❀ Rose ❀'s Reviews > Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure
by
by
4.5 stars
🔹 Rating explanation
〰 Holy crap, I loved this so much. Up until now i’ve only given two of Shakespeare’s plays five stars (Macbeth and Othello). When I first started Measure for Measure however, I thought this play was for sure going to be a new favorite. But as much as I adored it, I did not like the ending (but we’ll get to that later) which is why, although this is a fantastic play, I couldn’t, in good conscience, give it the full 5 stars.
🔹 Reading experience
〰 I went into this knowing absolutely nothing. I didn’t even know if this was a tragedy or a comedy before starting, and decided that I would just have to see how this goes. I normally never do that but I was happy for doing it this time since I genuinely believe that it added to my enjoyment of the story. Although I can’t say that this has some Iconic characters like Iago or Lady Macbeth, I can definitely say that the questions and themes discussed in this play were some of my absolute favorites. My favorite scene in the whole play would be the one between Angelo and Isabella, where he finally tells her what he actually wants from her. I’m not going to spoil anything but I found myself genuinely curious as to what I would do if I were in her shoes.
🔹 Fav aspect of this whole play
〰 In this scene, Shakespeare asks us some of the most difficult questions I have ever read about and poses a new dilemma that just made me rethink my entire existence (as one does when reading Shakespeare of course). The dilemma that Isabella is facing in this scene reminded me a lot of Heinz’s dilemma and I found myself wondering if I actually agreed with her decision or not. The cost in both situations would be too great and she would lose a part of herself no matter what she decided to do. That being said, I don’t think there’s a right answer here but I’ll keep thinking about this and I’ll definitely be asking everyone I know what they think they would have done (because I’m a psychology major and the answer to such a question would actually tell you ALOT about a person).
🔹 Me rambling some more.
〰 Another reason I think this play is forever gonna be special in my heart is because I get shook (and extremely impressed) every time I remember that this was written in 1604. Shakespeare’s courage in denouncing men by showing how they often times blackmail women and use their higher social status and power over them to get what they want astounds me. I mean, how many people were actually willing to do that at the time? To show that women were taken advantage of and mistreated by men (in this case, police officers in particular) and then were called liars simply because a man’s word was considered to be more credible?
🔹 The ending— A BIT SPOILERY SO BEWARE
〰 Now on to the ending... I was absolutely loving this up until the last act. I’m honestly not sure I completely understand how the duke’s plan turned out to be a success. Angelo literally could have just refuted Mariana’s claims... I don’t know, there’s something that I just didn’t quite catch here. Anws, that’s not even what bothered me the most. For some reason, the duke proposing to Isabella -(proposing would be a bit of a stretch here since he literally just told her that they were gonna get married)- is what irked me the most. It was such a hypocritical and selfish move. Not only did he not give her a choice in the matter but he, more than anyone, knew how much she wanted to be a nun. I don’t know, maybe I’m reading too much into this but the whole proposal aspect killed the whole vibe for me. And I know that all comedies at the time ended with marriage proposals (cause that was considered the girl’s reward) but still..
🔹 Overall feelings:
〰 Anyways, all of that being said, this was still absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it to all. I’m now going to leave you guys with a few of my absolute favorite quotes from this play and I think that after reading them, you’ll understand why this just became my favorite Shakespearean comedy. They’re a bit spoilery though so proceed with caution.
🔹 Quotes
Angelo:
“Answer to this: I, now the voice of the recorded law,
Pronounce. A sentence on your brother’s life:
Might there not be a charity in sin
To save this brother’s life?
Isabella
If you felt like doing it, even at the risk of your soul, sin and charity would balance each other perfectly.”
———————
Isabella:
“And ’twere the cheaper way:
Better it were a brother died at once,
Than that a sister, by redeeming him,
Should die for ever.
Angelo:
“Were not you then as cruel as the sentence
That you have slander’d so?”
———————
Claudio:
“The miserable have no other medicine
But only hope”
———————
Isabella:
“Thy sin’s not accidental, but a trade.
Mercy to thee would prove itself a bawd”
———————
Angelo:
“Admit no other way to save his life,—
As I subscribe not that, nor any other,
But in the loss of question,—that you, his sister,
Finding yourself desired of such a person,
Whose credit with the judge, or own great place,
Could fetch your brother from the manacles
Of the all-building law; and that there were
No earthly mean to save him, but that either
You must lay down the treasures of your body
To this supposed, or else to let him suffer;
What would you do?”
