Measure For Measure: Third Series

by William Shakespeare, A.R. Braunmuller (Editor), Ann Thompson (Editor), Robert N. Watson (Editor), David Scott Kastan (Editor)

Overview

Often described as one of Shakespeare's 'problem plays', Measure for Measure explores issues of mercy and justice in corrupt Vienna. The Duke makes his strict moralistic deputy, Angelo, temporary leader of Vienna, while he disguises himself as a friar to witness all that ensues.

In the comprehensive introduction to this new, fully-illustrated Arden edition, with commentary and notes from A. R. Braunmuller, Robert N. Watson explores the recent increased attention to the play and the shifting judgements of key characters such as the Duke and Isabella. He analyses the social foundations of these changes, their validity as readings of the text, and their manifestations in performance. It also explores the play's implications on topics including love, marriage, sexuality, consent, mortality, religion, statecraft, moderation, and theatre itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781904271420
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/23/2020
Series:	The Arden Shakespeare Third Series
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	440
Product dimensions:	5.12(w) x 8.21(h) x 1.16(d)

About the Author

A. R. Braunmuller is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UCLA, USA.

Robert N. Watson is Associate Dean of Humanities and Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA. He is the author of many award-winning books, including Back to Nature: The Green and the Real in the Late Renaissance and Shakespeare and the Hazards of Ambition.

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Table of Contents

List of illustrations ix

General editors' preface xiii

Preface and acknowledgements xviii

Introduction 1

Genres and generations 2

The morals of Measure for Measure 6

Mortality 11

Substitution 16

Sexuality, law and marriage 24

Consent 30

Catholicism, Protestantism and Puritanism 32

Love 36

The ending 41

Characters 56

The Duke 57

Isabella 67

Angelo 81

Mariana 86

Claudio 88

Barnardine 89

Lucio 93

Literary and dramatic sources 95

Cinthio 96

Whetstone 99

Lupton 103

The repertoire of Shakespeare's company 106

Some other possible literary sources 108

King James 111

Date 116

Middleton 117

First responses 123

The play onstage: from prudery to politics 124

Measure for Measure as golden meaning 130

The Duke meets his maker 145

Measure for Measure 149

Appendices

1 Note on the text 361

The prepublication history of Measure for Measure 361

This edition 373

2 Prose and verse lining in F 375

3 Casting chart 377

Abbreviations and references 381

Index 407