Measure For Measure : Textual Analysis Essay, Research Paper
Measure for Measure : Textual Analysis of
(1.3.19-54) and study of the motives behind the Duke?s imminent absence. ????????? In this part of the play the Duke meets Friar Thomas and
explains the reasons for his temporary retirement from office and also speaks
about the laxity into which the laws of the city have fallen in the past. The
Duke makes it clear that Vienna needs a new figure of authority to implement
the reinforcement of the long forgotten rules regarding sex before marriage and
other moral issues. This is also a key passage because the audience find out
that the Duke intends to remain in Vienna disguised as a Friar giving some
glimpse of the intricate plot lying ahead. ????????? The
main purpose of this scene is to add to our knowledge about the Duke and to expose
the reasons why he is entrusting all of his power in Angelo. Friar Thomas
merely seems to be in the scene to prevent it from being an extremely long
monologue and because it seems his interjections serve only to prompt the Duke
to speak. The Friar leads the Duke into telling the audience more about his
complicated decision and to answer some of the questions posed by his conduct
at the very beginning of the play. ????????? At the begging of his speech the Duke paints a picture of a
world turned upside down because of the current looseness in the enforcement of
the laws of the state. He uses a combination of animal and social imagery to
convey this disturbed state of the city and his first image is of a mixed
metaphor, which could also imply that he is not fully convinced about his
decision to leave Angelo in charge. ?The
needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds?????????? This line begins with the imagery of riding and controlling
a horse and turns to the visual picture of an un-weeded garden as a symbol of
political disorder. This is very effective because Vienna is like a garden that
was once flourishing because the laws were strict but now it has fallen into
disarray therefore the weeds symbolise the sexual immorality of the cities
inhabitants. The garden is in a repairable state but the weeds merely need to
be removed which so far seems to be the task that awaits Angelo. The law has
become ?like an o?ergrown lion in a cave? which does not even bother to go and
hunt. This simile properly conveys the picture of a once terrible and
peacekeeping beast run down to indulgence and indifference. ????????? The Duke then goes on to explain how a cane can be a simple
preventative measure to dissuade a child from misbehaviour, if it is never
implemented it becomes merely mocked and no longer fulfils its role. Just as
the cane, the law once stood tall above the population of Vienna but through
indifference it was never used to its full extent and now it is mocked because
people know they can get away with anything. The people ?pluck justice by the
nose? implying that because they are seemingly free to do what they want they
can laugh
comparison with an unnatural situation as an indication of how far out of hand
the situation in Vienna really is. Instead of receiving discipline from the
nurse the infant himself dispenses the punishment and seems that the Duke
believes that this role reversal is unacceptable. The Dukes language seems to
be quite violent probably because he feels strongly about the situation or
maybe he feels guilty for letting the city arrive at this state. His view of
the law in this scene seems to be as solely a punitive instrument of the state
rather than a protector of the populace, which contrasts with his mercy for
Angelo at the end of the play. ????????? Friar Thomas?s intervention in line 32 is very significant
because the Friar wants to know why the Duke didn?t ?unloose this tied up
justice? himself, instead of expecting Angelo to do it. This image of justice
being tied up is also very unnatural because it should be justice doing the
imprisoning rather than being imprisoned itself. The Dukes response is that he
is scared to unleash ?tyranny? on the people without warning, the laws have gone
unchecked for so long that for the Duke to suddenly enforce them now would be
extremely unnatural and shocking for the people.?twas
my fault to give the people scope?????????? This
line is very significant because the audience can see that the Duke is acknowledging
that this gradual descent into lawlessness is his own fault and he lays the
blame only on himself. ?Scope? is also important because it shows that the Duke
was attempting to give his people a degree of liberty without realising what
the long-term consequences could be. From this part of the speech we can see
that the Duke?s reason for leaving office is psychological and that leaving
Angelo in charge is his first step towards freeing himself from his public role
and from the blame of the cities gradual degradation. ????????? This extract is critical for the audience because they are
made aware of the Duke?s decision to remain in Vienna in disguise. All the
other characters are later taken in by the disguise yet the audience has this
superior knowledge that somehow makes the play more enjoyable. In a way the
audience are held in suspense because they want to find out whether any of the
other characters will see through the disguise and the audience almost want to
give the Duke away later on in the play. ????????? The Duke?s reasons for leaving almost turn on their own
head at the end of his speech,?Hence
we shall see, / If power change purpose, what our seemers be? ????????? The positioning of these lines at the end of the
scene both add emphasis to this pronouncement which suggests that the Duke?s
primary reason is to test his suspicions about Angelo?s virtue and honour. The
Duke has a plan at this early stage in the play and ?hence we shall see? seems
to imply that he is inviting the audience to watch this intricate story unfold.