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Measure for Measure, a synopsis of the original play by William Shakespeare

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

by William Shakespeare

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

VINCENTIO, the Duke

ANGELO, the Deputy

ESCALUS, an ancient Lord

CLAUDIO, a young gentleman

LUCIO, a fantastic

Two other like Gentlemen

VARRIUS, a gentleman, servant to the Duke

PROVOST

THOMAS, friar

PETER, friar

A JUSTICE

ELBOW, a simple constable

FROTH, a foolish gentleman

POMPEY, a clown and servant to Mistress Overdone

ABHORSON, an executioner

BARNARDINE, a dissolute prisoner

ISABELLA, sister to Claudio

MARIANA, betrothed to Angelo

JULIET, beloved of Claudio

FRANCISCA, a nun

MISTRESS OVERDONE, a bawd

Lords, Officers, Citizens, Boy, and Attendants

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Vincentio, Duke of Vienna, announces that he is taking a break from his duking and will be heading abroad on a humanitarian mission. He appoints his cousin, Angelo, to be in charge of the city. Angelo sees this as a chance to make a name for himself and to clean up the moral corruption that has swept the city during the lenient reign of Duke Vincentio. He comes down hard on the brothels, rounds up the pimps and prostitutes and arrests Claudio, charging him with getting Claudio's fiancée pregnant. Escalus begs Angelo to be lenient on Claudio, but Angelo means to set an example for all fornicators, and sentences Claudio to death.

Vincentio, however, remains in Vienna disguised as a friar, and observes the actions of his subordinates, and of the citizens of Vienna. One of these citizens is Lucio, a lower nobleman who frequents the brothels and who happens to see the guards taking Claudio off to prison. Claudio pleads with Lucio to tell his sister, Isabella, about his plight. Lucio goes and finds Isabella in a monastery, where she is preparing to enter the sisterhood. He convinces her to plead to Lord Angelo to spare her brother.

When Angelo sees the beautiful Isabella, he is moved, in the Shakespearean sense, and tells the young virgin that he will get Claudio off, if she gets him off, in the Urban Dictionary sense. Izzy, being the good little pre-nun she is, refuses and leaves in disgust.

She visits Claudio in prison and tells him of Lord Angelo's indecent proposal. And Claudio, being the good big brother he is, tells her that he thinks it isn't that bad of an idea to screw the prince, which pisses off the little sister.

But this happens to be overheard by the snooping friar, who is actually Duke Vincentio in disguise. The Friar-Duke comes up with a scheme that would see Isabella be switched with Mariana, the girl who was betrothed to Angelo before he dumped her because the ship carrying her dowry sunk at sea. Without Angelo knowing about the substitution, Mariana takes Isabella's place in his bed. But Angelo has already figured out that if he were to release Claudio, it could be seen an admission of guilt. In order to keep himself clear of any allegations of wrongdoing, he arranges to have Claudio executed prior to sleeping with Isabella.

Duke-Friar Vincentio learns of the scheduled execution and has a convict named Bernardine substituted for Claudio at the execution. But when Angelo demands that Claudio's head be brought to him as proof that his orders are being followed, the guys from the gallows find the head of a dead pirate who happens to look like Claudio, and send that to the Lord, letting Bernardine live.

The Duke freaks out a few people by dropping hints that he will be returning to Vienna early, and arranges a meeting at the city gates to hear everyone's petitions about Angelo's rule. Vincentio shows up, as the Duke this time, and accusations fly. Angelo first denies Isabella's claims that he raped her, and puts on a pretty good show until Mariana shows up in disguise. She reveals herself to him and proclaims that it was her, not Isabella, in his bed that night. The duke pops out for a minute, only to return disguised as the Friar, gets insulted by Lucio before his hood is pulled off and everyone is shocked to learn that the Friar is actually the Duke.

Duke Vincentio then begins to administer his justice, only to be convinced by the pleading Isabella to spare Angelo's life. As a punishment to Angelo, he informs him that since he consummated his vows, he is forced to marry Mariana. In another act of Elizabethan comic justice, Lucio is likewise punished for his slander by having to marry a whore who he had impregnated. Others are pardoned, or married off, and Vincentio finally declares his love for Isabella, tells her that she gets all his stuff and asks for her hand in marriage.

Really, you can't make this shit up. William Shakespeare could.