English Project Final.pdf

“LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF SHAKESPEARE’S ‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE’”

SUBMITTED BY: Aastha Prakash, B.B.A L.L.B (Hons.) Semester: 2nd Roll no.: 2002 SUBMITTED TO: Mr. Pratyush Kaushik (FACULTY OF LAW AND LITERATURE)

CHANAKYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY (CNLU), PATNA

DECLARATION I, Aastha Prakash, hereby declare that, the project work entitled, “Legal Implications Of Shakespeare’s ‘Measure For Measure’” submitted to C.N.L.U, Patna, is record of an original work done by me under the guidance of faculty member, Mr. Pratyush Kaushik, C.N.L.U, Patna. I have duly acknowledged all the sources from which the ideas and extracts have been taken.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my faculty of Law and Literature, Mr. Pratyush Kaushik, for giving me the opportunity to work on this project named ― “Legal Implications of Shakespeare’s ‘Measure for Measure’”. His guidance and support has been instrumental while making my project on this issue. I would also like to thank all authors and writers whose ideas and works have been made use of in my project. My heartfelt gratitude also goes to all staff and administration of C.N.L.U for the infrastructure in the form of library that was a great source of help in the completion of this project. I would also like to thank my friends for their precious inputs which have been very useful in the completion of this project. I would also like to thank my parents, my seniors, who have helped me with ideas about this work. I hope you will appreciate my true work which is indeed a hard work and a result of my true research and work.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 6-8 2. Summary Of The Play……………………………………………………………. 9-11 3. Characters………………………………………………………………….……. 12-13 4. Themes Of The Play……………………………………………………….……. 14-16 5. Abuse Of Judicial Authority………………………………………….…………. 17-18 6. Justice In The Play………………………………………………………………. 19-21 7. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….………… 22-24

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Aims and Objectives of the Study The specific objectives of this research are: 

To find out the basic idea of the play



To find out valid legal implications in the play



To find out the reasons for the transgression of law in the play

Research Methodology

The researcher will do doctrinal type of research in which the researcher will study and work on the primary as well as the secondary sources. The researcher through this method will go through books, articles and various other works on the issue. The researcher will, therefore, try to form a clear picture of the topic. The doctrinal method will help in doing a comparative study of the topic. This will also help in getting a bird’s eye view of the subject.

Hypothesis It is hypothesised that in any legal system showing mercy to the offender of law is as important as punishing him for any transgression. If a law has been discontinued for a long period of time and is no more in use, it cannot be imposed on the transgressors as the law is already obsolete. If a rule or law is prevalent in a society, the law binds the representative of the society in the same way it binds the society. Coming into power does not give a person the right to do whatever he or she wants be it moral or immoral. He is bound by the law in the same way like the other members of the society.

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1. INTRODUCTION Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623, where it was listed as a comedy, the play's first recorded performance occurred in 1604. The play's main themes include justice, "mortality and mercy in Vienna," and the dichotomy between corruption and purity: "some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall."1 Mercy and virtue prevail, as the play does not end tragically, with virtues such as compassion and forgiveness being exercised at the end of the production. While the play focuses on justice overall, the final scene illustrates that Shakespeare intended for moral justice to temper strict civil justice: a number of the characters receive understanding and leniency, instead of the harsh punishment to which they, according to the law, could have been sentenced. Measure for Measure is often called one of Shakespeare's problem plays. It continues to be classified as a comedy, albeit a dark one, though its tone may defy those expectations.

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William, Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, Act 2 Scene 1

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About the author: William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of approximately 39 plays,154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best work produced in these

genres.

Until

about

1608,

he

wrote

mainly tragedies,

among

them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights. 7

Shakespeare's first plays were written in the conventional style of the day. He wrote them in a stylised language that does not always spring naturally from the needs of the characters or the drama. The poetry depends on extended, sometimes elaborate metaphors and conceits, and the language is often rhetorical—written for actors to declaim rather than speak. In the early 17th century, Shakespeare wrote the so-called "problem plays" Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida, and All's Well That Ends Well and a number of his best known tragedies. Many critics believe that Shakespeare's greatest tragedies represent the peak of his art. The titular hero of one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, Hamlet, has probably been discussed more than any other Shakespearean character, especially for his famous soliloquy which begins "To be or not to be; that is the question".2

Reading Shakespeare is always an extraordinary experience, but it is also a challenge. His plays address different aspects of the human condition, such as love, hatred, envy, treason, revenge, as well as social and political questions such as corruption, morality, crime, and law, among many others. Themes related to the law are present in several of his plays. Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure come readily to mind. The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure feature more prominently as legal plays.

