Act I Scene 1 Summary:

The Duke of Vienna laments that his city is spoiled and its people too indulgent. However, he must leave the city, and names Angelo to be his replacement while he is away. Escalus, one of the Duke's advisors, believes Angelo worthy of the task; the Duke also says he is confident of Angelo's abilities. Angelo is somewhat humbled to receive this commission from the Duke, but accepts it all the same; the Duke declares that he must be off immediately on his errand, and wishes Angelo luck in bringing lawfulness and discipline back to the citizens of the city.

Analysis:

The Duke speaks with formal, somewhat legalistic language, exactly what we might expect of a ruling, noble figure. Note his use of the royal "we"; he calls the citizens of Vienna "our people," the city is "our city"; he seems quite confident in his use of these pronouns, meaning he is secure in his position. His diction is quite elegant in some places; he makes use of alliteration, stating that with his "special soul" he has chosen Angelo. The Duke also uses paradoxical terms that convey the duties of a ruler; he says he will lend Angelo both his "terror" and his "love" to rule with, showing how a ruler must be authoritarian, yet caring for his subjects.

However, the Duke's support of Angelo is misguided, perhaps even deliberately so; it is ironic that Escalus backs him, and that the Duke makes great statements supporting Angelo, when even he might know Angelo's flaws. He claims to know Angelo thoroughly enough to know that he will be a good ruler; yet, this whole scenario takes the appearance of a test, with the Duke's departure contrived, and his observation of Angelo's rulership in disguise.

The Duke introduces one of the first themes/ issues of importance in the play, and that is actions vs. words. Although the Duke insists he must hasten away from the town, he actually stays in secret; and although he claims to be leaving Angelo in temporary control of the city, we see by the end of the play that this is some kind of test of his character. Why is the Duke proclaiming his intent to do one thing, and then deliberately doing something else? Why the divide between what he says he will do, and what he actually does?

The Duke's motivations are shady, and completely unexplained by the play: why must he test Angelo? Why does he bother to conceive of this scenario? Why does he announce that the laws need to be better enforced, and then run away at the crucial moment? The Duke claims not to like the people's "loud applause and aves vehement"; yet, considering his immaculately timed appearance at the end of the play, he is probably setting himself up for this purpose, to gain more acclaim. Indeed, the Duke gains in stature through Angelo's rule, as many wish to have him back, and recognize how good they had it; once the Duke is back, people have finally learned to appreciate his permissiveness, which they had not before.

Act I Scene 2 Summary:

Lucio, an indulgent man of Vienna, is jesting with two gentlemen of the city; they speak of their vices and transgressions, especially of frequenting whorehouses. Mistress Overdone, who runs one of these whorehouses, enters; then the men discuss what kind of venereal diseases they might have, making references to syphilis and the like. Mistress Overdone tells them that Claudio, a good man, has been taken to prison for getting his fiancée pregnant. In addition, all the brothels outside the city are to be shut down, though the ones inside are allowed to stay.

Claudio is led in by officers, and says that he is being punished for taking too many liberties, although the woman he got pregnant, Juliet, was his wife in all but the legal sense. He asks Lucio to go to Claudio's sister, Isabella, who is in a convent, and let her know of what has befallen him. He hopes that she will be able to use her wit and influence with Angelo, so that he can be released.

Analysis:

This scene introduces us to the kind of indulgent, sinful people that make up much of Vienna. Lucio speaks of one of the gentleman's bones, which he says "sound as things that are hollow"; this metaphor can be applied to Vienna as a whole, as the town might appear to be sound and orderly, but corruption lies beneath the surface. This is a theme reappearing in the work; some things might appear to be good or bad, but these appearances belie the true essence of the thing. Of course, the town is not wicked, by any stretch; it is just that "impiety has made a feast" of it, and the people have had too much indulgence in their vices. The city itself is a symbol of sin and lack of moderation, and as the Duke will find, the city cannot easily be separated from its inherent vices.

The entrance of Mistress Overdone introduces another theme of the work, which is vice vs. piety. Many figures in the play are subject to excesses of either one or the other; Lucio and Mistress Overdone are symbols of excess, and Isabella and Angelo (as he first appears to be) are symbols of restraint. The play makes it clear by the end that those who fall to either pole are unnatural, as human nature is a balance of both excess and restraint, and everyone is subject to temptation.

Claudio's offense seems slight from a modern prospective, but it was not uncommon for couples who conceived out of wedlock to be punished during Shakespeare's era. The punishment was, of course, more moderate than the death sentence that Claudio has been condemned to; but the offense is one that was relevant to the time, and surely many other young men found themselves in Claudio's unenviable position.

Claudio says that his "restraint," or arrest, comes "from too much liberty." This is a paradox in terms, but shows that "restraint" and "liberty" should be kept in some kind of balance. Claudio knows, though, that "our natures do pursue, like rats that ravin down their proper bane, a thirsty evil, and when we drink we die." What he means by this simile is that people naturally fall into temptation, but that it can overwhelm a person. Temptation and the resistance of it is a theme which will come up again in the play.

Of course, there is a great irony at work in Claudio's situation. He is being punished for a consensual liaison with a woman who he was contracted to marry; of all the vices going on in Vienna, this is surely a lesser crime than most, yet it is Claudio who stands to be made an example of. He is well aware of this, as "the body public be a horse whereon the governor may ride," and he "lets it straight feel the spur." This metaphor conveys how much power Angelo actually has, and that although his power is not being fairly used in this case, he still has the power to enforce these laws or not.

