Measure for Measure & Othello - Act Five – “Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.” Othello - "...death'a unnatural that kills for loving."

Measure for Measure Act Five – “Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and Measure still for Measure.”

Shakespeare’s original audience for ‘Measure for Measure’ would have known it was going to be a comedy because they would have seen the white flag flying above the theatre and knowing that comedies traditionally end with amazing and sometimes unbelievable revelations and marriages (the more the merrier), as the play enters its last act, the audience would have expected revelations, unions and marriages. Act Five of ‘Measure for Measure’ starts with The Duke finally meeting Angelo and Escalus at the gates of the city where he thanks them for running the city in his absence. Isabella comes forward to bring her complaint against Angelo for him being a hypocrite, an "adulterous thief… virgin-violator" and a murderer. Angelo denies all this and calls Isabella insane and The Duke labels Isabella mad and tries to dismiss her.

Isabella pleads further with the Duke and he maintains that Isabella seems too logical and detailed to be mad and he allows her to tell her whole story. Isabella starts with Claudio (her brother) being sentenced to death for fornication, and she relates how she went to plead for his life with Angelo but that Angelo desired her and demanded her to give herself to him in exchange for letting her brother live. She says that she eventually relented but that Angelo executed her brother anyway. Standing up for Angelo, The Duke rejects the truth of Isabella’s story and claims that Isabella has been set up by someone and that she must name who helped her in all this. Isabella maintains that she speaks the truth and names Friar Lodowick (The Duke’s name when he was disguised as a friar). Lucio (who has consistently slandered the Duke to the friar) claims he knows the friar as a dishonest man who has slandered The Duke many times. The Duke demands to see the Friar Lodowick, and Friar Peter stands up for Friar Lodowick and claims he is sick and has sent him instead. Isabella is labeled a liar and is arrested and taken away.

Then with her face veiled, Mariana enters, to act as a witness to Isabella’s story. The Duke demands that Mariana to show her face but she says she will not do so until her husband lifts her veil. A cryptic interchange then follows where it is established that Mariana wants her husband to lift her veil, even though she is not married, not a maid (a virgin), not a widow, not a punk (a prostitute) but that even though he didn’t know it, her husband has ‘known’ her (in the sexual sense). The Duke is about to dismiss Mariana from testifying when she names Angelo.

Angelo denies all and Mariana lifts her veil and Angelo reveals that he did know Mariana and was engaged to her five years ago. Mariana reveals that they consummated their contract and had sex on Tuesday night but  Angelo denies this. The Duke demands to see Friar Lodowick so that he can clarify the issue and Friar Peter goes off. The Duke then makes a feeble excuse to leave, leaves Escalus in charge and leaves (obviously to make a quick change back into Friar Lodowick.

Escalus calls Isabella back, and claiming that someone has already denied the truth of her story, he tries to cross-examine her. Suddenly Friar Lodowick (The Duke in disguise) enters and Escalus accuses him of having groomed and sent Isabella and Mariana to slander Angelo. The Friar (The Duke) maintains he is telling the truth and asks to see The Duke (impossible of course for him to see himself) but Escalus says that has full authority and he threatens to torture the Friar (the Duke) in the Duke’s name. Angelo then asks Lucio accuse against the FriarDuke for the way he had slandered The Duke. The Friar/Duke says that in fact Lucio had slandered the Duke. The Friar/Duke is about to be taken off to prison, when Lucio pulls the Friar’s hood off, and Friar Lodowick is revealed to be The Duke.

Turning to Angelo, The Duke asks if he has anything to say and Angelo confesses all and asks to be put to death. The Duke sentences him to marriage to  Mariana and then The Duke requests for Isabella to be brought back and he apologizes to her for not revealing himself and claims he did this to save Claudio’s life but that he did not succeed. The Duke then orders Angelo to be executed to pay for Claudio's death (all this would not work as comedy if the audience did not know that Claudio is in fact alive)

Mariana is distressed that she will now be a widow instead of a wife and she asks for a pardon on Angelo’s behalf but the Duke refuses and tries to placte her by telling her that she will find a better husband. Mariana then asks for Isabella's help and Isabella kneels and asks for Angelo to be pardoned. The Duke ignores this and the Provost is chastised for executing Claudio at such an early hour and then the Provost says he went against part of his orders and did not execute Barnadine. At this point, Barnadine (really Claudio bound up and muffled) is brought on and The Duke pardons Barnadine. The head cover and gag are removed and Claudio is revealed (having already been pardoned as Barnadine). The Duke then asks Isabella not to join the nunnery but to marry him instead. Lucio is sentenced to marry the woman he made pregnant (who is a well-known punk) and The Duke concludes by saying that everyone should confess, marry and live happily ever after and marriage is the ultimate punishment or reward for all:

“She, Claudio, that you wrong'd, look you restore.

Joy to you, Mariana! Love her, Angelo:

I have confess'd her and I know her virtue.

Thanks, good friend Escalus, for thy much goodness:

There's more behind that is more gratulate.

Thanks, provost, for thy care and secrecy:

We shill employ thee in a worthier place.

Forgive him, Angelo, that brought you home

The head of Ragozine for Claudio's:

The offence pardons itself. Dear Isabel,

I have a motion much imports your good;

Whereto if you'll a willing ear incline,

What's mine is yours and what is yours is mine.

So, bring us to our palace; where we'll show

What's yet behind, that's meet you all should know.”

Othello - Act 5 - "...death's unnatural that kills for love."

Roderigo, encouraged by Iago, attacks Cassio but rather than killing Cassio, he wounds him. Iago then comes from behind and stabs Cassio's leg and then escapes. Othello, thinking that Cassio is dead, leaves to kill Desdemona. Iago returns and when Roderigo calls out for help, Iago stabs and kills him. When Bianca arrives, Iago tries to defer all blame onto her. Emilia discovers that Cassio is wounded and that Roderigo is dead and Iago tells her to go and take this news to Desdemona and Othello. 

Desdemona is asleep when Othello comes to her. Before he kills her, he laments the loss of love and tries to validate his murderous action in terms of what he sees as Desdemona's betrayal and her cunning nature as the audience sees that he has finally totally given in to his jealousy and pride.
"It is the cause, it is the cause my soul, -
Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!
It is the cause. Yet I'll not shed her blood;
Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,
And smooth as monumental alabaster.
Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men..."

Othello bends down to kill Desdemona and then he goes to smother her. She awakes, is frightened but musters up the courage to ask her husband why he wants to kill her. Othello tells her that she has been unfaithful to him with cassio and that the handkerchief with strawberries on it is the proof. Desdemona denies her lack of faithfulness. Othello does not believe her and tells her that Iago has already killed cassio and that Cassio confessed before he died. Desdemona weeps on hearing of Cassio's death and Othello takes this of further proof of their affair and he lashes out in a rage and smothers Desdemona to death. Emilia calls from outside the door and Othello thinks that his wife is still alive and calling to him so he smothers her again. 

Othello lets Emilia in and she yells 'Murder' and Othello even threatens to kill her. Emilia states that she will not be silenced and she tells Othello of Desdemona's innocence, faithfulness and purity of heart. She then realises that she has played a part in the events leading to Desdemona's death. She tells Othello that she gave the handkerchief to Iago. She realises that she has been manipulated by her husband Iago:
"O mistress, villany hath made mocks of love,
My husband say that she was false...
If he say so, may his pernicious soul
Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart:
She was too fond of her most filthy bargain...
I care not for thy sword; I'll make thee known.
Though I lost twenty lives - Help! help, ho! help!
The Moor hath kill'd my mistress! Murder! Murder!"

When Iago and others enter, Othello tries to kill Iago. Iago pulls Emilia in front of him and she is stabbed and Iago runs away. Emilia lies beside the dead Desdemona and sings and tells of Desdemona's innocence before she dies:
" (sings) Willow, willow, willow, -
Moor, she was chaste; she loved thee cruel Moor;
So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;
So speaking as I think, I die, I die."

Othello is now filled with guilt and confusion. Iago is brought back. Lodovico questions Othello and reveals he will be sent to Venice for trial. Othello confronts Iago to find out why he orchestrated these events. Iago offers not reasons or defence:
"Demand me nothing; what you know, you know:
From this time forth I never will speak word."

Cassio, whom is still alive and has not died from his injuries, reveals more of how he came by the handkerchief. Othello speaks of how he wants all these events to be remembered before he stabs himself to death:
"Soft you; a word or two before you go.
I have done the state some service, and they know't.
No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate.
Speak of me as  am; nothing exenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well..."

After he stabs himself, Othello kisses Desdemona and dies. Lodovico raps up the play with promising that Iago will be truly punished.