In my Shakespeare class we recently read the "problem comedy" Measure for Measure. The action of Measure for Measure commences with the Duke’s reflection that due to lax law enforcement in the city of Vienna, “liberty plucks justice by the nose/…and quite athwart/ Goes all decorum” (I. iii. 29-31). Believing himself to blame, the Duke decides that he cannot be the one to discipline the citizens, and thus decides to temporarily leave Vienna and appoint the austere Lord Angelo as deputy in his place, to restore order to the city through strict punishment. In fact, the Duke only pretends to leave the city, but remains behind disguised as a Friar. Angelo’s first act is to sentence a young man, Claudio, to death for fornication. When Claudio’s sister, a young postulant nun named Isabella, comes to Angelo to plead for his release, Angelo becomes passionately enraptured by her. I won’t give away more, but suffice to say, this play is full of surprises, including a “bed trick” and a “head trick.” The play is dark and disturbing but excellent, and I had the pleasure of watching it performed by the Reed theatre. I highly recommend it.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Measure for Measure
In my Shakespeare class we recently read the "problem comedy" Measure for Measure. The action of Measure for Measure commences with the Duke’s reflection that due to lax law enforcement in the city of Vienna, “liberty plucks justice by the nose/…and quite athwart/ Goes all decorum” (I. iii. 29-31). Believing himself to blame, the Duke decides that he cannot be the one to discipline the citizens, and thus decides to temporarily leave Vienna and appoint the austere Lord Angelo as deputy in his place, to restore order to the city through strict punishment. In fact, the Duke only pretends to leave the city, but remains behind disguised as a Friar. Angelo’s first act is to sentence a young man, Claudio, to death for fornication. When Claudio’s sister, a young postulant nun named Isabella, comes to Angelo to plead for his release, Angelo becomes passionately enraptured by her. I won’t give away more, but suffice to say, this play is full of surprises, including a “bed trick” and a “head trick.” The play is dark and disturbing but excellent, and I had the pleasure of watching it performed by the Reed theatre. I highly recommend it.
I saw this in Stratford on Avon! But I barely remember anything and I've never read it, so I think I'll add it to my "To Read" list - I'm still moving, slowly, through America in the King Years, vol. 3. But I'll get there! Maybe I'll look at The List and see how many of Shakespeare's plays I've not read. Certainly I've missed several histories and some of the obscure ones. And, even if I keep re-reading them, I'll probably never remember which is which among As You Like It, All's Well that Ends Well, and Much Ado About Nothing!
ReplyDeleteWait - it's a "problem comedy" because it's dark, rather than funny?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a problem comedy because although it technically fits the guidelines for a comedy (it ends in marriages, has [some] funny aspects), it is disturbing and the "resolution" feels forced and unnatural. I think the idea is that Shakespeare was testing the boundaries of the convention of comedy.
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