"Measure for Measure," as we have it, is a flawed text.
There are a few theories as to why, but there were at least four editors/composers who recorded Measure for Measure. It seems that Measure for Measure was performed during the summer before its first production in December of 1604, and the play was heavily edited down for the court performance on St. Stephen's Day before the new King. After that, the play seems to have been expanded after 1606.
J. Dover Wilson set forth a theory of successive revisions of the play. This theory has largely been debunked, as it dependent on subjective view of what was "good enough" for Shakespeare to have written. Nevertheless, "Measure for Measure" is a mangled text--it has been modified over the centuries.
J. Dover Wilson set forth a theory of successive revisions of the play. This theory has largely been debunked, as it dependent on subjective view of what was "good enough" for Shakespeare to have written. Nevertheless, "Measure for Measure" is a mangled text--it has been modified over the centuries.
The Play is Missing Elements |
The Folio of the text is lacking in stage directions. It marks all entries except for a servant in II.ii. However, there are at least twenty missing exits. Notably, in V.i, it is never denoted where Isabella is supposed to exit. Perhaps Shakespeare was unclear when he was writing the drafts.
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Characters Seem Absent or Redundant |
I.iii: "Enter Duke and Frier Thomas."
I.vi: "Enter Isabell and Francisca a nun." Thomas nor Francisca are never named in the dialogue. Shakespeare likely wrote them in at the headings in case he wanted to use them, and one of his main scriveners, Crane, left them in tact. Juliet is only in three scenes and speaks in two of them. In the source text, her counterpart--Polina--laments her lover's impending execution and mourns his supposed death. She also gets a happy reunion with him at the end. Why Shakespeare chose to reduce Juliet's role is unclear. It might be because he shifted the focus of his story, so Shakespeare would not have gained much by increasing her role. Shakespeare does wait until her predicament is explained by Claudio before she speaks, so she is seen and not heard. The editors of the Arden Shakespeare suggest that in I.ii, Juliet is part of a large procession of people so she is across the stage from the people who are speaking about her. There are other problematic characters, but we cut them! |
Prose vs. Verse Was Confused by the Composers |
Sometimes, blank verse is forced into prose. There is some confusion the other way as well, for instance the Duke is often speaking verse in a prose context. We could assume that this was intentional on the part of Shakespeare (and not a mistake by the editors) and that the Duke is involved in his own head too much or he is trying to hard to "fit in" with all of the commoners.
There are also words missing, which editors have tried to rectify. |
Time is Funky
Ever tried making a time line of the events of the play? It's incredibly difficult. Time is super inconsistent in the play. Time speeds up and slows down in a way similar to "Othello."
Everything double-times when it's convenient. Characters will say that something is happening at a certain hour and then the audience sees that it doesn't. We can assume that this is from revisions or a choice that Shakespeare made to amplify drama and a sense of disorder.
Time is tense and all-important, but it is deliberately relaxed for comedic scenes.
The time of the play is shoved into the course of what must only be a few days, but the Duke is gone long enough for public concern and pomp and triumph on his return. Overdone announces in I.ii that Claudio is to die in the next few days, while Angelo says he is to be killed "tomorrow." These are examples of time going at a rapid pace, so fast that no one has enough time to really take a few steps back and think.
Note: It was customary for there to be an hour between the time of execution and the official pronouncement of death. This explains the "by nine" and "by eight" confusion in the fourth act.
Everything double-times when it's convenient. Characters will say that something is happening at a certain hour and then the audience sees that it doesn't. We can assume that this is from revisions or a choice that Shakespeare made to amplify drama and a sense of disorder.
Time is tense and all-important, but it is deliberately relaxed for comedic scenes.
The time of the play is shoved into the course of what must only be a few days, but the Duke is gone long enough for public concern and pomp and triumph on his return. Overdone announces in I.ii that Claudio is to die in the next few days, while Angelo says he is to be killed "tomorrow." These are examples of time going at a rapid pace, so fast that no one has enough time to really take a few steps back and think.
Note: It was customary for there to be an hour between the time of execution and the official pronouncement of death. This explains the "by nine" and "by eight" confusion in the fourth act.