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MonkeyNotes-Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
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In order to show Angelo the folly of his unmerciful nature, the
Duke initially condemns him to death, stating Angelo must be
punished measure for measure. The Duke then applies mercy to his
sentence, forgives Angelo (as begged by Isabella and Mariana),
and gives him the sentence of being a good husband. He now
shows himself to be a leader capable of action, but also capable of
mercy.
Isabella has also changed, just like the Duke. Her experiences in
the real world, away from the convent, have made her see the
challenges and possibilities of life. She realizes that real people,
like the Duke, can make a difference; they can bring goodness into
the world. Shedding some of her lofty goals and becoming more
practical-minded, Isabella is assumed to accept the Duke's proposal
of marriage.
Shakespeare, as always, never leaves any loose threads hanging in
his play. In the last scene, all the problems are solved. The couples
are reunited -- Juliet to Claudio, Mariana to Angelo, Lucio to his
pregnant girlfriend, and even Isabella to the Duke himself. The
Duke has proven himself to be a merciful and capable leader. He
has taught Angelo and the others that justice needs to be tempered
with mercy, and that "To err is human, to forgive divine." Even if a
man is morally degraded, he should be given the opportunity to
reform himself into a better individual. At the end of the play, there
is hope that all the characters have ascended to a higher moral
plane.
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