Why Is Angelo Wrong

Angelo is “essentially a good man gone wrong.” How far and in what ways do you agree with this view, paying particular attention to Act 1.

It is often debated among critics whether the character of Angelo in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure was an originally good character corrupted by the power he was granted, as the original statement suggests, or a bad character from the start of the play whose malicious intent only increased in his role of the Duke. However the most strongly supported argument in the play agrees with the former.

Angelo himself is not as present in Act 1 as is expected of a main character from a Shakespeare play, having a total of only 11 lines throughout the entirety of Act 1. Therefore our main source of information

When he instructs Angelo to “take thy commission”, Angelo responds with “Now good my lord, let there be some more test made of my metal before so noble and so great a figure be stamped upon it.” The Duke then retaliates: “No more evasion.” Angelo’s modesty and desire to be tested more thoroughly before he is put into the role shows his honest, positive personality and shows the audience that he has the wellbeing of Vienna in his heart, rather than satisfying his own desires for power. The Duke’s abrupt “no more evasion” clearly signifies his complete belief that Angelo is able to run Vienna. However, because Angelo was not granted any further test or evaluation of character it suggests his severe inexperience of being in such a high position, further supporting the idea that any of the terrible things to happen as a result of Angelo’s rule was due to a lack of experience, instead of him being a bad character. This dialogue is followed by: “We have with a leavened and prepared choice proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.” The use of “we” here signifies that the Duke and Escalus both made this decision in unison because both characters believe Angelo is fully capable of the “honours”. “Leavened and prepared” also creates the imagery to bread rising after it is left to prove, specifically “leaven” as the direct definition is “A substance, typically yeast, that is

In the Shakespearean context to “abstain” from a sinful life meant complete continence, at least before marriage. This was (and still is) a common theme among members of a religious order and by associating Angelo with this style of life, Shakespeare further portrays Angelo as a good character, free from sin and any sexual deviancy. “Stricture” is used here to compare Angelo to a statue, immoveable on his policies and