Act I Scene 3 Summary:

The Duke asks a friar in the town, Friar Thomas, to give him refuge; the Duke does not intend to leave town, but rather he intends to stay and observe Angelo at work. He says that he gave Angelo power because he knew the city had to be cleaned up, but thought that he would be a bad man to do that job, and the friar agrees with this assessment. But then, he adds that Angelo appears to be a man invulnerable to temptation, and almost inhuman in this regard; he doubts that Angelo is actually as steely as he seems, and intends to see if this appearance is indeed false.

Analysis:

In this scene, the Duke voices one of the main themes of the play: "for terror, not to use, in time the rod becomes more mocked than feared." This, he claims, is the reason that he is leaving Angelo in charge. He is tired of seeing the city become "like an o'ergrown lion in a cage," as his simile states, and thinks somehow that Angelo will return the city to order. He no longer wants "the baby to beat the nurse"; the baby symbolizes the people of the city, who know no better than they do, and the nurse symbolizes the governing powers, which are needed to teach the people and keep them from going astray.

The theme of disguise is introduced, as the Duke will remain in hidden in the city, and is about to take on the guise of a friar to conceal himself. He posits that although Angelo "scarce confesses that his blood flows," he believes that there might be more behind this strict appearance. The Duke is indeed testing Angelo, though he didn't say so in the first scene; his motivations are still a bit hazy though they are very much rationalized by this point.

Act I Scene 4 Summary:

Lucio comes to see Isabella in the convent, and tells her of Angelo taking over rule of Vienna, and his strictness compared to the Duke's indulgence. He tells her that her brother Claudio got Juliet pregnant, and has been sentenced to death for his crime. Isabella is surprised, but doubts that she can do any good in this case; however, Lucio prevails with her, and she agrees to go see Angelo and beg for her brother's life.

Analysis:

Here we are introduced to Isabella, who is a representative of restraint in the text. She actually goes overboard in her desire for strictness, as shown when she asks one of the nuns if she could not have more strict restraint as one of the sisters there. This recalls the theme of indulgence and restraint, but since Isabella is too much drawn to one of the poles, she will have to become more moderate in order to become truly human.

Lucio's diction, when he addresses Isabella, also tells of her being separate from humanity. He calls her "a thing eskied," "an immortal spirit," and "a saint" in her pious restraint and devotion; however, these descriptions show how removed Isabella is from reality, and how ill-adapted she is to the world because of it. However, she seems to have stubbornness and sense enough to be able to prevail with Angelo, and hopefully her unworldliness will not hinder her too much.

Lucio repeats the Duke's descriptions of Angelo's seeming invulnerability; his "blood is very snow broth," and he "never feels the wanton stings and motions of the sense." It will be very ironic, then, when this man who appears to be so very strict and pure falls to temptation as all people tend to do.

Act II Scene 1 Summary:

Angelo states that he is determined to make people wary of the law again; Escalus thinks that some enforcement of the law is necessary, but warns Angelo against being far too strict and showing no mercy. Escalus laments to see "some contemned by a fault alone," but he doesn't want to struggle against the stubborn Angelo either.

Then, a comic scene involving Elbow, the silly constable, Froth, and Pompey the bawd follows. Elbow accuses Froth of being insolent to his good wife; the whole set-up is rather ridiculous, and seems contrived in order to gain a few good laughs. Pompey defends Froth, who is accused of the insult; but Pompey is revealed to be a bawd, in the employ of Mistress Overdone at her brothel.

Escalus is exasperated at constable Elbow's show of incompetence, and asks for him to bring a list of able replacements to Escalus at his home. Escalus has decided to aid Angelo now in his pursuit to enforce the law; he still wishes that something could be done about Claudio's situation, but fears that to relent would be to make the law weak again.

Analysis:

Angelo compares the law to a scarecrow, that is useless if it cannot frighten and deter; this metaphor echoes the Duke's appraisal of the law from Act I, in which he said the same thing, about the law being useless if it didn't actually keep people from transgressing. A scarecrow is actually a fitting symbol for the law in Vienna, for if the people are used to ignoring it as they have been doing, it can hardly be of real practical use.

Escalus introduces the theme of moderation and mercy, both of which are necessary in a ruler with as much power as Angelo holds. "Let us be keen and rather cut a little, than fall and bruise to death," he tells Angelo. However, the value of mercy is something which Angelo will have to learn; he has no compassion whatever for people's failings, since he acknowledges no failings in himself. "'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, another thing to fall"; Angelo's moralizing is strict and unmerciful, but will later be shown up when he falls to temptation.

Then follows the necessary comic relief section, with Elbow's repeated malapropisms providing entertainment. This following section does not relate to the plot at all, but is a break for wordplay and comic, sometimes sexually charged, insinuations.

This tangent is informative, however, because it shows Angelo's crackdown on those who deal in prostitution, and how those who deal in this trade, like Pompey, are regarded as being lowly. It also shows Escalus's complicity in Angelo's strictness; for although he believes that Angelo is doing wrong to be so harsh on Claudio, among others, he too is beginning to believe that to let Claudio off would be to condone sin and overindulgence.

Act II Scene 2 Summary:

The Provost goes to talk to Angelo, to plead for Claudio's life since his sin is hardly something unknown to Vienna. Angelo still refuses to relent, and says that Juliet, who is in labor, should go to a more fitting place, away from everything that is going on. Isabella comes to see Angelo, and begins to plead with him for Claudio's life. Angelo seems to be unrelenting, but Lucio urges her to persist. She does, and calls upon Angelo's pity, mercy, and moderation; she recognizes that Angelo has the power to enforce the law in full, but impresses upon him that one must use power with moderation.

