Key Themes (Measure for Measure)

This section explores the key themes in Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare. The key themes of Measure for Measure: justice, mercy, power, morality, sexuality, and forgiveness; reveal the complexity of human behaviour and the difficulty of finding balance in governance and personal conduct. Shakespeare’s exploration of these themes, alongside the play’s ambiguity and unresolved conflicts, invites the audience to reflect on the nature of law, authority, and moral judgement in society.

Justice vs Mercy

Measure for Measure is primarily concerned with the tension between justice and mercy. These two concepts are explored through characters such as Angelo and the Duke, who represent contrasting approaches to law and governance.

Angelo’s strict justice: Angelo is a harsh enforcer of the law, embodying strict justice. His decision to sentence Claudio to death for fornication illustrates his rigid belief in moral absolutes. He believes in upholding the law without exception, even though his own personal behaviour soon reveals his hypocrisy.

The Duke’s mercy: In contrast, the Duke, who disguises himself as a friar, believes in the importance of mercy alongside justice. He seeks to balance law with compassion, ultimately pardoning Angelo and Claudio despite their transgressions. The Duke’s approach suggests that rigid enforcement of justice is inhumane without the tempering influence of mercy.

Resolution of the theme: The play grapples with how to strike the right balance between justice and mercy, questioning whether it is better to enforce laws strictly or to allow for leniency and forgiveness. In the end, mercy triumphs as both Claudio and Angelo are spared, though the resolution remains morally ambiguous.

Power and Authority

The play examines the use and abuse of power, particularly in how those in authority wield their influence over others.

Angelo’s abuse of power: Angelo is entrusted with the authority to govern Vienna in the Duke’s absence. His initial appearance as a just and incorruptible ruler is quickly undermined when he uses his power to manipulate Isabella, offering to spare Claudio’s life in exchange for her chastity. This shows how absolute power can corrupt, even those who appear virtuous.

The Duke’s manipulation of power: The Duke, though portrayed more sympathetically, also engages in manipulative tactics. His decision to leave Vienna and observe events disguised as a friar allows him to control the outcome from behind the scenes. While he seeks to restore justice, his methods raise questions about the ethics of his deception.

Authority and governance: The play explores the nature of governance, asking what makes a ruler effective and just. It suggests that a ruler should balance enforcement of the law with an understanding of human frailty, as rigid authority can lead to corruption and suffering.

Morality and Hypocrisy

Measure for Measure explores the theme of morality, particularly focusing on sexual morality, and exposes the hypocrisy of those who claim to be morally superior.

Angelo’s hypocrisy: Angelo is the central figure of hypocrisy in the play. He publicly enforces strict laws against sexual immorality but privately gives in to lust and tries to coerce Isabella into sleeping with him. His actions reveal the gap between public virtue and private vice, highlighting the dangers of moral absolutism.

Public vs private morality: The play scrutinises the distinction between public morality (laws and social expectations) and private morality (individual desires and behaviours). While Angelo enforces the law against Claudio and Juliet’s premarital relationship, his own moral weakness is exposed when he attempts to seduce Isabella.

Religious and sexual morality: Isabella’s dilemma centres on religious and sexual morality. As a novice nun, she places great importance on her chastity, which becomes the source of Angelo’s desire and her own moral struggle. The play raises questions about the value society places on female chastity and the pressures on women to maintain moral standards that men, like Angelo, fail to uphold.

Sexuality and Gender

Sexuality and gender play central roles in Measure for Measure, particularly in the treatment of women and the control of sexual behaviour.

The control of women’s sexuality: The play reflects Jacobean society’s preoccupation with controlling female sexuality. Isabella’s chastity is a focal point of the plot, as Angelo’s desire to corrupt her virtue becomes central to his abuse of power. Women in the play, such as Isabella, Juliet, and Mariana, are often judged by their sexual conduct, while men are portrayed as hypocritical in their treatment of sexual morality.

The bed trick: The bed trick, where Mariana substitutes for Isabella, is a key example of how women’s bodies are used to resolve conflicts in the play. While this trick exposes Angelo’s hypocrisy, it also highlights the limited agency women have over their own sexuality, as Mariana is used to trap Angelo into fulfilling his obligations.

Male power over female virtue: Angelo’s power over Isabella and Claudio shows how male authority can dictate women’s choices. Isabella’s predicament forces her to choose between her brother’s life and her own chastity, demonstrating the vulnerability of women in a patriarchal society. Her resistance to Angelo’s demands reflects her strength, but her lack of options underlines the limited freedom women had.

Appearance vs Reality

The theme of appearance versus reality is central to Measure for Measure, with many characters and situations not being what they seem.

Disguises and deception: The Duke’s disguise as a friar is the most obvious example of this theme. His decision to watch events unfold in secret allows him to manipulate the actions of others, and it blurs the lines between truth and deception. By hiding his identity, the Duke is able to test his subjects and orchestrate outcomes that reflect his desire for mercy and justice.

Angelo’s false virtue: Angelo presents himself as a paragon of virtue and discipline, but his inner desires reveal him to be hypocritical and morally corrupt. His outward appearance of strict morality conceals his lustful nature, illustrating the theme of hidden realities.

Moral ambiguity: The play as a whole deals with moral ambiguity, where characters’ actions and motivations are often unclear. The audience is left to question whether the Duke’s manipulations are justified, and whether mercy or justice is the appropriate response to the characters’ flaws.

Law and Order

Law and order are central to the plot of Measure for Measure, with the play focusing on how laws should be applied and the consequences of strict legal enforcement.

The enforcement of laws: Angelo’s appointment as the Duke’s deputy leads to a sudden crackdown on moral laws, particularly those related to sexual conduct. His harsh sentencing of Claudio reflects his belief that laws must be enforced without exception to maintain order. However, the play critiques this strict legalism, showing that rigid enforcement of laws can be unjust.

Flexibility of laws: The Duke’s eventual intervention demonstrates that laws should be tempered with mercy and understanding. The play suggests that while laws are necessary to maintain order, they must also consider human frailty and allow for compassion.

Corruption and legal hypocrisy: Angelo’s abuse of the law for personal gain highlights the dangers of giving too much power to individuals. His actions reveal how the law can be manipulated for selfish purposes, questioning the integrity of those who enforce it.

Redemption and Forgiveness

The theme of redemption runs throughout the play, with several characters seeking or receiving forgiveness for their moral failings.

Angelo’s plea for forgiveness: In the final act, Angelo asks to be executed for his wrongdoings, acknowledging his guilt. However, the Duke spares him, demonstrating the Christian value of forgiveness and the belief in the possibility of redemption.

Claudio’s near-execution: Claudio’s reprieve from death highlights the theme of mercy and the potential for redemption. His crime of fornication, while condemned by Angelo, is ultimately forgiven by the Duke, suggesting that human flaws can be forgiven rather than punished harshly.

Christian ideals of mercy: The play’s resolution, with the Duke extending mercy to most characters, reflects the Christian ideal of forgiveness. Even Angelo, whose actions were deeply corrupt, is given a chance to redeem himself through marriage to Mariana.