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Product Description
A young woman is offered the choice of saving her brother's life at the price of her own chastity.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio Cassette
Measure for Measure is seldom read, and not often performed in the United States. Why? Although many of Shakespeare's plays deal bluntly with sexual issues, Measure for Measure does so in an unusually ugly and disgusting way for Shakespeare. This play is probably best suited for adults, as a result.
I see Measure for Measure as closest to The Merchant of Venice in its themes. Of the two plays, I prefer Measure for Measure for its unremitting look at the arbitrariness of laws, public hypocrisy and private venality, support for virtue, and encouragement of tempering public justice with common sense and mercy.
The play opens with Duke Vincentio turning over his authority to his deputy, Angelo. But while the duke says he is leaving for Poland, he in fact remains in Vienna posing as a friar. Angelo begins meting out justice according to the letter of the law. His first act is to condemn Claudio to death for impregnating Juliet. The two are willing to marry, but Angelo is not interested in finding a solution. In despair, Claudio gets word to his sister, the beautiful Isabella, that he is to be executed and prays that she will beg for mercy. Despite knowing that Isabella is a virgin novice who is about to take her vows, Angelo cruelly offers to release Claudio of Isabella will make herself sexually available to Angelo. The Duke works his influence behind the scenes to help create justice.
Although this play is a "comedy" in Shakespearean terms, the tension throughout is much more like a tragedy. In fact, there are powerful scenes where Shakespeare draws on foolish servants of the law to make his points clear. These serve a similar role of lessening the darkness to that of the gravediggers in Hamlet.
One of the things I like best about Measure for Measure is that the resolution is kept hidden better than in most of the comedies. As a result, the heavy and rising tension is only relieved right at the end. The relief you will feel at the end of act five will be very great, if you are like me.
After you read this play, I suggest that you compare Isabella and Portia. Why did Shakespeare choose two such strong women to be placed at the center of establishing justice? Could it have anything to do with wanting to establish the rightness of the heart? If you think so, reflect that both Isabella and Portia are tough in demanding that what is right be done. After you finish thinking about those two characters, you may also enjoy comparing King Lear and Claudio. What was their fault? What was their salvation? Why? What point is Shakespeare making? Finally, think about Angelo. Is he the norm or the exception in society? What makes someone act like Angelo does here? What is a person naturally going to do in his situation?
Look for fairness in all that you say and do!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
A valuable teaching aid for English and pol sci
24 Jun 1999
Format:Audio Cassette
The rival set on Harper is a much more elegant reading of <Measure For Measure> with Gielgud and Richardson as Deputy and Duke. On the other hand, this is much more lively performance. Perhaps the Duke of Roger Allam is a little less noble than one expects in this role; but Simon Russell's Angelo is sufficiently villainous and Stella Gonet's Isabella is a strong one. The rest of the cast keeps things moving at a good clip. The tale of the Governor Who Lets Things Go Too Far is a very timely one in any age. Picture the present Mayor of New York's problems with law enforcement in a city that put political correctness before the safety of its citizens. And need we point out the obvious link with a High Official who uses his office to gain sexual favors from young women? And they say Shakespeare has nothing to say to a modern audience!!! This play should be studied in Political Science classes as well as in English ones.
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