Analysis:

Angelo calls Juliet a "fornicatress," and this harsh name again recalls the theme of appearance vs. reality. Although Juliet appears from Angelo's quick appraisal to be just a sinful person, her reality is far more complex; she is much better than most women, and her only fault was not securing a marriage contract before she slept with her fiancée. She is actually a woman of strength and principle, not the simple sinner that Angelo reduces her to.

Isabella's strategy is a keen one, trying to persuade Angelo to have the same mercy for her brother that she has. Once again, the issue of mercy is urged upon Angelo, as is the theme of human weakness, which all, Isabella stresses, fall victim to. She is very canny, when she has to be; her argument is strong and persuasive, although it is not her argument that causes Angelo to relent, but his attraction to her.

Isabella also touches upon the theme of use of power; "it is excellent to have a giant's strength," she tells Angelo, "but it is tyrannous to use it as a giant." Isabella makes an allusion to "Jove" to demonstrate her point‹that even the gods, with tremendous power, know how best to use their awesome abilities. This is another lesson that Angelo must learn; for although he can use the law to its full extent if he wishes, he has to learn how to temper his power with mercy and heed moderation.

It is with great irony that Isabella's call to Angelo to mark the weaknesses in his own heart is answered by Angelo's acknowledgement that he is tempted by Isabella. It is this temptation that brings from Angelo his first statement of mercy toward Claudio: "O, let her brother live! Thieves for their robbery have authority when judges steal themselves!" Angelo realizes here that with experience of one's own weakness comes mercy for others' failings; however, he soon ignores this lesson, and falls into hypocrisy.

Act II Scene 3 Summary:

The Duke, disguised as a friar, visits the prison; he asks the provost to show him to the prisoners that he might minister to their sorrows. The Provost mentions Claudio's case, and the Duke inquires of her whether she repents her sin. She says that she does, and the Duke, as the friar, says he will help her heal her shame if she is indeed sorry for her sin. He finds out that Juliet and Claudio are indeed in love, and their decision to sleep with each other was mutual. He tries to soothe her, since Claudio is to die tomorrow, and leaves. Juliet laments that she is about to give birth, but this possibly happy time has turned terrible because of Claudio's impending execution.

Analysis:

This brief scene basically allows the Duke to appraise the guilt and the crime of Claudio and Juliet; having learned that they are in love, and that their sin was mutual, might temper his view of their wrongs. Although Claudio and Juliet's crime is actually slight, still they have to repent of whatever sin they did commit. The theme of repentance is presented here, for although it is human to fall and be tempted, one must still recognize one's wrongs and learn from them.

Act II Scene 3 Summary:

Angelo recognizes his lust for Isabella, and the fact that he does have weaknesses just like everyone else. Isabella comes to plead again for her brother's life, as Angelo is taken over by his lust while in her presence. He asks whether Isabella would consider a sin to be good, if it were to help someone else; soon, he asks her hypothetically whether she would give up her virginity in order to save her brother. Isabella vehemently insists that she would not, and that she prizes her virginity over even her brother's life. Angelo is angered, and tells her that either she relents, or her brother dies; Isabella grieves that Angelo's good appearance belies the corruption that seems to have taken him over, but is still resolute that she will not sleep with Angelo to save her brother.

Analysis:

Angelo admits that he is being taken over by temptation, another theme of the play, as he considers Isabella and his feelings for her. He is being corrupted by "strong and swelling evil," and will fall even lower as he takes what he initially called feelings of love for Isabella and turns them into something lustful and impure. He has come full circle, in a sense, because he declares "blood, thou art blood"; blood was used as a symbol of temptation and human nature by the Duke, who said that Angelo scarcely admitted that he was flesh and blood, although here, Angelo is clearly seeing otherwise.

Angelo's tone, as he recognizes his lust, is almost forlorn and repentant; recognizing his own weakness seems to cause him pain, as he still desires to stay good and resist temptation. He also recognizes the disparity between his flawless reputation and his flawed self: "let's write 'good Angel' on the Devil's horn," he says, as he sees that he too is prone to sin. The paradox tells of Angelo's guilt, and again of his reluctance to indulge it. However, by the end of this scene, he is resolute in his insistence that either Isabella sleep with him, or her brother dies. While at the beginning of this scene he is merely considering his temptation, by the end he has completely given into it; the temptation that Isabella symbolizes to him ensures his swift fall from grace, and into hypocrisy.

Angelo introduces the proposition of Isabella sleeping with him in return for her brother's life in an almost abstract manner; but, as he grows more bold, he repeats this offer a few times, in increasingly lucid terms. Angelo tries to argue that doing a sin that helps someone is tantamount to "charity"; this is a viable issue, and perhaps it is true, but not in this blackmail situation.

Isabella reveals the extent of her piety and her pride in this encounter; she says she would rather "th' impression of keen whips wear as rubies" than give up her chastity. Then, she shows just how stubborn and unrealistically chaste she is. In response to Angelo's hypothetically posed question about whether it would be better for her to give up her chastity or for her brother to die, she answers, "better it were a brother died at once, than that a sister, by redeeming him, should die forever." The fact that Isabella prizes her virginity over her brother's life shows how selfish she is, and how overly pious she is too.

