutes and clients. Constable Elbow is accusing Froth of propositioning Elbow's pregnant wife; Pompey is acting as a kind of lawyer for Froth, his customer.Act Two, Scene Two
This is the first of two major interviews between Isabella and Angelo. Isabella petitions Angelo for mercy in the case of Claudio. She argues that Angelo needs to look into his own heart to see if he has any of the same capacities for sin that Claudio has demonstrated in his actions. If he finds the same inclinations in himself, Angelo needs to exercise mercy.DISCUSSION QUESTION:
What arguments for mercy does Isabella make? If everyone is prone to a "natural guiltiness," even Angelo, and hence should not judge others for their faults, does any basis for human justice remain? Is "mercy" very effective as a legal principle? What are its limitations?Act Two, Scene Four
This is the second interview between Angelo and Isabella. Angelo tries to strike a bargain with Isabella: if she sleeps with him, he will pardon Claudio. Now Angelo urges Isabella to be "merciful" - in a sexual sense - while Isabella insists on chastity at any cost, becoming an exponent of the law.DISCUSSION QUESTION:
The scene ends with Isabella's resolution, "Then, Isabel, live chaste, and, brother, die; / More than our brother is our chastity" (III.i.183-84). Do you agree or disagree with Isabella's decision? What are the grounds of her decision, legal, logical, religious, emotional, tempermental, or other? In the world of the play, does her decision make sense? Are we meant to agree with it? (The class may want to stage a debate or formal discussion, with arguments and counterarguments, on this point, using textual evidence from the play, OR present two alternative dramatic readings of the speech.)Act Three, Scene One
In this long and important scene, the Duke, disguised as friar and in the office of father-confessor, tries to ready Claudio for death. Claudio vacillates between resignation and resistance. He does not come across as a strong personality, but certainly as a very human one. Then Isabella brings to Claudio Angelo's bargain; she is appalled when he urges her to accept the offer, and in effect disowns him. Meanwhile, the Duke-Friar has been overhearing the entire interchange, and comes up with an alternate plan. Angelo had dumped his own fiancée, a young woman named Mariana, when she had lost her dowry. She now languishes unmarriagable in a remote farmhouse attached to a monstary outside the city ("the moated grange" near "St. Luke's" (III.i.262). The Duke proposes that Mariana go in Isabella's place to sleep with Angelo, thereby securing Claudio's pardon, preserving Isabella's virginity, and consummating her own pre-contract with Angelo.DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Read the conversation between Claudio and Isabella out loud as a class, leading up to Isabella's response. How would you characterize her response? Reasonable or unreasonable? Appropriate to the situation, or going beyond it? Discuss the ratio of logos, ethos, and pathos in this speech. What is the logical argument of the speech? What are the key terms of that argument? Do they make sense to you? To what extent do those key terms themselves become vehicles of passion or pathos? What does the speech's mix of logos and pathos reveal to you about Isabella's ethos or character? Can you imagine two distinct ways of staging this speech (based on two sets of answers to these questions)? (The class may want to divide into groups in order to present opposing interpretations of Isabella's response.)Act Three, Scene Two
In this comic scene some of the low-life characters return. Pompey, the bawd or pimp, has been arrested once again, and his friend Lucio will not stand up from him. Lucio slanders the Duke, not realizing to whom he is speaking. Mistress Overdone is also arrested.Act Four, Scene One
In this scene, we meet Mariana at the "moated grange" outside the city. In this scene, the terms of the bedtrick are sealed.Act Four, Scene Two
In this comic/low-life scene, Pompey the bawd, under arrest, is now employed as a helper to the executioner, Abhorson. Together, they will have to assist in the execution of Claudio, unless he is pardoned. The Duke fully expects this pardon to arrive, but is sorely disappointed.Act Four, Scene Three
Another prison scene. Barnardine is brought forward to be executed, but is deemed unfit to die. Conveniently the Provost produces the corpse of a pirate, Ragozine, who has just died in prison of a fever. This head, shaved, will resemble Claudio's, and thus provides the necessary delay. When Isabella comes onto the stage, the Duke chooses not to inform her that Claudio is still alive, choosing instead to present Angelo's refusal of pardon as an executed command.DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Why do you think the Duke decides not to tell Isabella the full story? Do you think this was a good decision on the Duke's part? On Shakespeare's part? (The class may want to act out this part of the scene and/or take sides. Are there different ways to interpret, and stage, the Duke's motives?)Act Four, Scenes Four, Five and Six
These short scenes tie up various loose ends in preparation for the Duke's return to Vienna. Angelo and Escalus are informed that they will redeliver their authorities to the Duke at the gates of the city, and that petioners will be invited to make complaints. Friar Peter has received secret instructions from the Duke. Isabella and Mariana have been instructed by the Duke to make their complaints "indirectly" - to lead Angelo on in the fiction that he has achieved his ends.Act Five, Scene One
This long scene constitutes the final act of the play. In it, Angelo and Escalus return their authority to the Duke, but only after Mariana and Isabella make their public grievance. Thinking that her brother is dead, Isabella will find herself defending Angelo before the Duke (but on whose account?), and at the end of the play, she will find herself the recipient of an unlikely marriage proposal. The following questions are meant to be reading and discussion questions, since much of the meaning of the play hangs on these final marriages.