Measure for Measure - Duke

Austen (2001) on what is the duke

He is a strange puppeteer whose strange purpose drives events

Austen about the Duke & staying in power

The duke never really lets go of the reigns of influence

Critic the critic - austen

ehhhhhhh right saying his purpose drives events but I wouldn’t say he has influence - he is a catalyst to the events but doesn’t manipulate Isabella/angelo thatts an exploration of human nature

Gurr, 1977 on the Duke as a ruler

The duke starts and ends as a ruler

Devlin, 20th century - justice/mercy theme and Duke

The Duke paradoxically links the justice of Angelo’s punishment with mercy

Leah Marcus, double reading of M4M

M4M is double written - whilst the play may be propaganda for the state, it is possible to read the duke as manipulative - letting people scrutinise those in power (New historicist reading)

Smithers, 20th century, Duke’s motivation

The Duke’s ambiguous motives for putting Angelo in power are unambiguous manipulative stagecraft

Devlin, on the Duke & the proceedings of 5.1

We may question whether Duke is still the playwright (lost power) & instead manoeuvring Isabella into a position of choice

Devlin at the Duke and his big fat ego also Lucio

The Duke’s anger at lucio is motivated by pride (he interrupts the denouement as ‘planned’) - scripted

Quote from M4M from the Duke backing up that point

It may be right, but you are in the wrong to speak before your time. Proceed. / you were not bid to speak

A5S1 the Duke being a manipulative basard to angelo after friar reveals his prior engagement

Do you not smile at this, Lord Angelo?

A5S1 Duke calling out Angelo but highkey call is coming from inside the house??

The vanity of wretched fools

Devlin talking about the Duke’s direct attack on everyone & his dialogue

His dialogue in A5 shows the audience that opting out was irresponsible

What really breaks the battle in the final scene - what wins between justice and mercy (according to Devlin)

Lucio’s insolence, not truth/justice breaks the deadlock

Devlin does the duke actually resolve anything/is there any exposition

We should ask how much truth the Duke truly reveals in the final scene as he advises her to veil full purpose

Spencer on the ending/analysing duke

Trying to analyse the Duke’s character whilst ignoring his dramatic function stresses Isabella’s response.

Hazlitt criticising the Duke (1817)

He is more absorbed with his own plots & gravity (nosy shit) than anxious for the welfare of his state.

Critic / break down Hazlitt

The Duke is treating this whole thing like a thought experiment and toying with people’s emotions than actually fixing any problems - the whole play is Shakespeare’s experiment on the Whole

Schanzer 2 key quotes 1. actually glazing the duke and 2. talking about duke in ref. to all the other characters

1. DV has more lines than Isabella and Angelo combined

2. Isabella & Angelo are simply the Duke’s pawns

Critic the critic (Schanzer)

DV having more lines doesn’t necessarily mean he’s more powerful/drives the story and instead can be diminished to the duke being a vain egomaniac who loves the sound of his own voice

Bandbrook, 1941 puppeteer quote

The Duke is more than the average disguised puppetmaster

Schliener, 1982, critic that basically sums up how i feel about duke lol

He is an unpleasant busybody who flees responsibility in a world of salicious seediness

MY reading of the Duke - queer lens lol

By reading the Duke as gay, his vehement dislike for Lucio is explained/justified. As he is a firm denier of his homosexuality, he intends to close his script by marrying Isabella - the nearest available woman. Lucio’s unprecedented dialogue disrupts these proceedings and so Duke lashes out at him. Lucio is also one of the few characters who sees through the Duke - ironically toying w/ him (see if the duke was here bit) & so maybe read Lucio as seeing through his sexuality.

A1S1 Duke re. vienna adn theme of justice

Morality and Mercy in Vienna live in thy tongue and thy heart

A1S1 how the duke has left the laws in Vienna

We have strict statures like an overgrown lion in a cave that not goes out for prey

A1S3 the duke on balance, justice and mercy in vienna

Liberty plucks justice by the nose, The baby beats the nurse and quite athwart goes all decorum

A1S3 the Duke ironically talking about will happen when those at the top leave & the downfall of people in power - he is those guys

Hence we shall see if power changes purpose what our seemers be

A4S2 the duke defending angelo’s government???

His life is paralleled, even with stroke and line of his great justice

A5S1 namedrop from Duke of the playyyyy also formally condemning Angelo to death

An Angelo to a Claudio, death for death! Leisure answers leisure, .. and measure still for measure

Duke at the end basically saying hes vain & loves the people but he is out of touch and hasn’t kept up public appearances

I love the people, but do not like to stage me to their eyes

The Duke reflecting on what he’s done to society

Evil deeds have their permissive pass and not the punishment (he’s allowed a permissive society to flourish)

Duke saying its his fault for society… btu then saying he cares more what other poeple think and doesn’t want to be the bad guy for Vienna

Twas my fault to give the people scope, twould be my tyranny to strike and gall them for what I bid them do.

The duke being a misogynist to Marianna

Fond wretch

Dotty (2012) on the Duke & public perceptions

The Duke’s problem is that his authority is too dependant on the customs of popularity

A4S3 Duke in his soliloquy plotting his manipulation to Isabella (tell her that Claudio is dead so that when he tells her he’s alive shell be super happy)

I will keep her ignorant of her good to make her heavenly comforts of despair when it is least expected

Schlegel (1809) like the other sch guy similar view of Duke

He takes more pleasure in overhearing his subjects than governing them