Isabella definitely needs to reappraise her ridiculous overvaluing of her virginity, although Angelo's insistence that she "[put] on the destined livery" of sexual submissiveness is also off the mark. The theme of gender roles comes into question, as women in the play have less power than men, and are expected to be subservient in some sense. Here, Angelo is using his power to try and force Isabella into an inferior position, which Isabella, with her strength and intellect, will have to try and avoid. Isabella notes the divide between appearance and reality, as Angelo seemed to be a good man but is clearly very corrupt by this point.

Act III Scene 1 Summary:

The Duke, disguised as a friar, goes to see Claudio in jail. Claudio says that he is still hoping that he will not have to die, though the Duke tells him to count on death; that way, if he lives, life will be even sweeter to him. Claudio heeds his words, and resigns himself to death if that is what's to come. Isabella enters, and the Duke withdraws to somewhere he can hear her conversation with Claudio. She tells him initially that Angelo has made up his mind not to spare Claudio, then says there is one condition that will leave Claudio without any honor if he takes it. Claudio wishes to know what this condition is, and Isabella tells him not to fear death, since this is probably what will become of him tomorrow.

Isabella tells him that to save him, she would have to sleep with Angelo; at first he says that she should not do it, but then he considers his fear of death and the finality of it. He then asks his sister to agree to Angelo's terms in order to save his life. Isabella becomes angry that he would even consider her shame to be less weighty than his death; she is almost asking her brother to martyr himself for her pride, which is wholly unreasonable.

But, just then the Duke, dressed as the friar, asks for a word with Isabella. He tells Claudio that Angelo's proposition to Isabella was merely a test, and not to count on the possibility of his deliverance. Then, he tells Isabella that he found out about Angelo's proposition somehow, and has a plan that will free her brother without any negative effects to her.

The Duke tells her of Mariana, a maid that was engaged to Angelo, who Angelo dumped when he found out that her dowry was lost. The Duke says that Isabella should go to Angelo immediately, agree to his terms, and ask that the whole thing happen in darkness and be brief. Isabella will send Mariana in her stead, which means that Angelo will have to marry her after all, once it is revealed that he has taken her maidenhood. Isabella agrees heartily to this plan; she will go see Angelo, while the Duke fetches Mariana, and convinces her to go along with the ruse.

Analysis:

The Duke shows great wisdom in his speech about life and death to Claudio; he gives Claudio good advice on how not to cling desperately to life if he is to lose it, and also how to think of death so that it does not grieve him too badly. His speech seems almost like an optimistic alternative to Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech; the Duke says that riches are negated by death, as is misery and trouble, so do not fear the long sleep to come.

Isabella takes on the issue of Angelo's reputation versus his real nature with boldness; she says that though he is "outward sainted" he is really a "devil," the paradox telling how far his appearance is from what he really is, according to Isabella's appraisal of him. Isabella is clearly exaggerating Angelo's badness in order to make his proposition seem more unpalatable to her brother; to call Angelo "a pond as deep as hell" is vast overstatement of Angelo's flaws. These exaggerations are actually very self-serving, for if her brother believes that Angelo is really evil, Claudio is less likely to ask Isabella to sleep with Angelo.

Claudio's "ay, but to die, and go we know not where" speech is yet another echo of Hamlet's "to be or not to be" in its consideration of the uncertainty and the unknown that is death. His images of the soul stuck in "fiery floods" or stuck in "thick-ribbed ice" are a bit terrifying, as are his statement that perhaps death is being suspended in nothingness.

Claudio's fears about death are completely justified, and far more realistic than Isabella's careless lack of consideration of what death actually is, and what she would be condemning her brother to. Isabella's reaction to Angelo's proposal is still at the level of a knee-jerk response, though a keenly felt one; any shame which she would bear would be insignificant next to the fact that her brother is alive, and she is too. Isabella's anger is again selfish, and also a knee-jerk reaction. Claudio is right, that if she committed this sin in order to save him, it would almost be a virtue on her part. Perhaps he is overstating this to try and convince her, but he is far more sensible in his appraisal than she is.

What are the Duke's motives exactly when he lies and says that Angelo's proposition was merely a test, and that he knows this to be true? The Duke is obviously covering for Angelo to some extent, and perhaps getting Claudio to lower his hopes a bit, in case he really does have to be executed. The fact that Isabella does not object at all to another woman being sullied by this trick shows again how selfish she is about her own virginity, but that she doesn't extend the same logic and protections to other women.

Act III Scene 2 Summary:

Here is another scene of comic relief, involving Elbow, Pompey, and the Duke; Elbow again charges Pompey with breaking the law, and possibly even being a thief. The Duke upbraids Pompey for being a "bawd," meaning making his living off of money earned by prostitutes, and orders Elbow to take Pompey to prison right away. Just as Elbow is about to lead Pompey off to prison, Lucio comes along and asks what is happening. Pompey tells him he is being dragged off to prison for being a bawd, and asks Lucio to post bail for him; Lucio happily says he will not, and wishes Pompey a good time in prison.

Lucio then asks the Duke, still disguised as a friar where the Duke may be; the Duke ironically answers that he does not know. Lucio then says that severity will never drive sin out of Vienna, for human nature means that people will always be vulnerable to sin. He says Angelo is inhuman though, and cannot understand that regular people sometimes fail; Lucio says he wishes the Duke were back, because the Duke liked drink and the pleasures of the flesh, and so understood the failings of others.

