Measure for MeasureSince the rediscovery of Elizabethan stage conditions early this century, admiration for Measure for Measure has steadily risen. It is now a favorite with the critics and has attracted widely different styles of performance. At one extreme the play is seen as a religious allegory, at the other it has been interpreted as a comedy protesting against power and privilege. Brian Gibbons focuses on the unique tragi-comic experience of watching the play, the intensity and excitement offered by its dramatic rhythm, the reversals and surprises that shock the audience even to the end. The introduction describes the play's critical reception and stage history and how these have varied according to prevailing social, moral and religious issues, which were highly sensitive when |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 7 |
FURTHER READING | 47 |
MEASURE FOR MEASURE | 51 |
COMMENTARY | 153 |
AN ACCOUNT OF THE TEXT | 185 |
Common terms and phrases
ABHORSON Barnardine bawd beseech brother character CLAUDIO ISABELLA condemned corrupt Cymbeline death deputy dost thou doth dribbling dart DUKE Duke's edition editors ELBOW emendation Enter Provost ESCALUS evil Exeunt Exit Provost F reading father faults fear Friar Peter give grace hanged hast hath hear heaven hither honour husband Isabel ISABELLA DUKE judgement Juliet justice look Lord Angelo LUCIO maid Mariana married Master Froth Measure for Measure Merchant of Venice mercy MISTRESS OVERDONE moral offence Officers pardon pattern Penguin Books play POMPEY POMPEY Sir pray prison Problem Comedies Promos and Cassandra Ralph Crane romantic comedy Royal Shakespeare Theatre Saint Clare SECOND GENTLEMAN seems sense sexual Shakespeare Shakespearian sirrah sister soul speak stand strange tapster thee there's thing thou art tomorrow Troilus and Cressida Twelfth Night Varrius vice Vienna Vincentio virtue virtuous warrant What's Whetstone's woman word write to Penguin