The Problem Ending of Measure for Measure: Isabella’s Celibate Power Conquered by the Tyrant Duke
Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Haverford College. Department of English
Type
Thesis
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
eng
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Open Access
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the ending of Measure for Measure from as many angles as possible in order to argue my answer to the question of how an audience would perceive such a contradictory ending. Research on this subject usually takes a very particular lens: some look at the play religiously, politically, historically, and so on. In order to answer the question, however, I believe it is important to examine this play and its outcome from all angles, rather than just one. Unfortunately, the "problem" that this "problem play" is surrounded by a lot of historical ambiguity, a fact that a good portion of the research usually writes off or tries to fill in. I, however, do not believe these gaps can be thoroughly filled, as any real argument must be grounded in some speculation; this is the religious perspective. There is, however, a significant amount of historical, political, literary, and textual evidence all signify to the Duke as a rapist tyrant literary figure. Therefore, even with the speculation about religious issues, there is enough concrete evidence to justify an argument that the ending of this play is comic only in form. The play Measure for Measure is in its plot and political, religious, historical, literary, and theoretical essence tragic in nature. The Duke's overwhelmingly negative stigma as a rapist tyrant outweighs Isabella's ambiguous religious dilemma, ultimately shaping this as a very problematic problem comedy.