The Duke, in disguise, insists that the Duke wasn't as dissolute as Lucio makes him out to be; he becomes very defensive, defending "the Duke" so vigorously and with such conviction that it becomes almost clear that this is the Duke in disguise. The Duke asks if Lucio would say all this again, to the Duke's face, when he eventually returns; Lucio says he will, and that is the end of their ironic, humorous exchange. The Duke repents that even he, as a relatively good person, is not immune from public slander

Escalus and the Provost enter, with Mistress Overdone in their custody; she has been arrested for being a bawd because Lucio informed against her, though she says Lucio got Kate Keepdown pregnant, and she has kept Lucio's child all this time. Mistress Overdone is taken to prison, but Escalus says that Lucio will have to answer to him too.

Escalus says that he has been pleading with Angelo to let Claudio live, but in case Angelo does not give in, Claudio should be prepared to die. The Duke, as a friar, tells Escalus he has been counseling Claudio, and he is prepared. Escalus leaves to visit Claudio. The Duke then makes a speech about the virtues and moderation of a good ruler, and laments that Angelo does not have these qualities; but, he also knows that Angelo will get his just punishment when he has to marry Mariana and is exposed as a hypocrite.

Analysis:

Lucio's keen sense of humor becomes clear through him comparing Pompey's entanglement to being "at the wheels of Caesar," and alludes to Pygmalion to ask if Pompey has been dabbling with ideally beautiful women, meaning, prostitutes. The Caesar comment might also be a jab at Elbow, who is as far from being heroic and competent as is possible for an officer of the law. Ironically, Lucio then asks the friar the whereabouts of the Duke; perhaps Lucio knows it is the Duke in disguise, or perhaps this is put in for good humor.

Lucio knows a bit more than he appears to, for here he tells the Duke what the Duke will soon learn; that "severity," as the Duke calls for, will not cure Vienna of all its vices. He says that as long as there is "eating and drinking," there will be sin, for people are naturally weak and disposed to fall every now and then. Another irony is that Lucio still insists that Angelo is less than human in this regard; little does he know that Angelo has fallen, just like Claudio and the rest of the sinners of the city.

Whether Lucio knows that he is speaking to the Duke in disguise when he says that the Duke likes prostitutes and liquor is unclear at first; either way, the exchange is played for humorous effect, as we find out later that, conveniently, Lucio did not know he was talking to the Duke. The dramatic irony of this exchange is especially amusing for the audience, since they can delight in knowing that Lucio actually is insulting the Duke, and wonder whether Lucio really has any idea who he is speaking to. Again, the theme of disguise means that the Duke is in a privileged condition, able to see, hear, and influence things that he would not have access to as a ruler, separated by power and position from his own people.

Although the Duke has said that severity was the way to enforce laws in Vienna, here he states that Angelo was indeed not the right man for the job. His speech presents many of the conclusions and themes of the text: that a ruler must govern with an eye for the faults of human nature, make just punishments, and never punish other people for a fault that he is indulging in himself. The Duke also laments the disparity between appearance and nature in Angelo, and that Angelo can appear to be so upright while he is as corrupt and flawed as any other person.

Act IV Scene 1 Summary:

The Duke finds Mariana, and exchanges a few cursory words with her. Isabella enters as Mariana leaves, to tell the Duke that she has agreed to Angelo's plan, and describes the place of meeting. Isabella said that she told Angelo she could only stay briefly, and that she would be bringing a servant with her, which means she can bring Mariana without suspicion. Isabella has a word with Mariana, and Mariana agrees to go with the plan, provided the "friar" agrees, which he does. The Duke still has to assure her that she is doing no sin, because she is only fulfilling the contract she had with Angelo some time ago.

Analysis:

Isabella's description of the place where she is to meet Angelo shows that she is resigned to this plan that the Duke has made, and that the significance of this exchange is completely clear to her. She tells of the place she is to meet Angelo: "he has a garden circummured with brick, whose western side is with a vineyard backed". The images are heavy with darkness and concealment, of concern to Isabella since they will hide this plan and her visit from others. She speaks with sadness almost about the "heavy middle of the night," as if she actually had to sleep with Angelo; her pride has obviously been wounded by agreeing to this exchange, even if she does not have to act upon it.

The Duke's words also betray feelings of solemnity about this plan; his description of "millions of false eyes" convey his nervousness at this risky plan, and that if it does not work and is exposed, it will certainly cause him grief. He wishes there were some other way, as he knows that this plan will have heavy consequences, and if it backfires, his reputation and Claudio's life, among other things, will be at risk. When he reassures Mariana about the plan not being sinful, it seems that he is convincing himself as well; the Duke is a conscientious man, and could not in good faith trick a woman into committing an unpalatable act even if that meant saving a life.

Act IV Scene 2 Summary:

The Provost asks Pompey whether he could cut off a man's head, and of course Pompey, being a clown, answers humorously. The Provost needs an assistant for the executioner since both Barnardine and Claudio are to die the next day; if Pompey agrees to do the service, the Provost says that Pompey's crimes will be forgiven. Pompey agrees, and is introduced to Abhorson, the resident executioner. Abhorson doesn't want to take him as an assistant since Pompey is a bawd, but has little choice. A comic scene follows, as all scenes involving Pompey the clown must turn comic somehow.

The Provost goes to Claudio, showing him the warrant for his death. Claudio's cellmate, Barnardine, who is also to be executed, is lazy and sleeping, Claudio tells him. The Duke enters, still dressed as a friar, and says there is some hope for Claudio yet. A message comes from Angelo, and the Duke is convinced that it is a pardon; but it is an order to go ahead with Claudio's execution, despite whatever orders to the contrary from other sources. All is not resolved as Angelo promised or as the Duke hoped; they will still have to struggle to get Claudio freed and pardoned. The Duke asks the Provost to help him with Angelo; he wants the Provost to send Angelo the head of Barnardine, and say it is Claudio's, so that the Duke can have a few more days to try and save Claudio. The Provost is unwilling to deceive Angelo so plainly, but the Duke conveniently produces a letter from the absent Duke, and tells the Provost that his help will secure justice for Claudio.

Analysis:

The Duke's defense of Angelo might seem out of place since the Duke already knows otherwise of Angelo, but it shows that the Duke is not yet prepared to expose Angelo and his sins. It is ironic that the Duke would declare, in the guise of an honest friar, that Angelo is "just," when he and others know this to be falsehood.

Just as the Duke was incorrect in his initial appraisal of Angelo's ability to rule, here he is similarly wrong in his belief that "when vice makes mercy, mercy's so extended". The Duke tends to appraise Angelo's character too kindly, and believe that Angelo actually knows mercy, which he has not shown to this point. However, the Duke is clearly a very canny character; he has no intention of giving in while Angelo has not delivered on his promise, and wants to teach Angelo something about mercy, a theme running through the entire play.

Again, the Duke uses his canny logic and persuasive skills to gain complicity for his plots. He is able to extract mercy from the Provost, though Angelo unfortunately cannot be similarly moved. Also, he uses the Provost's loyalty to the Duke to justify this deception. Hopefully, the Duke's well-intentioned plans will come to good use, and not backfire on him.

Act IV Scene 3 Summary:

Pompey the clown enters, to provide a bit of running commentary on things in the prison. He finds that many that used to frequent Mistress Overdone's brothel are locked up in jail, so he almost feels at home with all the people of poor morals and such. Barnardine is called forward to be executed, and tries to shrug the officers off by saying that he is tired. Abhorson and Pompey fetch him out, and the Duke tries to counsel him. Barnardine insists he will not die that day, since he is too tired and too drunk to want to. The Duke says that to execute Barnardine then, with his soul completely unprepared, would be a terrible thing; luckily, a man in the prison died the night before, so they can use his head to send to Angelo rather than Barnardine's.

Isabella comes to the jail, to see if her brother's pardon came through as it was supposed to. The Duke tells her that her brother was executed, so that she will be happier when she finds out the truth later. Now, he is willfully keeping her in ignorance, a move that will keep him in control of the game, but seems more self-serving than beneficial.

The Duke tells Isabella not to be sad, since the Duke will be back tomorrow, to take power back from Angelo; he says that the Duke will make things right and ensure that justice happens, and Isabella says she will try to suppress her grief. Lucio enters, and expresses his condolences; he says that if the Duke were presiding over Claudio's case, Claudio certainly would have been allowed to live. Lucio then offers to tell more about the Duke, and offers up that he once got away with getting a woman pregnant when the Duke was there. They exit together.

Analysis:

Again, the Duke is forced to do even more improvisation, as plans go awry; but, fate is obviously on his side, since the man who died looks like Claudio, so his head given to Angelo will seem more convincing. The Duke here seems like he means to be the manipulator of the action, and is doing things with a plain purpose in mind; the fact that he decides to tell Isabella that her brother is dead, so that she can be happier later, serves no purposes but the Duke's hidden ones. Rather than trying to make things right, here he is deciding what outcome he wants, and is manipulating what people find out in order to produce these results. Through these self-serving machinations, the Duke appears less benevolent, and more like a control addict.

The Duke tells Isabella "trust not my holy order if I pervert your course"; this is meant to comfort Isabella, but represents a big license on the Duke's part. Throughout the play, he has used his disguise as a friar to gain people's trust and complicity in his plans; here, he plays on Isabella's trust in the clergy to get her to go along with his plan. It is all well and good that the Duke is doing most of this for the benefit of Claudio, but he is assuming liberties and roles that are not his and that he knows nothing of. It seems almost like an abuse of the priesthood for a man in a friar's disguise to be allowed to assume the duties, status, and respect that go along with the office merely for wearing the clothes. The Duke, in his pretending to be an actual friar and assuming all the rights and responsibilities that go along with it, might be going too far in his do-gooding.

Lucio's confession that he once denied getting a woman pregnant means that he probably does not know he is talking to the Duke‹otherwise, why would he risk being caught and tried for the same offense again? It is about time that the Duke revealed himself, and abandoned the many privileges he has enjoyed by being disguised.

Act IV Scene 4 Summary:

Escalus and Angelo receive notice of the Duke's return; they also note how each letter the Duke has sent them has contradicted any other, which makes them fear that he is somehow mad. Angelo thinks it would be a good idea to announce that any who have grievances can meet at the place where they are to receive the Duke back into the city; Angelo thinks this will protect him from any legal actions, in case there are any issues that have not yet been dealt with.

However, Angelo also knows that this might give Isabella a forum in which to tell of Angelo's wickedness and her deal with him. He believes that she will not accuse him, because she would be shamed by saying that Angelo took her virginity. Angelo also says that he should have let Claudio live, since his offense was not that bad after all, but that sometimes he has to do what he would rather not do.

