Meassure for Meassure, it’s no moon. (textual evidence to be provided separately)
It’s no moon but it’s so recurrent and important. How do we meassure ourselves, how do we meassure others? What do we meassure with? WHAT’S THE SCALE, and most importantly, WHAT’S THE MEASSURE?
In this play by William Shakespeare there is no escape from action, the characters are doomed to face their fates. Each of the characters are distinct from one another, both in the ways they were conceived by the author and through the reader’s, audience’s, eyes and senses.
Distinctions and similarities between two blocks of contending forces (not necessarily opposing ones) :
The people from the state:
The Duke & Lord Angelo
The people from the people:
Claudio & Isabella
This distinction has been made in order to clarify the way these characters appear to be constructed in, and also because of what they represent in society. Both blocks are powerful given their own means in actuality, morality, politics, bed, appearances, religion, values, and law.
A close-up to the first block clearly strips away unnecessary weight and leaves the bones uncovered.
Ball states that characters gain meaning through performance rather than through text, while he puts forwards the importance of the skeletal nature of their definition distressing the focus on interpretation. Thus, this distinction needs to be done.
The first block, has been comprised to these two characters given their interactions.
The Duke’s decision to step outside of the public arena gives Lord Angelo the reins of law. The Duke, nevertheless, seems to become passive in terms of decision but actually indulges in the most direct action. He steps into the arena as a different character, Friar, for direct intervention. Premeditatedly, he lets L.A take care of the situation in order to examine and expose this character given his lack of trust in him.
Reversely, in the second block Claudio asks Lucio to advert his sister about the situation given his knowledge and trust in her. He does so, not with the intention of examination but with hope and trust.
Claudio manipulates his sister virginity, her virtuousness and purity; which are all immaterial substances. Light ones in terms of real weight but solidly firm and rooted in her.
The Duke manipulates L.A.’s carnal debility to the seemingly corruptible and frail Isabella.
The woman-object of this story, Isabella, appears as a means. She is the means to freedom, as conceived by Claudio, and the subject for naughty intentions, as perceived by Lord Angelo.
Meassure by meassure, the deployment of action seems to be fated. Events fall under the expectations of the Duke and Claudio, but particularly the Duke. The latter, as a self-forced intermediary of God, offices his master plan beneath the surface. How does this relate to the title image?
Well, if we look the Duke’s speech it always maintains a rhetorical structure. Everything he says builds up, forwards. He represents the master, knowledge. Although his position in society is not upon direct merit, he sticks to his role. Not only to appear fitted for his position, but the contrary. It is a character that is not caught in the realm of appearances, although he regards the superficial importance of things as powerful elements. This respect for the superficial world is made obvious by him adopting a different role to the eyes of others.
His temple, nevertheless, is internal. This characters’ value lies in the acknowledgement of his duty. His duty is such because of his stock and lineage.
(AND NOW IS WHEN WE GET TO SPECIFICS)… I will be editing this later on with the textual evidence and makeing a new post with the resume and identification of theme, different images, all according to Ball. I just thought it would be good if I posted some raw work to stimulate the discussion.