2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare#Textual_sources

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2. SUMMARY OF THE PLAY Measure for Measure has been considered a problem play since it raises problematic issues which are left unresolved. Shakespeare's Measure for Measure centres on the fate of Claudio, who is arrested by Lord Angelo, the temporary leader of Vienna. Depravity and sexual licence have become an issue in Vienna and the Duke Vincentio, who has decided to take a break from ruling, appoints Angelo to rule in his absence, assisted by a trusted councillor, Escalus. The first thing Angelo does is pronounce that he is going to enforce the immorality laws to try and stamp out the epidemic of ‘loose’ living. A citizen, Claudio, has got his fiancée, Juliet, pregnant. He is tried and sentenced to death. His sister, Isabella, who lives in a convent, about to take her vows as a nun, hears the news. She hurries to Angelo to beg for mercy on behalf of her brother. Angelo denies her request but as she persists he is overwhelmed by lust for her and tells her he will think about it, and that she should return the next day to hear his verdict. She goes back the next day and he tells her that he will pardon her brother if she will have sex with him.3

(Claudio and Isabella (1850) by William Holman Hunt)

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measure_for_Measure

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The Duke Vincentio, in the meantime, has not left Vienna but disguised himself as an itinerant friar and is moving about among the people to observe the effect of Angelo’s rule. He tells Juliet to prepare for Claudio’s death, assuring her that there is no way around it. Isabella is horrified by Angelo’s proposition and refuses. She visits Claudio in prison and tells him about it, making it clear that she will not subject herself to that, and that he will have to die. The Duke overhears their conversation and suggests a solution. He tells her that she should agree to it and he will arrange for Mariana, who has been jilted by Angelo because her dowry was lost at sea, to take Isabella’s place and sleep with Angelo, who will not know it isn’t Isabella in the dark. Angelo is preparing to double-cross Isabella, however, and gives instructions for Claudio’s execution. The Duke, still disguised, persuades the prison governor to execute a long-term prisoner, Barnadine, instead, and deliver his head to Angelo as demanded, claiming that it is Claudio’s head. Barnadine refuses to agree so they decide to use the head of a prisoner who has just died. Marianna fulfils her part of the bargain, sleeping with Angelo, who believes that she is Isabella. The next day the ‘friar’ tells Isabella that Angelo has deceived her and had Claudio executed. He also announces his return, as the Duke, to Vienna. Isabella and Marianna decide to go together to greet him and complain about what has happened.

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The Duke arrives in Vienna with a big public display. Isabella begs for justice. The two women tell their story and Angelo is exposed in public. He is forced to marry Marianna. Claudio and Juliet are reunited. The play ends with the Duke proposing to Isabella.

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3. CHARACTERS

Isabella The main character, Isabella, is a very virtuous and chaste young woman who faces a difficult decision when her brother is sentenced to death for fornication (unlawful sex). Isabella does not approve of her brother's actions at all, but she pleads for his life out of loyalty and sisterly devotion. Isabella is a spiritual person who starts off wanting to become a nun.

The Duke The other central figure is the Duke, who spends most of his time dressed as a friar in order to observe what is happening in his absence. The Duke is unfailingly virtuous, good, and kindhearted. He tends to rule a little softly, which is why he enlists Angelo's help.

Claudio Isabella's brother Claudio is a young man sentenced to death for impregnating an unmarried woman. He was engaged to her by a common-law agreement, but they had sexual intercourse before the legal marriage took place. Claudio depends less on the guidance of laws and religious practices than on his sister.

Lord Angelo Angelo is the villain of the play, a man who rules strictly and without mercy. He has his own weaknesses, however, and he is loathsome more for his hypocrisy than for anything else. He presents Isabella with a difficult proposition and then does not even hold up his end of the bargain.

