MEASUREFORMEASURE:

SHAKESPEARESMOSTTHEOLOGICALPLAY

InherarticleProvidentialImprovisationinMeasureforMeasure(1982)Louise
SchleinernotesthatMeasureforMeasureisShakespearesmosttheologicalplayand
that:
Innootherplaydothecentralcharactersevokespecificbiblicalpassagesand
theologicalconceptstoexplaintheircrucialdeeds;innootheraretheallusions
soprominent;innootherdotheydefinesodistinctandconsistentapattern.

Theverytitleoftheplaymeasureformeasurecanreliablybesaidtocomefromthe
referenceintheGospeltotheDayofJudgmentjudgenotforwithwhatmeasureye
meteitshallbemeasuredtoyouagain(Matthew7:1).Doomsday,asitwasalso
known,isdescribedintheBookofRevelationastakingplaceinJerusalem.Ifthisisthe
identityofthecity(ratherthanViennaorInnsbruckintheoriginalsource),itwould
explainwhythecurrencythatpeopleuseintheplayisgoldenshekels(2,2,150).Further
evidenceisthecentralconflictintheplayinwhichPompeyandhiswhoresare
practicingamysteryandaserviceinbuildingsthatAngeloistearingdown.Healso
referstorazingasanctuaryandturningthegroundintoprivies(2,2,1712).Angeloand
hiscolleagueEscalusarebothreferredtoasCaesar(2,1,246and3,2,43),whichonthe
surfaceappearstobeacomicallusiontothebattlesbetweenJuliusCaesarandPompey
butthosebattlestookplaceelsewhere.TherewereindeedbattlesinJerusalemwhich
involvedseizingasanctuary,turningitintoabrothel,andtearingitdownandthose
werefoughtbyTitusandVespasianagainsttheJewsfrom6670CE,whenthetemple
wasindeedrazedtotheground,atechnicalexpressionalludedtoseveraltimesinthe
play.SothisallegoricallogicsuggeststhattheplayissetduringtheRomanJewishWar.

FurthersupportingevidenceisthatduringthewartheRomanssurroundedthecityand
bypreventingfoodsuppliesfromreachingthecity,starvedthepeople.Thisiswhyin
theplaytheinhabitantsofthiscityhavebeeninawar(1,2,75)thathasmadethem
thinandcustomshrunk(1,2,76)sothateventheirbonesarehollow(1,2,53).In
Jerusalemtheinhabitantsresortedtocannibalism.Intheplayonecharacterisaccused
ofbeingaHannibalwhichinElizabethanEnglandwasasynonymforcannibal.Theplay
alsosuggeststhatthebodiesofthoseAngelohasexecutedareeatenbycannibalistic
gods(2,2,857).Sowhatoftheidentitiesoftheprincipalcharacters?

TheDukeorPrincewhoinitiallygovernsVienna,supposedlygoesofftoanunknown
locationsuchasRome,leavingthegovernanceofthecityinthehandsofhisdeputy.He
isnamedVincentiowhichmeansConquerorandlatertakesthenameFamous
WarriororLudovico.Heisgreetedwithaves(1,1,70)likeaCaesarandallegorically
representstheconquerorVespasian,wholefthalfwaythroughthesiege,togotoRome
tobecomethefirstFlavianCaesar.HelefthissonTitusFlaviustoconcludethesiege.
WhentheDukeaskssendmeFlavius(IV.v.9)thisistowhomheisreferring.However
thecentralpuzzleofthisproblemplaytowhichwewillreturnattheendofthis

www.darkladyplayers.com
articleiswhytheplaywrighthascreatednotjustthishistoricalallegorytotheSiegeof
Jerusalem,butalsoanadditionalreligiousallegory.InthatChristianallegorythe
Duke/VespasianrepresentsGodandJesus,andtheDeputy/TitusFlaviusrepresents
Christthejudgebutdoessoascomicparody.Thisperhaps,iswhyatleastonecopyof
theFoliohadthisplayrippedoutbytheSpanishInquisition.

WhereasthehistoricalRomanallegoryhasnotpreviouslybeenidentified,thereligious
allegoryhasbeendocumentedbyseveralscholarsincludingG.WilsonKnightinhis
chapteronMeasureforMeasureandtheGospelsinTheWheelofFire,Battenhousein
a1946articleMeasureforMeasureandtheChristianDoctrineoftheAtonementand
Coghillinhis1955articletitledComicForminMeasureforMeasure.Thefantastical
Dukeofdarkcornershasordainedlawsbutneverenforcedthem(1,3,34).Likethe
parablesofthemasterintheGospelswhowithdrewfromhisvineyardtoseewhatthe
servantswoulddo,theDukehaswithdrawnfromthecity.Wearingthedisguiseofa
poorFranciscanfriarhewillusurpthebeggaryhewasneverborntoandgoesaround
hearingconfessions.HisGracelivestheliferemovedinwhichheexercisescovert
influencethroughouttheplay.Hereappearslikepowerdivine(5,1,372),tothe
appropriatelynamedFriarThomasandFriarPeter.Hedeclaresjudgmentandmakesan
offerofmarriagetohisintendedBride,Isabella,whosenamemeanspledgedtoGod.
SheisaFranciscannovicewhoisgreetedHail,virginasananalogueoftheVirgin
Mary.ThisisallacleararticulationoftheChristianstoryofGodtakinghumanformas
JesusandcomingagainonJudgmentDaytounitewithhisBridethechurch.Howeveras
aparodyofGod,theDukeisneitherinfallible,omnipotentnoromniscient,butan
eavesdropperwhoabusestheconfessional,andengagesintricksandpiousfrauds.

