CHARACTER AND ROLE OF DUKE VINCENTIO
In the world of Shakespearean comedies, most characters are gentle, merry and humorous. Here women emerge as more intellectual and potential than men do; women not only match men but also come out winners. The men may be young and handsome, but when works need to be done Shakespeare invariably reaches out for his heroines. He has given us such a glittering array of heroines that Ruskin comments "Shakespeare has only heroines and no heroes." Truly, Shakespeare has not been able to depict a neat `hero' in the true sense of the word. Though Vincentio, Duke of Vienna, has been largely accepted as the hero of `Measure for Measure', not because he does any physical or intellectual heroics but because he towers above the rest of the rather mediocre characters. The man is not given to too much action; he is more prone to reflect and philosophize on things.
The play appears with the Duke handing over his powers to Angelo and Escalus, chiefly to Angelo whose austere and honourable deed is known to all Vienna. The Duke does it in one of those philosophic and moral speeches in his fashion, the less do we think him fit to be ruler of man. He is a thinker, not a man of action; a philosopher in a wrong place. Therefore, he urges Angelo to make full use of his virtue and assumes the disguise of a friar to spy upon his hedonistic subjects and upon Angelo.
The Duke has a deep insight to see that Angelo with his profound learning would strike the right balance between two opposite demands by law and by religion - death and mercy. But still, he was not sure that even Angelo could manage such impossibility. He was a creator and abrogator...
... middle of paper ...
... This is only possible through gentle persuasion. His failure lies in the fact that is that he is unable to evaluate the teachings of Gospels and to give it a perfect dimension or to have the courage to reject it if it neglects life.
He is not a perfect man. He also commits faults. However, those are estimated and corrected. We still remembers him as a dispenser of justice and forgiveness. Wilson Knight comments, "Like Prospero, the Duke tends to assume proportions evidently divine." Though this is an exaggeration, we must also reject Lawrence's view that he is a `stage Duke', "a mere instrument in the play's economy." Not all his flaws make him a very inspiring figure. However, we have to give him a place in our hearts because of his morality, creative talent, controlling power, inborn mysticism, compassion, forgiveness and deep knowledge of philosophy.
Neely, Carol Thomas. “Shakespeare’s Women: Historical Facts and Dramatic Representations.” Shakespeare’s Personality. Ed. Norman N. Holland, Sidney Homan, and Bernard J. Paris. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989. 116-134.
The morality of the hero also plays a key role in the nature of his heroism. Hamlet holds himself to high moral standards and ethics. “We, the ...
The duke then talks to Othello as if he is a criminal by saying Duke:
In Shakespeare’s plays, those characters experienced great struggles of choosing to be moral or evil. He gave them chances to choose whether they wanted to become good and moral even though, according to the settings, it was reasonably for them to become evil and give their enemies a taste of their own medicine. In this paper, three characters from different plays will be compared, such as Claudio from Much Ado about Nothing, Prospero from Tempest, and Hamlet from Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark.
This passage emphasizes the major theme of the play, justice. The whole passage is about Isabella trying to create justice. Angelo did something wrong, and therefore should be punished for it.
"O cunning enemy that, to catch a saint, with saints dost bait thy hook." A disturbing tale of suspense, dark comedy and corruption, Shakespeare's Measure for Measure explores sexuality, morality and the law, exposing the abuse of authority in high places amid the seething underworld of Vienna. This essay will explore Isabella’s moral dilemma.
Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90)
Theme: Mercy vs. Justice. Allusion to justice = eye for eye, tooth for tooth [measure for measure]; allusion to mercy = let him without sin cast the first stone [esp. sexual sin].
One of the first things that Lord Angelo does after taking over for the Duke is to enforce the already existing rules upon the people. Lord Angelo seems to view himself as a bit more of a disciplinarian than the Duke. Unfortunately, it is Isabella’s brother, Claudio, who Angelo makes an example out of for the entire town. Claudio has slept with his longtime girlfriend Juliet. Juliet is now pregnant and the entire town knows of their “sin.” Lord Angelo wants the town to know that this type of behavior is unacceptable and summons Claudio to be killed. Claudio quickly calls for his loving and pious sister Isabella to come and vouch for him ...
The play begins with the Duke manipulating Angelo to “weed” the vice of the people (3.2.258), and to see “what our seemers be” (1.3.58). The Duke has reason to believe that Angelo will strictly enforce laws that the Duke had neglected to enforce (1.3.50-53). We have already seen how Angelo manipulates Isabella. The Duke’s manipulation, he believes, will bring order to his people without him personally having to be perceived a tyrant, “And yet my nature never in the fight / To do it slander” (1.3.42-43). Angelo, too, has taken pride in maintaining a particular reputation. The Duke’s great concern about being slandered suggests he has a less than complete bosom, showing a lack of self-knowledge—another feature shared by Angelo.
The portrayal of gender roles in William Shakespeare’s play Othello, demonstrates the inferior treatment of women and the certain stereotypes of men placed on them by society. Both the male and female characters in the play have these certain gender expectations placed on them. In a society dominated by men, it is understood that the women are to be seen rather than heard. The women are referred to and treated much like property. If indeed they do speak up, they are quickly silenced. One woman’s attempt to be the perfect wife is what ultimately led to her demise. The expectations of men are equally stereotypical. Men are to be leaders and to be in control and dominant especially over the women. The male characters compete for position and use the female characters in the play as leverage to manipulate each other. Shakespeare provides insight in understanding the outcomes of the men and women who are faced with the pressures of trying to live up to society’s expectations, not only in the workplace, but also in the home. The pressure creates jealousy issues amongst the men and they become blind to the voice of reason and are overtaken by jealous rage, leads to the death of many of the characters.
From the beginning of the play the Duke shows his fascination with the art of disguise. He has Lord Angelo takes his place and he in turn becomes a friar in disguise. Throughout the play this notion of false identity and exchange of identity plays an important role for the Duke and also for the characters in the play.
Shakespeare has created stories that are so powerful, emotional, comedic, tragic and romantic that they are still continuously remembered and studied in the modern era. Though the essence of his talents does not lie in the simple themes behind his plays, but more so in
Tragic heroes tend to have very pre-determined paths; usually making the most virtuous of characters destined to suffer. The hamartia or ‘tragic flaw’ is the typical reason the hero falls. Shakespeare was noted to be one of the best writers of tragedies, one of his most prominent to be Othello. In Othello, we find a number of tragic flaws two including pride and ambition. In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, pride and ambition are used to identify the outcomes for the main characters in the play when seeing the resolution of the play, perceiving those who survive and those who don’t, and considering each character’s role in the turn of events.
The people do not fear the Duke so he tries to win them over another way; he selfishly puts Angelo in power, knowing that Angelo’s faults will make the Duke look like a better leader. The duke is a soft ruler and cannot bring himself to punish his people when they commit a crime. When his loses the respect and fear of his people, he puts Angelo in charge of the people, knowing that he may not be fit for the task. The duke may have saw putting Angelo in power and dressing as a friar as a way to establish law and order in Vienna but still being the merciful leader he is known as. When the Duke asks Lord Angelo to take over, Angelo refuses and says that his skill must be tested some other way first. The Duke responds by saying: