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Measure For Measure Play Analysis

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Measure for Measure has been often called a problem play or usually known as Shakespeare’s problem plays. It is one of only three labelled problem plays which include All’s Well that Ends Well and Troilus and Cressida. It was given a description like that because of being not easily determined whether it is a comedy, tragedy or, history. It is difficult to categorize and even to describe because of having the elements to both comedy and tragedy. However, it isn’t the only thing that makes is challenging and pretty tricky, the flow of its plot is really complicated. In the play, the characters that was involved in the story did really composes the show. The protagonist in the story did really serve as a door into the emotional core of the …show more content…

Marriage in the play was used as a punishment. Unlike to most Shakespeare’s comedies that are celebrated by a marriage, this story isn’t. Lucio is forced to marry Mistress Overdone while Angelo, same with Lucio, is forced to marry Marianna. Definitely it is unusual for comedies to make marriage as a punishment and not a …show more content…

The title of the play, Measure for Measure, comes from the gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 7:1-2, “Do not judge, or you too will be judge. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In other words, don’t judge other people quickly for nobody is perfect and everyone is a matter to God’s verdict.
Gender was also one of the major themes in the play. In the story, three female characters have speaking roles— an aspiring nun who was blackmailed by an immoral officer, a prostitute who was detained for owning a brothel and a woman who was rejected for not having enough bridal payment. Shakespeare created these limited roles, provoking the audience to contemplate more generally a woman’s role in society. It suggests that maybe social roles for women in the 16th century were limited also.
Aside from the others, lies is also considered as one of the major themes in the play. Deception is the game in the play, Measure for Measure. In the storyline, Duke Vincentio disguises himself as a friar in order to spy his officers and his people. In addition to that, the play itself has a full of deceitful switches. Mariana replaces Isabela on the bed trick where planned by the Duke and also the head that was substituted for

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