TheDukealsofailstoenforcehisownlawsleavingthemtoaDeputy.Itwasgood
politicalpracticeintheRenaissance,advocatedinMachiavellisThePrince,forarulerto
installaharshsubordinate,sothattherulerhimselfmightappearmorekindly.Herethe
DukeinstallsashisdeputyAngelo(meaningamessengerofGod)andpossibly
representingtheChristinjudgment.Inacityinhabitedentirelybyunmarriedpeople
Angelobeginstheplayasaninvulnerabledemigod(1,2,112),ajudgewho
administersthelawandisveryprecisemeaninghepracticesstrictreligious
observance.Theoldlawagainstfornicationthatheadministerswhilenotexistingon
EnglishstatutebookswasonethatthePuritansadvocatedandwhichexistedintheOld
Testament(Deut.22;21).Heisanangelontheoutwardsideandthinkshimselfa
saint.ButAngeloalsodescribeshimselfasevilhearted,chewingunworthilyonthe
breadofcommunionGodinmymouth/AsifIdidbutonlychewhisname/Andinmy
heartthestrongandswellingevil/Ofmyconception(2,4,47).Insomeofthefish
imagerythatappearsintheplay,heisadevil,whobeingcast,willappearinapondas
deepashell(3,1,9193).Hisnamepunsonthewordangle(tofish),afisherman(or
angler),andsomeonewhoisrunintocorners(angle).PeoplesaythisAngelowasnot
madebymanandwomanbutwasbegottenbytwofishesoramermaid(3,2,1045).
ReflectingearlydoctrinewhichusedtheGreektermforfishasanabbreviationofthe
titlesofChrist,Angeloisalsodescribedasbeinglikeahungryfish,hookingbothleftand

www.darkladyplayers.com
rightandpullingalongthelawbehinditlikeafishingline.Thebaitonthishook
(2,2,181)isthebeautifulsaintIsabella.Thisreflectsthemedievaltheologicalideaof
thedeceptionofthedevilwhoistrickedbyswallowingthehookofChrist.He
desiresIsabella(pledgedtoGod),butinsteadofmarryinghertriestoblackmailher
andrapeher.Isabellaistemptedtoseekredemptionofthedevilandtoredeemyour
brotherfromtheangrylaw,butcolludeswithMariana(meaningbittergrace,butalso
withconnotationsofthesea)whoprovidestheredemptionindisguise.Theprocess
Angeloundergoesintheplaymightberegardedasakindofreversaloftheincarnation.
Heisshownbeingtempted,fallsintosin,andendsupindisgrace,withoutpower,and
wishingtodie.

WecannowbegintoseewhytheInquisitionmighthavebeensoupsetthattheytore
thisplayoutoftheFolio.TheplayisacomplexparodyofPaulinetheologyofmarriage
andthetheologicaldoctrineoftheAtonementinwhichJesusdiestoatoneforthesins
ofthewholeworld.Moresignificantly,iftheDukessuddenreturnrepresentstheDay
ofJudgment,itisalsoaparodybecausethereisnomeasureformeasure.Contraryto
theBookofRevelation,thewickedarenotpunishedbutforgiven.Thegospeldoctrine
requiresthataspeoplejudgeotherssoshalltheybejudgedAnAngeloforClaudio;
deathfordeath(5,1,406).Angelothereforeexpectsimmediatesentenceandsequent
deathfromhisdreadlord(5,1,363371).InsteadheismarriedtoMariana,after
whichhestatesThatIcravedeath,morewillinglythanmercy/Tismydeserving,andI
doentreatit(5,1,4745).Luciospunishmentforfatheringachildoutofwedlockisnot
hangingbuttomarrythegirl,thoughheclaimsthatMarryingapunkmylord,is
pressingtodeath/Whippingandhangingaltogether.Andalthoughhehasonlymether
twice,theDukeannouncestoIsabellarightattheendoftheplaythatheintendsto
wedher,frustratingherintentionofbeinganun,thoughaliteralfulfillmentofhername
meaningpledgedtoGod.IfthisistheDayofJudgmentitisaparody,sincethe
outcomes,basedonequityandforgiveness,areunjust.

Writtenin1604,MeasureforMeasureisShakespearesonlyexplicitlytheologicalplay,
andisafantasticalparodyofChristiandoctrine.Italsospecificallyidentifiesthe
characterofGodtheFatherwiththeRomanEmperorVespasianCaesar,andlessclearly
identifieshissonTitusFlaviusCaesarwithChristtheJudge.Indoingso,theplaywright
wasattemptingfirstlytocommunicatetofuturegenerationshowtheFlavianCaesars
hadtheGospelscreatedasallegoriesoftheirrule,andsecondlytomockthemas
corrupt,tyrannicalorineffectual.ThisexplicitparodyofChristiantheologyalso
anticipatesthedepiction,afewyearslater,oftheparodyofthecrucifixioncontainedin
SalveDeusRexJudaeorum(1611).

JohnHudson
June2010
JohnHudson41@gmail.com

www.darkladyplayers.com