The Theme Of Free Will In Measure For Measure

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:2. This simple quote and commandment from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount is vividly depicted in Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure. Here, a play contrasting mercy, justice, and hypocrisy, also parallels comedy and tragedy—ignominy and self-righteousness. Each character has two boldly contrasting sides: a more honorable, serious, chaste, and compassionate aspect; and a more vicious, crude, beastly, greedy, and lustful aspect. Here, the good and the ill are paralleled and measured equally against one another. Characters, ideals, and fate verse free will are all vividly measured and

paralleled against one another throughout Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
The most obvious measuring is within and between characters and their own interactions and personalities in Measure for Measure. Archetypes are continually formed and then twisted or shattered by the complex and ever-changing natures of the characters. Each character faces inner conflict—and the audience is drawn in by this conflict by occasionally feeling disgust with one of the protagonists or empathy with the antagonist. Each character depicts intrinsic duality with both a benevolent and far more malevolent side to each of them. Angelo is initially depicted as firm, resolute, with a clear sense of honor and justice, but quickly disregards his better nature in his lust for Isabella. Isabella herself has both a proud, shrewd, and even sexual side to her against her faithful, virtuous, and chaste outward nature. Claudio is shown at once accepting his fate and death and yet clinging desperately, groveling, and grossly to life—contrasting courageous and coward; acceptance and avoidance. Lucio is seen speaking jestingly and crudely throughout the play, but when he speaks to the doomed Claudio, he shows compassion, concern, and gravity. When he speaks to and implores Isabella, he does not by any means sexualize her, but treats her “as a saint” and with the utmost sincerity and respect. The Duke himself is shown at first as perhaps foolish and shirking, casting his responsibilities onto another: but later in the play, he becomes the central character, ensuring the state of affairs in his city and between the characters—playing at once both benevolent messenger and meddling trickster.
Measure for Measure itself also embodies the idea of parallel and contrast by contrasting “good” and “evil,” especially through means of mercy verses justice; righteousness verses hypocrisy. Order verses disorder is another common parallel in this play: we begin in the palace court—a place of nobility and order—and immediately switch to a brothel. Hypocrisy takes little time to enter the plot, and its presence is sealed before it appears when Angelo declares, “'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, another thing to fall. When I, that censure him, do so offend, let mine own judgment pattern out my death.” With this ironic statement, he nearly quotes Matthew 7:2. Only a few scenes later, Angelo is overcome with lust—and before long, he threatens Isabella to yield her body to him if she wishes her brother to be pardoned—else, he will cause Claudio a lingering death. Angelo is engulfed by his self-righteousness, and it is not until the end of the play he confesses and repents his wrong. Justice and mercy and their simultaneous conflicting and synergistic relationship are yet explored in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure as well. Angelo stands strictly with and by the law and will not, no matter the circumstances nor the consequences, relent and allow Claudio to live. When Isabella implores him to grant mercy rather than—or as—justice, she mirrors Portia’s speech on mercy in The Merchant of Venice when she speaks the words, “Not the king's crown, nor the deputed sword, the marshal's truncheon, nor the judge's robe, become them with one half so good a grace as mercy does.” Isabella reflects themes and questions of the entire play about righteousness, ignominy, and justice or redemption when she defies Angelo with the words, “Ignominy in ransom and free pardon are of two houses: lawful mercy is nothing kin to foul redemption.”
Perhaps the most subtle yet most powerful way entities are measured against one another in Measure for Measure is by the conflict and synergy of fate verses free will.

This plays similarly into Shakespeare’s parallel and distortion of tragedy and comedy, but in more profound way. Not only does it question free will and fate—but reality verses mirage. Shakespeare often explores the idea of dream and vision against fact and truth and as yet explores this theme in Measure for Measure. “Wrench awe from fools and tie the wiser souls to thy false seeming! Blood, thou art blood: let's write good angel on the devil's horn,” Angelo curses against himself. The duality of the characters and of the city itself is present throughout the play, and multiple questions of reality and truth permeate the essence of Measure for Measure. Measure for Measure often depicts testing and choosing as an instance of determining fate: each character has one or two single moments in which to make a momentous choice, which then determines much of the development within themselves and the plot or their circumstances. While Measure for Measure is infused with a sense of inevitability, character flaws, downfall, and irreversible fate, all which mark a tragedy, it plays upon and sometimes even reverses these elements, reflecting more comedic elements. Each character seems to be spiraling toward doom and certain destruction—but then there is a moment in which the Duke, acting as a benevolent meddler, gives

them a “second chance”—a chance for redemption, as well as a moment of freewill and choice. Near the end, the Duke speaks to Angelo, “Come, cousin Angelo; in this I'll be impartial; be you judge of your own cause,” inviting him not only to confess but to judge. In this instance, Angelo begs for his own death—an element of tragedy. Mariana, still in love with him despite his cruel treatment of her, intervenes. However, without Isabella’s help, she is lost. Miraculously, despite her previous shows of spite, defiance, and pride, shows Angelo mercy. She kneels and gives a speech that no more should die—that his intent was pure until he saw her, and even after, his “act did not o’ertake his bad intent and must be buried but as an intent.” This is a powerful moment, since Mariana still believes her brother to be dead at the hands of the man who blackmailed her to attempt to take sexual advantage of her. Despite all of this, she asks his life be spared. This is the end where the ideal of Measure for Measure seems to be reversed. The Duke fully expects Isabella to seek retribution: “An Angelo for Claudio, death for death!' Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and measure still for measure.” However, this motif is yet used: mercy is measured against harsh justice, rather than paying death with death, instead paying death with life.
Shakespeare aptly named Measure for Measure.

Not only is it a brilliant Biblical reference, but also takes the “Tooth for a Tooth” ideal the Duke mentions near the end of the play and turns in on its head—often measuring opposites against opposites, rather than “like doth quit

like.”