Analysis:

Escalus and Angelo's suspicion about the Duke's ruse shows that the Duke's time is running short; from his notes, they can already see that either he is not being honest, or he is being flagrantly contradictory in his letters. Angelo's use of the Duke's entrance to have an airing of grievances shows that he is very canny; he would not take responsibility himself for things he can easily weasel out of.

Angelo is finally realizing what the potential consequences of his deeds might be; at last, he is showing remorse. He also sees the irony of his situation, that he is supposed to enforce the law, yet it was he who broke it with his treatment of Isabella. But, he still believes in the power of his reputation to shield him from accusation, another theme of the play. Angelo is overconfident, however; he may think that he is too highly regarded to be exposed, but he is also widely disliked, which works against him.

Angelo repents here of giving Claudio a death sentence, showing that he is not merciful in deed, but that he does have better judgment than he has shown throughout the play. Angelo excuses himself, however, by saying that having power means that he has to do things that he would rather not do. He has still not learned how to govern with moderation, even if he is closer to understanding the need for mercy in a ruler.

Act IV Scene 5 Summary:

The Duke is telling Friar Peter to keep the letters he is giving him, and to follow the plans that the Duke has laid out; the Duke also says that the Provost will play along, and knows what he is to do as well. He has the Friar call a few men of the city together for his return, and then continues his preparations.

Analysis:

Here, we get a glimpse of the Duke as a kind of director of the play; he tells people what parts to do and how, has orchestrated a complicated set-up to achieve the end results that he desires. The theme of manipulation comes to the fore, as we begin to realize how much of the action of the play has been driven or made by the Duke. The Duke, although he seems benevolent and fair when compared with Angelo, is actually not quite as good as he seems; he is secretive, conniving, and manipulates people shamelessly, even if it is toward good ends.

Act IV Scene 6 Summary:

Isabella and Mariana are getting ready to play their part in the Duke's plan. Isabella has to accuse Angelo with Mariana by her, though she would rather not be so bold; she also says that the Duke warned her that he might not take her side at the beginning, which worries her. Friar Peter enters, and bids them come to the gates since the Duke is about to come in. Many citizens are gathered, and it is time to play their parts in this thing that the Duke has constructed for them.

Analysis:

"'Tis a physic that's bitter to sweet end": this seems to be the Duke's philosophy regarding how he is handling this entire situation, and also it tells of the overall course of the play. So far, this play has not been a comedy; many of the characters, like Claudio and Isabella, have been put in very trying situations, and subjected to a great deal of unfairness. People have died, nearly escaped execution, and had to evade blackmail; yet, the play will work its way to a supposedly neat, happy ending, as is the convention of Elizabethan comedies.

Act V Scene 1 Summary:

The Duke returns, greeting Angelo and Escalus by saying he has heard that they have done an outstanding job, and that Angelo should be praised for his good work. He calls for Escalus and Angelo to walk with him, as he greets the people of the city.

Isabella then kneels before the Duke, and asks to be heard so that she can claim justice. The Duke urges her to speak, and to address Angelo with her grievance, since he is one that can give justice to her. Angelo warns the Duke that he fears her wits are not about her; but, Isabella accuses Angelo anyway, of being "an hypocrite, a virgin-violator" before the Duke and his company. She says that he appears good, but is not‹and that her claims must not be dismissed, but heeded with all possible caution.

Isabella is allowed to speak her tale, and tells of how she went to Angelo to plead for her brother's life, and had to sleep with Angelo to get him released, although he was executed anyway. The Duke, of course, along with Friar Peter, make a show of not believing her, and say that Angelo is too good by reputation for these allegations to have any weight with them. Friar Peter has Mariana come forward, as the Duke urges Angelo to be judge of his own case.

Mariana says she will not show her face until her husband bids her to do so; she says she is not a maid, a widow, or a wife, and then tells them that she has slept with her husband, whom Isabella is accusing. She tells the story of the contract between herself and Angelo, and that she slept with him in place of Isabella. Angelo admits that he broke off a marriage contract with her, but was justified in doing so; Mariana begs the Duke for mercy, but Angelo says that he thinks these women are being manipulated, and should be punished for their testimony. Angelo decides that he wants to figure out the whole truth of what is going on; Friar Peter is sent to fetch "Friar Ludovico," the Duke in disguise, as he will be the key witness to what actually went on with Angelo and the two women.

The Duke leaves, to change into his old disguise. The Provost and Isabella come with him, as he starts to testify as to his part in the whole matter. The Duke acts rather scurrilous as the friar, so much so that he is almost dragged off to prison before he can give any kind of testimony at all. Lucio gets angry at him for accusing him of saying bad things about the Duke, which in turn Lucio accuses the friar of; then, Lucio pulls off the 'Friar's' disguise and finds that it really is the Duke after all.

Angelo then knows that he is undone; he says he will confess what he has done, and forego a trial of his wrongdoing. The Duke says that for now, he will just have to marry Mariana; they go offstage with a friar, and when they reappear, they are married. The Duke still maintains that Claudio is dead, much to Isabella's grief. But, the Duke proclaims that Angelo must die for committing the same sin as Claudio; Mariana protests this decision, and Isabella's intervention, to ask that Angelo be allowed the mercy her brother did not get, then causes the Duke to let Angelo go. Claudio is fetched from the prison, and the fact that he is alive is revealed to all. Immediately after his appearance, the Duke proposes marriage to Isabella, perhaps using her flood of happiness at seeing her brother to secure her quick consent. Lucio is then sentenced to marrying the prostitute he got pregnant, as punishment for slandering the Duke.

