The Bard's Challenge: Week Three

The Bards Challenge: Week Three

In this post:

A Lover’s Complaint

Measure for Measure

Thoughts on Measure for Measure:

Okay, okay, I know what some of you may be thinking. But you have to look deeper than the extremely unchaste cast of this play!

What is a Problem Play?

Shakespeare wrote three plays that are commonly classified as “Problem Plays,” (and depending on which scholar you ask, some will chip in a couple more). An easy way to classify a Shakespearean problem play is that it’s neither a comedy nor a tragedy but often floats somewhere in between. I like the Way F. S. Boas put it:

“Throughout these plays we move along dim untrodden paths, and at the close our feeling is neither of simple joy nor pain; we are excited, fascinated, perplexed, for the issues raised . . . and we are left to interpret their enigmas as best we may.”

A problem play usually takes big moral issues or “problems” of the day and attempts to illustrate these problems. Problem plays in our day might revolve around drugs, unemployment, crime, etc. Measure for Measure blatantly revolves around two universal issues: good government, and morality.

Good Government:

One word: Angelo. I don’t know how you feel about him, but I grew to dislike him more and more with every scene I saw him in. He ALMOST redeemed himself in Act IV, Scene IV, but lost it again later. The play clearly illustrates two extremes of governance: Angelo, (self-centered, absolute rule, etc.) and the Duke, (Forgiving, calm, etc.) And although it may seem obvious to us now, it wasn’t nearly so obvious at the time this oplay was written, (1604) how rulers should judge crimes involving morality, (see below).

Morality:

Oh heavens. This was like watching one of those soap operas like Grey’s Anatomy where everyone was sleeping with everyone else; except instead of breaking people’s hearts, there breaking people’s necks and cutting off their heads, (or trying to, anyways). When this play was written, England had just gotten a new ruler, (King James) and James was pretty big on religion, you remember the King James Bible, right? Well, James was a very theological man and often raised questions about his duties as a Christian ruler. When to punish, how to punish, etc. This play very clearly illustrates both sides of how to deal with issues of morality. And although the ending is “happy” and everyone is getting married, the audience is still left with a sense of discontent because of the nature of the ending. I mean, half of the cast was FORCED to get married! And the morality of the entire cast, (except Isabella and the Duke of course) is absolutely appalling!

The Title:

The play’s title, “Measure for Measure” actually refers to part of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Interesting, eh? The part where Christ teaches us to use a full, unstinting measure in distributing grain to others, for we shall receive measures in the same way that we distribute them. Hmm,…. I wonder how that ties in to the play’s theme…

Your thoughts?

Alright, I’ve had my little rant for the day. How about you? There’s just one specific question I have for you and then I’d love your general thoughts:

·        How did you feel when you finished the play?