Escalus Escalus is a wise lord who advises Angelo to be more merciful. He is loyal to the Duke and seeks to carry out his orders justly, but cannot go against Angelo's will.

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Lucio Lucio, described by Shakespeare as a "fantastic," is a flamboyant bachelor who provides much of the play's comedic content. He is a friend of Claudio's and tries to help him.

Mariana Mariana was supposed to marry Angelo, but he called the wedding off when she lost her dowry in a shipwreck that killed her brother.

Mistress Overdone Mistress Overdone runs a brothel in Vienna.

Pompey Pompey is a clown who also works for Mistress Overdone.

Provost The provost runs the prison and is responsible for carrying out all of Angelo's orders.

Elbow Elbow is a dim-witted constable who arrests people for misconduct, particularly of the sexual variety. He speaks in malapropisms and provides comic-relief throughout the play.

Barnadine A long-term prisoner in the jail, Barnadine is sentenced to be executed together with Claudio. The Duke originally considers him hopeless and therefore dispensable but later changes his mind.

Juliet Claudio's lover, she is pregnant with his baby.

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4. THEMES OF THE PLAY Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" offers a number of themes, including: 

Judgment and Punishment



Sex



Marriage



Religion



The Role of the Female

Judgment and Punishment "Measure for Measure" asks the audience to consider how and to what extent one person can judge another. Just because someone holds a position of power doesn't indicate that the person is morally superior. The play questions whether it is possible to legislate issues of morality and how to do so. Had Claudio been executed, he would have left Juliet with a child and a tattered reputation. She would have no way to look after the child. Angelo was clearly in the wrong morally, but he was given a job to do and followed through. He wasn’t going to legislate against himself. The Duke has fallen in love with Isabella, Claudio's sister, so his decisions regarding punishment for Claudio and Angelo may have been skewed. The play suggests that people should be answerable for their sins but should receive the same treatment as they provided. Treat others as you would like to be treated, and if you commit a sin, expect to pay for it.

Sex Sex is the main driver of the action in this play. In Vienna, illicit sex and prostitution are major social problems, resulting in illegitimacy and disease. This too is a concern for Shakespeare’s London, especially with the plague, as sex could result in death. Claudio is sentenced to death by beheading for impregnating his fiancée. Isabella is told she can save her brother by having sex with Angelo, but she risks spiritual death and the death of her reputation.

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The play questions whether it is right for government to legislate against sexuality.

Marriage Shakespeare’s comedies often are celebrated by a marriage, which is usually seen as a happy ending. In "Measure for Measure," however, marriage is used as a punishment, Angelo is forced to marry Mariana and Lucio is forced to marry Mistress Overdone. This cynical look at marriage is unusual in a comedy. Ironically, marriage here is used to regulate and punish promiscuous behavior. Marriage saves the females' reputation and gives them a position they would not have had. For Juliet, Mariana, and Mistress Overdone to an extent, this is the best option. Readers are asked to consider whether marriage would be a good option for Isabella, because she could marry the Duke and have a good social position, but does she love him or is she expected to marry him out of appreciation for what he has done for her?

Religion The title of "Measure for Measure" comes from the gospel of Matthew. The plot includes a passage where a hypocritical deputy sentences a man to death for fornication and then propositions a woman. The main themes are associated with religion: morality, virtue, sin, punishment, death, and atonement. Its main character, Isabella, is obsessed with virtue, chastity, and her spiritual journey. The Duke spends most of his time dressed as a friar and Angelo has the attitude and demeanour of a puritan.

