Measure for Measure

✍ Scribed by William Shakespeare; Brian Gibbons

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 236
• Series: The New Cambridge Shakespeare
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Presents the text of the classic comedy, in which Isabella is asked to sacrifice her virtue to save her brother's life, along with explanatory notes and commentary.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Title Page
Copyright
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations
1 Act 4, Scene 3: a reconstruction of the court performance at Whitehall, 26 December 1604.
2 Triumphal arch erected for the Royal Entry of James I in 1604. From Harrison's Seven Arches of Triumph (1603-4)
3 Act 5, Scene 1: as presented on a public playhouse stage.
4 The trial of Froth and Pompey
a In Peter Brook's 1950 production
b In Jonathan Miller's 1974 production
5 Act 2, Scene 2: a reconstruction of a performance on a public playhouse stage.
6 Mrs Siddons as the Tragic Muse (1784). Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds
7 Claudio and Isabella (1850-3). By W. Holman Hunt
8 William Poel's production of Measure for Measure at the Royalty Theatre, 1893
9 Peter Brook's 1950 production, showing the versatile set
a The prison
b Claudio and Juliet
10 Peter Brook's 1950 production
a Mistress Overdone and Lucio
b The Duke overhearing Claudio and Isabella
11 The Duke (Philip Madoc) reasoning with Claudio (Jason Durr) about death. From Trevor Nuun's production for the RSC, 1991.
12 Juliet (Penny Layden) and Claudio (Stephen Kennedy) shamed. From Michael Boyd's production for the RSC, 1998-9.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and Conventions
1. Shakespeare's plays
2. Other works cited and general references
Introduction
Date
Puritanism, political allusion and censorship
The sources and their shaping
Cinthio
Whetstone
Severus
The Phoenix
The Malcontent
The Mode of Tragi-Comedy
Contemporary Allusions
Sejanus
The play
Underworld and Sub-Plots
Carnival and Justice: Word-Play and Self-Defence
Angelo and Isabella: Word-Play and Self-Betrayal
Exchanges
The Question of the Duke
Acting
Playing with Audiences
The Question of Tragi-Comedy
The play on the stage
Recent stage, film and critical interpretations, by Angela Stock
Criticism
Recent Stage and Film Productions
Note on the text
List of characters
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Act 1
1
2
3
4
Act 2
1
2
3
4
Act 3
1
2
Act 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
Act 5
1
Textual analysis
The nature of the copy
The Compositors and Casting-Off of Copy
The Scribe
Juliet in 1.2
Possible Toning-Down of Oaths
The Justice in 2.1
The Duke's Speech in 4.1
4.3 And 4.5: Lucio and Varrius
The Time Scheme
Summary: the nature of the copy
Lineation
Verse and Prose
Short Lines
Textual cruces and editors
Reading list