The Duke then says for Claudio to be reunited with Juliet, and for Mariana and Angelo to live happily. He calls Isabella to him, since they are to be joined, and calls the play to a close on a 'happy' note.

Analysis:

The Duke speaks in a grand, declarative tone when he re-enters the city; he has put on his public language and persona here, speaking formally, and glossing over what he knows to be the truth about Angelo's behavior. The Duke's entering speech is laden with dramatic irony, since the audience knows that the Duke never left the city, knows everything that went on, and knows about Angelo's transgression; yet, as far as the citizens of the city know, Angelo has done a good job, and no one other than the Duke and his compatriots know otherwise at this point. The Duke's statement that Angelo's "desert speaks loud," and should have "a forted residence 'gainst the tooth of time" is especially ironic; for Angelo's desert is non-existent, and has already been corrupted, not by time but by lust.

This scene works almost as a play-within-a-play. The Duke plays his part, acting like he is ignorant of the recent goings-on in the town; Isabella plays the part of a wronged woman with great dramatic skill. All that has been pre-arranged and staged by the Duke is being executed before his eyes; his manipulations are being acted out in a public place, to the end results that the Duke wants‹justice, and Angelo's exposure.

Isabella presents the theme of appearance vs. reality to the assembled party; she makes the good point that anyone can appear to be just, but can be completely corrupt within, as Angelo is. The theme of justice is also apparent, as Angelo will have to judge his own guilt here, as the Duke says he should. However, Angelo has become no more just than he ever was, and has not learned of moderation in justice either; he tries to cover up his wrongs by trying to silence justice, which luckily, he does not get away with. One ironic note, though, is that Angelo senses that the two women are "but instruments of some more mightier member"; in fact, they are playing the parts the Duke has set out for them, and this will soon be revealed to all.

Angelo's repentance seems a bit abrupt, especially his statement that he deserves to die for what he has done. Never before in the play has Angelo thought that the rules that apply to others, like Claudio, should apply to him as well. That he would condemn himself to the same, admittedly over-harsh, punishment that Claudio was sentenced to seems a little extreme in the context of his character.

The Duke is still coming off a little like Prospero, making himself seem a benevolent advocate for Isabella, and one who used his power rightly, even when he was in disguise. But, though the Duke says he did "not [change] heart with habit," he did abuse his disguise as a priest to get people to trust him and believe in his unproven honor. His intent may have been the same in the disguise and out of it, but certainly, he manipulated people even more shamelessly by abusing the privileges of his disguise.

And here, he also abuses the privilege of his knowledge, telling Isabella again that her brother is dead, and having her be sorrowful in front of the crowd. He does this for no reason other to have her be very happy, and perhaps look even more just and heroic, when it is revealed that he actually saved Claudio's life. The Duke did his duty as a ruler, seeing to it that justice was kept and no undue sentence performed; however, through this public performance of accusation, repentance, and grief, he shows the extent of his power, and makes himself look even more just, important, and beneficent since he appears to have single-handedly acquired justice for everyone.

When the Duke attempts to sentence Claudio, he violates his own firm policy of moderation, merely by pronouncement of the sentence. This seems to be another machination to make Claudio's reappearance, and Angelo's release from this harsh sentence, reflect better upon the Duke. He is a consummate actor and director, drawing the appropriate performances and reactions from everyone. But, it must be remembered that he does much of this in order to bolster himself and secure what he wants, notably, Isabella's hand in marriage.

This is supposed to be a happy ending, and perhaps upon first glance, it is. However, the Duke's over-use of his power, and the fact that he proposes to Isabella at such a vulnerable, emotional time for her casts more doubt upon his character. Also, that he even suggests that she should repay the services he did her freely and willingly through marriage seems tantamount to the blackmail attempt that Angelo pulled. Isabella's wishes are not even considered, as she does not even answer the Duke, but her consent is implied by the end; knowing Isabella, and how strong willed she is, this seems out of character. Would the strict, chaste Isabella suddenly commit herself to marriage, to a man she hasn't shown any love or inclination toward? This seems like a weak, hasty attempt to balance out her extreme views about her chastity, but it does almost as much wrong to her as Angelo's initial proposition.

Also, the Duke sentences Lucio to marry the prostitute that he got pregnant, not because it is the right thing, but because Lucio "slander[ed] a prince". This seems like punishment to allay the Duke's ego, and indeed, he orders Lucio taken off to prison to appease him, rather than for the sake of justice. If the Duke were purely a just man, he would not have concealed Claudio's survival so needlessly from Isabella, bothered to pronounce a death sentence for Angelo, or said that Isabella should marry him for saving her brother, which he should have done anyway. Dramatically, his actions may be impressive; but, again, much of this seems designed for the purpose of allowing this egotistical character to show as much power as he can, make himself seem impressive and fair, and to gain a wife for himself.

Is Measure for Measure a good example of Shakespearean comedy in general? It has a fairly happy ending, and a few comic scenes‹other than that, the play deals so heavily with issues of sin and mortality that to attempt to be amusing is almost to betray the subject matter. It is not a wholly satisfying play, because of the dubious morals and motivations of the Duke, and the fact that the play is remarkably misogynist against both Isabella and Mariana. However, some of the more dramatic elements of the play, and its discussions of mortality are quite worthwhile, and if the play as a whole is flawed, it is at least well-paced and interesting.

• Biography of William Shakespeare
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• Summary and Analysis of Act 1
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• Summary and Analysis of Act 4
• Summary and Analysis of Act 5
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