Critics

Question 1

What does F.R. Leavis suggest about Isabella’s attitude towards death?

Answer 1

Isabella can exhibit a contempt of death because of the exaltation of her faith.

This indicates her strong belief system and how it influences her perception of mortality.

Question 2

How does Juliet Stevenson describe Isabella’s relationship with her sensuality?

Answer 2

Isabella recognises her own sensuality and the need to apply strict control over it. She’s not frightened or surprised by it; she wants to dominate it

This suggests a struggle between her desires and her moral beliefs.

Question 3

Why does WILBUR DUNKEL think Isabella agreed to the bed trick?

Answer 3

Because a holy man advises her to do so.

This highlights the influence of authority figures on her decisions.

Question 4

What does F.R. Leavis state about Angelo’s situation?

Answer 4

He was placed in a position calculated to actualise his worst potentialities.

This suggests that circumstances can reveal a person’s true nature.

Question 5

How does Northrop Frye characterize Angelo?

Answer 5

The most contemptible kind of hypocrite.

This indicates a deep moral failing in his character.

Question 6

What is Wilson-Knight’s view on Angelo’s hypocrisy?

Answer 6

Angelo is not a conscious hypocrite; he suffers from self-deception and pride in his own righteousness.

This emphasizes the complexity of his character.

Question 7

How does Elspeth Carruthers describe Angelo?

Answer 7

An Archetype of Puritanism, a one-dimensional character whom we, conditioned not to accept perfect morality, are instantly suspicious

This reflects a critique of strict moralism.

Question 8

What does Jonathan Dollimore suggest about Angelo?

Answer 8

A presentation of authoritarian repression.

This implies a critique of power dynamics in society.

Question 9

What paradox does David L. Stevenson identify regarding justice in the play?

Answer 9

The justice which Angelo had first insisted upon is paradoxically directed against himself.

This suggests a theme of poetic justice.

Question 10

What is John A Green’s assessment of the Duke’s moral standing?

Answer 10

The Duke cannot rightly be said to occupy the moral high ground throughout ‘Measure for Measure’.

This indicates moral ambiguity in leadership.

Question 11

What observation does John A Green make about the Duke’s representation?

Answer 11

If the Duke is meant to represent James 1st, it is odd that he spends most of the play pretending to be a Friar, considering James was very opposed to catholicism.

This highlights inconsistencies in character portrayal.

Question 12

How does F.R. Leavis describe the Duke’s role?

Answer 12

A kind of Providence, directing the action from above.

This positions the Duke as a controlling figure in the narrative.

Question 13

What does G. Wilson-Knight claim about the Duke’s ethical attitude?

Answer 13

Exactly correspondent with Jesus.

This suggests a comparison of moral authority.

Question 14

What is W. Hazlitt’s view of the Duke’s priorities?

Answer 14

The Duke is more absorbed in his own plots than anxious for the welfare of the state.

This indicates a self-serving nature.

Question 15

What does Philip Brockbank note about the Duke’s speech?

Answer 15

Easy lies and evasions of the Duke’s ‘crafty’ talk.

This suggests manipulation in his character.

Question 16

What does T.L Tebetts argue about the play’s intent?

Answer 16

The play is based on James but intended to be a sly, subversive attack on the monarch.

This reflects political commentary.

Question 17

How does James Shapiro describe the King?

Answer 17

An unpredictable King, fond of grand gestures, taking a personal stand in the law

This highlights the volatility of authority.

Question 18

What does G. Wilson-Knight assert about Isabella and Angelo’s ideals?

Answer 18

Angelo and Isabella pursue impossible and valueless ideals.

This suggests futility in their aspirations.

Question 19

What does George Wilson-Knight say about Isabella’s feelings for Claudio?

Answer 19

Isabella has no real affection for Claudio; she has stifled all human love in the pursuit of sanctity.

This indicates her moral rigidity.

Question 20

What is George Wilson-Knight’s description of Isabella’s character?

Answer 20

Ice-cold sanctity and self-centred saintliness.

This illustrates her emotional detachment.

Question 21

How does John A Green view the play’s commentary on religion?

Answer 21

‘Measure for Measure’ takes advantage of the pervasive religious strife in England to satirise the hypocrisies of organised religion.

This emphasizes societal critique.

