Shakespeare's Measure for Measure: A Question of Justice

Measure for Measure, a play that fails to fit as a tragedy or a comedy, was known as Shakespeare's "problem play" because of its uncertain categorization. This humorous play addresses the serious topics of justice, the law, and marriage. The final act of Measure for Measure offers a complicated conclusion to the wrongs that have been committed by various characters throughout the play. Instead of executing characters, the Duke makes characters like Claudio, Angelo and Lucio pay back what they owe to their respective women. The Duke has a more restorative (rather than vindictive) view of justice; instead of punishing the wrongs, he wants to restore all things to right.

Leviticus 24:18-20 speaks on the Old Testament view of justice which seems very vindictive: “Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.” Towards the beginning of Act 5, the Duke tricks Angelo into believing that Claudio has indeed been executed. Since Claudio is dead, The Duke says, in accordance with the Levitical law, “An Angelo for Claudio, death for death” (5.1.410). The Duke orders Angelo to be executed because Claudio has supposedly been executed (5.1.416–18).

The title of the play, Measure for Measure, comes from the passage in Matthew 7 where Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount and warns the people against passing judgment. Matthew 7:1-2 reads: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Angelo responds to the Duke’s order for his execution by acknowledging his own hypocrisy. Angelo recognizes that according to his standards of the law, he must die: “I crave death more willingly than mercy. / ‘Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it” (5.1.479–80). He had judged Claudio’s promiscuity with death, saying to Isabella “[y]our brother is a forfeit of the law” (2.2.72). Now, he has committed lechery and must be judged as he had judged Claudio. However, the Duke reveals that Claudio did not die for his crime and thus Angelo need not die either. The Duke pardons Angelo but tells him: “your evil quits you well. / Look that you love your wife, her worth yours” (5.1.499–500). Angelo’s evil act was against Marianna when he refused to marry her because she lost her dowry (3.1.220–25). Now, the Duke restores justice to Marianna by making Angelo officially marry the woman who is already his wife on paper. Instead of killing Angelo, the Duke restores a postponed marriage.

The Duke deals with Claudio and Lucio in the same way he deals with Angelo. Claudio sinned against Julietta by having pre-marital sex. Referring to Julietta, the Duke tells Claudio, “She…that you have wronged, look you restore” (5.1.528). This restoration comes in the fulfillment of a marriage ceremony. The Duke treats Lucio in the same way as Claudio. He makes him pay his price by making him marry the whore “he begot with child” (5.1.514). The Duke’s idea of justice seems to be: If you sleep with a woman, even if she is a whore, you will marry her.

The Duke’s justice seems to be an odd combination of the justice in Lev 24 and Matt 7. Instead of acting out harsh punishments such as an eye for an eye, or an imprisonment for an imprisonment, the Duke seeks to restore justice by mercifully restoring those who have been wronged. Restoration looks more like marriage and the fulfillment of unkept promises.