🔹 Rating explanation
〰 Holy crap, I loved this so much. Up until now i’ve only given two of Shakespeare’s plays five stars (Macbeth and Othello). When I first started Measure for Measure however, I thought this play was for sure going to be a new favorite. But as much as I adored it, I did not like the ending (but we’ll get to that later) which is why, although this is a fantastic play, I couldn’t, in good conscience, give it the full 5 stars.
🔹 Reading experience
〰 I went into this knowing absolutely nothing. I didn’t even know if this was a tragedy or a comedy before starting, and decided that I would just have to see how this goes. I normally never do that but I was happy for doing it this time since I genuinely believe that it added to my enjoyment of the story. Although I can’t say that this has some Iconic characters like Iago or Lady Macbeth, I can definitely say that the questions and themes discussed in this play were some of my absolute favorites. My favorite scene in the whole play would be the one between Angelo and Isabella, where he finally tells her what he actually wants from her. I’m not going to spoil anything but I found myself genuinely curious as to what I would do if I were in her shoes.
🔹 Fav aspect of this whole play
〰 In this scene, Shakespeare asks us some of the most difficult questions I have ever read about and poses a new dilemma that just made me rethink my entire existence (as one does when reading Shakespeare of course). The dilemma that Isabella is facing in this scene reminded me a lot of Heinz’s dilemma and I found myself wondering if I actually agreed with her decision or not. The cost in both situations would be too great and she would lose a part of herself no matter what she decided to do. That being said, I don’t think there’s a right answer here but I’ll keep thinking about this and I’ll definitely be asking everyone I know what they think they would have done (because I’m a psychology major and the answer to such a question would actually tell you ALOT about a person).
🔹 Me rambling some more.
〰 Another reason I think this play is forever gonna be special in my heart is because I get shook (and extremely impressed) every time I remember that this was written in 1604. Shakespeare’s courage in denouncing men by showing how they often times blackmail women and use their higher social status and power over them to get what they want astounds me. I mean, how many people were actually willing to do that at the time? To show that women were taken advantage of and mistreated by men (in this case, police officers in particular) and then were called liars simply because a man’s word was considered to be more credible?
🔹 The ending— A BIT SPOILERY SO BEWARE
〰 Now on to the ending... I was absolutely loving this up until the last act. I’m honestly not sure I completely understand how the duke’s plan turned out to be a success. Angelo literally could have just refuted Mariana’s claims... I don’t know, there’s something that I just didn’t quite catch here. Anws, that’s not even what bothered me the most. For some reason, the duke proposing to Isabella -(proposing would be a bit of a stretch here since he literally just told her that they were gonna get married)- is what irked me the most. It was such a hypocritical and selfish move. Not only did he not give her a choice in the matter but he, more than anyone, knew how much she wanted to be a nun. I don’t know, maybe I’m reading too much into this but the whole proposal aspect killed the whole vibe for me. And I know that all comedies at the time ended with marriage proposals (cause that was considered the girl’s reward) but still..
🔹 Overall feelings:
〰 Anyways, all of that being said, this was still absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend it to all. I’m now going to leave you guys with a few of my absolute favorite quotes from this play and I think that after reading them, you’ll understand why this just became my favorite Shakespearean comedy. They’re a bit spoilery though so proceed with caution.
🔹 Quotes
Angelo:
“Answer to this: I, now the voice of the recorded law,
Pronounce. A sentence on your brother’s life:
Might there not be a charity in sin
To save this brother’s life?
Isabella
If you felt like doing it, even at the risk of your soul, sin and charity would balance each other perfectly.”
———————
Isabella:
“And ’twere the cheaper way:
Better it were a brother died at once,
Than that a sister, by redeeming him,
Should die for ever.
Angelo:
“Were not you then as cruel as the sentence
That you have slander’d so?”
———————
Claudio:
“The miserable have no other medicine
But only hope”
———————
Isabella:
“Thy sin’s not accidental, but a trade.
Mercy to thee would prove itself a bawd”
———————
Angelo:
“Admit no other way to save his life,—
As I subscribe not that, nor any other,
But in the loss of question,—that you, his sister,
Finding yourself desired of such a person,
Whose credit with the judge, or own great place,
Could fetch your brother from the manacles
Of the all-building law; and that there were
No earthly mean to save him, but that either
You must lay down the treasures of your body
To this supposed, or else to let him suffer;
What would you do?”
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