The Role of the Female Each woman in the play is controlled by the forces of patriarchy. They are vastly different characters, but their social standing is limited by the men in their lives. A novice nun is blackmailed, a prostitute is arrested for running a brothel, and Mariana is jilted for not having

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a large enough dowry. Juliet and her unborn child are compromised by the attitudes she will face if she has an illegitimate child.4

4

https://www.thoughtco.com/measure-for-measure-themes-2984736

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5. ABUSE OF JUDICIAL AUTHORITY

The present work analyses power and abuse of authority in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. It is shown how power is abused, and a comparison between the rulers – the duke and Angelo – analyses their attitudes, showing in which sense both have failed. One of the themes of the play is the abuse of power by the authority inserted in a moral and ethical duel between the application of justice using the law according to its literal content and the reasonableness of the application, at some moments strictly applied, and at other moments ignored because of its disuse. The play establishes a parallel between equity and justice in the application of the law, criticizing its application without leaving considerations about mercy or human weaknesses. The idea that no one can follow the law strictly, not even those who apply it, is forwarded. Some sort of faults can be forgiven or at least have a mitigated penalty because of their nature of misdemeanour or because the law that defined them as misconduct is no longer consistent with the reality of the society that created it. Tempering the application of the law with moderate measures and considering equity and justness is showed as the answer to how to determine the measure of applying the law and its penalties.5 The “houses of resort” and lechery were disseminated in the city; Duke Vincentio contributed to that by not enforcing the law. To solve the issue, the duke delegates his power to Angelo and Angelo decides to revive the law that punishes lechery with death, condemning Claudio, since his fiancée is pregnant outside wedlock. At first, Angelo shows himself as a rigorous enforcer of the law. However, when Isabella tries to appeal to Angelo’s mercy, he offers her an immoral way of saving her brother. Isabella should buy her brother’s forgiveness with a sexual favor. Such situation exposes Angelo’s true face. Then, there is a break in the rigor previously demonstrated with the purpose of satisfying his personal wishes, clearly abusing the power given him. He reveals a corrupt side, abusing his power and authority. Generally, there are two kinds of corruption commonly explored in literature: the personal and the political. According to the play, Angelo’s corruption belongs to the first kind, since he corrupted himself following a feeling, and not with political intentions.

5

https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/measure-for-measure-and-punishment

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Escalus tries to appeal to Angelo’s mercy, saying that everyone may be in Claudio’s position and may commit a reprehensible act, even Angelo. However, according to Angelo, Juliet’s pregnancy makes the crime visible, and that is why he cannot ignore the crime and must punish it. Angelo moves on arguing that if he, who judged Claudio, ever were found in a similar position, committing the same offense, the law must be equally applied to him, in the same measure of the judgment given to Claudio. . The issue of law enforcement arises when Claudio is arrested as Angelo’s first act replacing the duke in the government and the matter reappears several times in the play. Claudio’s fiancée got pregnant before marriage, and the pregnancy constitutes evidence of a capital offense. However, the law that defines such behaviour as a crime has fallen into disuse, since the duke has not applied it for several years. This creates a problem: how to punish an individual for an act that others also practice in the same society for years and with impunity? Pompey thinks that if everyone who committed the same act were punished with death, Vienna’s population would be decimated. Meanwhile, Isabella believes in her brother’s fault but thinks the penalty is disproportionate since it is committed with impunity by many others, “Good, good my lord, bethink you/ Who is it that hath died for this offence? “There’s many have committed it”. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, this moral paragon is soon offering her a sexual pleabargain – her virginity, in exchange for remitting her brother’s sentence. Isabella, who is about to enter a nunnery, would lay down her life to save her brother, but refuses to surrender her chastity6. Isabella argues that the principle of equality should be respected in the case; she points out that other people have practiced the same crime and were not punished or judged and the law must be applied equally to all. Although the law has not been enforced for many years, it is still valid, because it was not revoked.

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https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/measure-for-measure-shakespeare-sgreat-study-of-the-nature-of-justice-remains-profound-and-relevant-a6937336.html