Question 22

What does Mustschmann say about the importance of religion during the period?

Answer 22

It was an age in which religion mattered supremely, to the individual and to the nation.

This highlights the central role of faith in society.

Question 23

What do Raber and Kremps state about the law in the play?

Answer 23

The Law that condemns Claudio is Puritan in nature.

This suggests a critique of moral absolutism.

Question 24

How does Marilyn French describe the law’s function in the play?

Answer 24

Law becomes an instrument of control, not justice. Angelo’s use of the law is about domincance, not morality

This indicates a focus on power rather than morality.

Question 25

What does Harold C. Goddard assert about balance?

Answer 25

The whole play is a weighing of one thing against another. ## Footnote This suggests a theme of moral ambiguity.

Question 26

What does Marian Cox state about Aristotle's theory in relation to the play?

Answer 26

According to Aristotle’s (Golden Mean) extremes of any kind are dangerous; the right and safe path is always the middle way. ## Footnote This highlights the theme of moderation.

Question 27

How does Rosalind Miles connect Isabella and Angelo?

Answer 27

Isabella represents a parallel to Angelo as a study of self-ignorance leading to moral collapse. ## Footnote This indicates a shared journey of moral failure.

Question 28

What context does Watson provide for the play?

Answer 28

Measure for Measure is a product of the plague year 1603, emphasising the replenishment of the population and portraying a city abandoned. ## Footnote This situates the play in a specific historical moment.

Question 29

What does Hayne suggest the play centers on?

Answer 29

Not on whether sexual behaviour should be regulated, but on how: the alternatives were penance or death. ## Footnote This indicates a critique of moral choices.

Question 30

What message does Carolyn E Brown convey about rulers?

Answer 30

Rulers are not godly agents, but fleshy humans, more in touch with earth than heaven. ## Footnote This highlights a humanistic view of authority.

Question 31

How does Shapiro describe the Duke's actions?

Answer 31

The Duke scatters pardons like James at Winchester. ## Footnote This suggests a critique of arbitrary justice.

Question 32

HOLTZKNECHT: What expectation did Elizabethan audiences have regarding theatre?

Answer 32

Elizabethan audiences expected amusement when they came to the theatre. Not interested in moral or sociological problems ## Footnote This indicates a focus on entertainment over serious themes.

Question 33

What does Tony Martin say about the play's ending?

Answer 33

The ending undermines the sense of marriage as a satisfying resolution of difficulties. ## Footnote This suggests an unresolved tension.

Question 34

What atmosphere does Tony Martin attribute to the play?

Answer 34

An atmosphere of sombreness and morality hangs over the play. ## Footnote This reflects the serious themes addressed.

Question 35

How does Brendan Jackson describe the play's genre?

Answer 35

Sits uneasily within the comic genre. ## Footnote This indicates a blend of comedy and serious themes.

Question 36

What does F.S. Boas say about the plays' genre

Answer 36

Deal with topical, complex social issues which are explored and debated without offering a simple answer. ## Footnote This emphasizes the complexity of the themes.

Question 37

What is William Empson's view on the theme of death in the play?

Answer 37

The play is obsessed with death, but it is not about death; it is about power using the threat of death as control. ## Footnote This indicates a deeper exploration of authority.

Question 38

What makes death in 'MfM' disturbing according to Kiernan Ryan?

Answer 38

It is both a punishment and a performance; its threat is staged, delayed, or withdrawn, exposing the arbitrariness of justice. ## Footnote This highlights the complexities of justice in the narrative.

Question 39

What does Fouassier suggest about marriage in Vienna's world?

Answer 39

In Vienna’s corrupt and sordid world, marriage cannot be a vehicle of fairy-tale transformation. ## Footnote This indicates a critique of romantic ideals.

Question 40

How does Sanchez describe the Duke's action regarding the major characters?

Answer 40

The Duke compels them to recognise the sinful humanity they share with the pimps, perverts, and prostitutes of Vienna. ## Footnote This emphasizes a shared moral failing.

Question 41

What does Hopkins suggest about the focus of marriage in the play?

Answer 41

Marriage focuses primarily on the experience of the group, as opposed to the individualist, isolationist emphasis of tragedy. ## Footnote This indicates a communal perspective on relationships.