ACT III She hastens to Claudio and exhorts him to prepare for death, since his life can only be purchased by perpetual shame. At first Claudio commends her decision, but his fear of death weakens him and he pleads with her to yield to Angelo and save him. Isabella reproaches him and is about to leave him when they are interrupted by the Duke in his friar's garb. He has overheard their entire conversation and he now shows Isabella a way of saving her brother without sacrificing her honor: she is to pretend to yield to the entreaties of Angelo, to make an assignation with him, and then to send in her place Mariana, a young gentlewoman who had been promised in marriage to Angelo and whom he had deserted on the loss of her dowry. ACT IV Mariana consents to the enterprise. But Angelo does not keep his part of the agreement, for as soon as he has had his will with the supposed Isabella, he orders the immediate execution of Claudio. The provost of the prison on the disguised Duke's persuasion, sends to Angelo the head of another man who had just died a natural death in the prison and who resembled Claudio. The Duke then writes the deputy that he will soon return home. ACT V Angelo and the court officials meet the Duke at the city gates. Mariana and Isabella are also there, and the latter calls upon the Duke to redress her wrongs, openly accusing the deputy of being a virgin-violator and a murderer. In feigned anger the Duke orders her under arrest. Mariana now comes forward with her accusations. The Duke leaves the inquiry in Angelo's hand and he himself retires to don his friar's habit that he may be called as a witness in the examination of the two women. During the sessions, the Duke reveals himself. He orders Angelo to marry Mariana, and that being accomplished, he sentences the man to die. The pleading of Mariana and Isabella avert this penalty. Claudio is freed from his prison and ordered to marry Juliet. The Duke himself sues for Isabella's hand. MEASURE FOR MEASURE ACT FIRST SCENE I An apartment in the Duke's palace. Enter Duke, Escalus, Lords and Attendants. Duke. Escalus. Escal. My lord. Duke. Of government the properties to unfoid, Would seem in me to affect speech and dis course; Since I am put to know that your own science My strength can give you: then no more re- But that to your sufficiency as your worth is able, 8, 9. There is no gap in the Folios, which is due to Theobald's plausible theory that the obscurity of the passage is due to some careless omission on the part of the printers. Various attempts have been made to explain the lines, e. g. "But that to your sufficiencies your worth is abled" (Johnson); "But your sufficiency as worth is able" (Farmer); Theobald supplied the missing words thus "But that to your sufficiency you add And let them work. The nature of our people, 11 For common justice, you 're as pregnant in I say, bid come before us Angelo. [Exit an Attendant. Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our And given his deputation all the organs Of our own power: what think you of it? To undergo such ample grace and honor, Duke. Look where he comes. 20 Mr Halliwell thinks to relieve the passage of darkness by printing task instead of that, a correction which he found written by some unknown hand in an old copy of the play belonging to Mr. Tunno. But if we understand that as referring to the commission, which the Duke holds in his hand, as he afterwards says, "There is our commission,”—the passage, though still obscure, will appear complete as it stands. The meaning will then be,-"Since, then, your worth is ample, nothing is wanting to qualify you, to make you sufficient for the office, but this our commission, and let them, that is, the ability, which is in you, and the authority, which I confer upon you, work."-H. N. H. Tyrwhitt's But that to your sufficiency you put A zeal as willing as your worth is able, perhaps approaches Shakespeare's thought, though it certainly misses his expression.-C. H. H. |