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6. JUSTICE IN THE PLAY The play mainly centres on the problem of justice and mercy. In the course of the play, we found the workings of both justice and mercy. There are scenes in which justice predominates and there are others in which mercy dominates. However, it is mercy which ultimately rings supreme. The play begins with the necessity of establishing justice against the weakness of merciful administration of the Duke. Because of too much leniency, his administration fails. Angelo, the deputy of the king (Duke) gradually revives all the dead laws. He rules the country with an iron rod. He enforces his strict law first on Claudio. He is sentenced to death for making a girl pregnant before marriage. This is undoubtedly just according to the demand of the law. But the complexity arises when the question of mercy enters. Even the magistrate considers it hard and rather tyrannical to implement the death sentence of Claudio. In spite of their suggestions, Angelo remains adamant. He proves himself totally impartial when he says that he himself was ready to take the same punishment having committed the same crime. The problem reaches its climax with Isabella entering the scene with her famous and brilliant speech on mercy. Justice and mercy are brought face to face. Isabella’s interview with Angelo is the contention of justice and mercy. Apart from raising some problems regarding the particular case, the confrontation gives rise to some basic general disturbing issues about mercy and justice. Some of the conflicts brought out by this are the conflict between law and humanity, the conflict between the laws of social and the biological and psychological laws of human nature and between charity and chastity and so on.7 The duke’s intentions regarding the announcement of leaving the city but instead remaining in disguise are presented in his conversation with Friar Thomas in act I, scene iii. It reveals that the duke intends to test Angelo’s righteousness and to see “If power change purpose, what our seemers be.” 8 The friar disguise allows the duke to observe Angelo’s behavior toward Isabella and Claudio and to form a plan to solve the case, in a way that, far from tarnishing his image, would show him as wise and merciful.

7

Heinzelman, Susan Sage. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: Representing Justice: Stories Of Law And Literature. 8 Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure. The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare. Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

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Angelo respects the demand for justice and Isabella represents the need for mercy. Isabella recognizes the demands of justice but her fascination is to the greatness and divine beauty of mercy. She says that mercy is a noble quality and more suitable symbol than a king’s crown, a mayor’s sword, a military commander’s baton, a judge’s robe as a symbol of authority. In Angelo’s statement, Claudio is a forfeit of the law, so he can do nothing. Isabella promptly refers to the original sin as forfeiture of all mankind and Christ’s mercy as the only redeeming method. She further says that Claudio is not the only man to commit the offense, so Angelo should show pity. Angelo says that his punishment is a pity for others. Isabella’s last argument is to look at her and find out if he does not feel any temptation to such a sin. By now Angelo begins to be affected and asks her to meet her next day. During the interview of Isabella with Angelo, the problem becomes more complicated. Angelo has now completely overcome his passion for Isabella. Now his only wish is to enjoy her sexuality. He openly proposes her to surrender her virginity as a price for obtaining a pardon for her brother. Now, the issue is far Isabella’s part, a conflict between chastity and the desire to save her brother’s life, while for Angelo, it is a conflict between justice and lust. Isabella is ready to save her chastity even at the cost of Claudio’s life while Angelo is ready to possess her at the cost of anything. At this point, both mercy and justice disappear in their conflict. The strict application of the law does not give Claudio justice. Justice along with mercy backs with the presence of the Duke. He saves Claudio’s life, takes away authority from Angelo and he is sentenced to death for killing Claudio. However, he is exempted from death as Claudio’s presence disproves his guilt of murder. Finally, the Duke shows indiscriminate mercy to all other offenders. Now, this sweeping forgiveness has raised criticism about the justification of it. Nor is this criticism altogether invalid. The only possible answer is that from the very beginning, we see that mercy dominates the Duke’s character. Therefore, the play shows the triumph of mercy over justice.9 Angelo’s punishment is much lighter, but when the duke returns to Vienna, Angelo is judged in public and subsequently pardoned. The comparison between the images of the two rulers puts them in opposite positions, since the duke shows that Angelo was overly severe; at the same time, he shows that he can reinstall peace and provide fair treatment to all citizens. The

9

Bennett, Josephine Waters, Measure for Measure as Royal Entertainment, New York: Columbia University Press, 1966.

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duke shows with the decisions he makes at the end of the play that justice is best achieved with fairness.10

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https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/measure-for-measure-and-punishment

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7. CONCLUSION

Equity can be understood as the attempt of achieving a proportion between individual and collective rights with the proper use of reason and moderation, which should regulate all acts of human life. Equity assumes fairness and temperance in the application of the letter of the law, an idea to the concept of the mean that exists in the just, between the excess and the deficiency. Angelo and the duke represent those extremes, as the first exceeds in the rigor of the application of the law while the second neglects it. The mere application of the letter of the law is not the ideal way, because applying the law should not be a mechanical gesture but rather an action requiring reflection and analysis that results in moderation and prudence of governing. An extremely important concern in Measure for Measure is the application of the law and justice. Both in courts of any time or place and in fiction, there are examples of how the strict enforcement of the law does not always achieve justice. A classic example happens in another play by Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, in which Shylock, by demanding the literal fulfilment of the contract, driven by hatred, and deaf to the pleas of mercy, doesn’t achieve his purpose – even though his right was guaranteed by a contract between him and Antonio – and condemns himself by the literalness of the contract. In Measure for Measure, strict application of the law would punish Claudio to death, but justice would not be served. A law may have several sources and custom is a fundamental one, because it reflects the wishes, history, and culture of a society. Therefore, if a society considers that promiscuity11 must be punishable by death, a law guarantees such penalty. However, if after a while the same society understands that such punishment is exaggerated, or at least questionable, since moral standards can change, the law may be revised. Society evolves and assimilates values based on usage and current rules, and if the law does not follow such evolution, its application no longer reaches what is morally reprehensible, because each situation has its details and particularities, and motivation of an act is something to consider before condemning it – or not. In the play, a law exists that has not been applied

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Promiscuity tends to be frowned upon by many societies, expecting most members to have committed, longterm relationships with single partners. Most societies have historically been more critical of women's promiscuity than of heterosexual men's

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for years. Whether for the absence of punishment, or for the evolution of social mores12, motivated by the non-application of the law, the citizens of Vienna do not agree with Claudio’s death sentence, some because they do not condemn the practice of sexual intercourse before marriage, others because they appreciate Claudio as a person of character. These different opinions indicate that his attitude, despite breaching a law, is not seen unanimously as offending the moral. The law must be flexible, adaptable to the case.13 A way of adapting the law to specific circumstances of the situation is through the principle of equity Two questions should guide the application of the law: whether the law is still valid even if not applied for “so long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round”, that is, nineteen years. Second, if the law is valid, the penalty should not be disproportionate to the act committed, considering that some citizens know the law but the act is not punished. The duke reveals to Friar Thomas that lechery in the city took enormous proportions, The study of Shakespeare’s work from a legal perspective intended to suggest that the study of the law helps to interpret and to understand the literary work, as it shows the dramatic circumstances in the life of characters, the law being one of these circumstances since it regulates standards of social conduct. In addition, among other things literature contributes to the study of law by rescuing values and historical data that help understand facts related to the human condition, providing an improved application of the law. Literature opens up a more accessible way to legal institutions, as it can do without the jargon that characterizes them. Judges and other legal professionals who say that literature is a source of study and comprehension of the law have in Shakespeare their biggest example. Shakespeare makes his plays timeless by, among other things, discussing themes and issues that fit the universal human sphere. Measure for Measure, for instance, shows the perennial tendency of people who find themselves in a position of authority to commit abuses to receive personal favours. Besides, those in authority may condemn others to death for the same act they intended to or did commit. The comparison between the duke and Angelo enables one to see that the ideal conduct of a ruler lies in the middle ground, with the attitude moderated by principles over the literal application of the law. Although the law that punishes lechery with death (in the fictional world) is still valid, the penalty is disproportionate to the crime committed, as the 12

The essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a society or community. Tennenhouse, Leonard, "Representing Power: Measure for Measure in Its Time," Genre: Forms of Discourse and Culture 15.2-3 (1982), pp. 139-56. 13

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duke concludes after the analysis of the situation. The measure for measure that Shakespeare wanted to reach follows the line of equity in the application of justice, exercising mercy through forgiveness. These ideas and concepts are timeless. The study of Measure for Measure leaves lessons that, although thought by Shakespeare centuries ago, performed before a king, are still valid nowadays, in a republic, and in relation to any post or position of power.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS REFERRED: 1) Heinzelman, Susan Sage. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure: Representing Justice: Stories of Law and Literature

2) Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

WEBSITES REFERRED: 1) https://www.thoughtco.com/measure-for-measure-themes-2984736 2) https://www.swarthmore.edu/writing/morality-and-mercy-vienna-duke-vincentio-andwhitehall-measure-measure 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measure_for_Measure#Characters

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