Measure for Measure - Act Three - “The miserable have no other medicine, but only hope.”
‘Measure for Measure’ has the strangest mix of tragedy and comedy and no more is this evident than in Act Three of the play. Disguised as a priest, the Duke visits Claudio and asks him whether he thinks Angelo will pardon him. Claudio says that he hopes that he will live but he says that he is ready to die. The Duke describes how life can sometimes be worse to death and Claudio resigns himself to his fate.
‘Measure for Measure’ has the strangest mix of tragedy and comedy and no more is this evident than in Act Three of the play. Disguised as a priest, the Duke visits Claudio and asks him whether he thinks Angelo will pardon him. Claudio says that he hopes that he will live but he says that he is ready to die. The Duke describes how life can sometimes be worse to death and Claudio resigns himself to his fate.
When Claudio’s sister, Isabella, enters, the Duke hides so that he
can hear the conversation between Claudio and his sister. Claudio enquires of
his sister as to whether her visit to Claudio can provide any hope for his life
and Isabella tells Claudio that Angelo has provided one way out and it involves
the loss of honour. Then Isabella finally reveals that Angelo will spare
Claudio’s life if Isabella offers up her virginity to Angelo. Claudio is
shocked curses Angelo, tells Isabella not to do it. Isabella asks her brother
to prepare for his death the next day. Claudio then becomes overcome by despair
about dying and then requests that his sister give up her birginity for his own
life. Isabella is shocked and chastises her brother comparing his demand of her
having intercourse with Angelo to save his life to a type of incest to require
her to have sexual intercourse in order to save his life.
Then the Duke (still disguised as a priest) asks to talk to
Claudio first alone and then to Isabella. He tells Claudio that he overheard
the conversation and that he thinks that Angelo is only trying to test Isabella’s
virtue. Claudio aks the Duke to ask his sister for his forgiveness for what he
asked. When the Duke is alone with Isabella, he tells her that he thinks Angelo
was only trying to test her. He then reveals how Angelo once broke off an engagement
to a girl called Mariana when her dowry went down with a shipwreck. Just like
the Friar in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the Duke has a plan that involves Isabella
pretending to yield to Angelo’s request but having Mariana arrive at the
bedchamber instead of Isabella and when Angelo has sex with Marianna, he will
be forced to marry Mariana and free Claudio due to his own hypocrisy.
On his way out of the prison, the Duke meets Elbow who has
arrested Pompey and when the Duke inquires about Pompey's crime. Elbow points
out that Pompey is a pickpocket but Pompey claims that he has been wrongly
treated. Lucio enters and enquires what's is going on and Pompey then asks
Lucio to post bail for him but Lucio refuses. Pompey then asks the Friar (who
is the Duke in disguise) if he knows where the Duke is since he thinks the Duke
would help him. When Lucio criticises the strictness of Angelo enforcing
the law, the Friar (Duke in disguise) shows support for Angelo. Lucio questions
whether so harsh a punishments should be given out for lechery such as
Claudio's since even the absent (or not so absent) Duke himself enjoyed some
sexual promiscuity in his time. The Friar (the Duke) argues with him and Lucio
makes inferences about the Duke's sexuality. The conversation then moves onto
Claudio and when Lucio exits, Escalus then comes on with the Provost and
Mistress Overdone who has been arrested for running a brothel. Mistress
Overdone's defence seems to be that even Lucio is a hypocrite who has committed
lechery. Escalus informs everyone that Claudio will soon be put to death
because Angelo has not changed his mind. Escalus then turns his attention
to the Friar (the Duke) and asks him where he is from. The Friar (the Duke)
replies that he is a stranger to this land, and asks Escalus what this Angelo
who is now in charge is like. Escalus replies that Angelo is always virtuous
and shows great temperance in all matters. When the Duke is left alone, he
breaks into a soliloquy about how Angelo will soon be shown to be a hypocrite
and suffer his own penalty.
“He who the sword of heaven will bear
Should be as holy as severe…
Twice treble shame on Angelo,
To weed my vice and let his grow!
O, what may man within him hide,
Though angel on the outward side…
Craft against vice I must apply:
With Angelo to-night shall lie
His old betrothed but despised;
So disguise shall, by the disguised,
Pay with falsehood false exacting,
And
perform an old contracting.”
"Perdition, catch my soul" - Othello Act 3
A servant is sent by Cassio to find out off Emilia the state of play, while Iago assures Cassio that Othello will be kept out of Cassio's way. After Emilia assures Cassio that Desdemona is about to plead his case to Othello, Cassio insists on talking to Desdemona himself so Emilia takes Cassio to Desdemona. Meanwhile, Othello sends Iago off and arranges to meet later to check fortifications.
Just when Cassio is leaving Desdemona after she has assured him she will plead his case to Othello, Othello (who is with Iago) sees Cassio leaving Desdemona's side. Iago fuels the fire of jealousy by making a sly comment about Cassio stealing away "so guilty-like". Othello's suspicions are further fueled when Desdemona boldly pleads for the case of Cassio's reinstatement. When Desdemona leaves, Iago cleverly convinces Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. He then seems to warn Othello about not letting jealousy overtake him.
" O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is a green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on..."
Iago also suggests that Venetian women are known for their promiscuous behaviour and suggests that she probably will return to her 'white' suitors reminding Othello also that Desdemona did deceive her own father when she eloped with Othello. Iago leaves and Othello reveals how jealousy is starting to take a hold of him and how he is starting to hate Desdemona who he once loved.
"She's gone. I am abused; and my relief
Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours
And not their appetites!"
When Desdemona returns she continues to petition for Cassio and this fuels Othello's jealousy further. When Othello says he has a headache, Dedemona gives him a handkerchief with strawberries on it which he pushes aside and it drops to the floor. The handkerchief is then taken by Emilia who gives it to Iago who has been asking for this handkerchief for some time. The major object to be used later in the play is in Iago's hand.
Othello is furious and tells Iago that he wishes that he had never known of Desdemona's true nature and he even threatens Iago.
"Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content...
Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore..."
He then asks Iago to tell him everything. Iago says that he has spied Cassio with Desdemona's handkerchief with the strawberries on it.
When Othello questions Desdemona about the handkerchief, she cannot find it and Othello tells a made up story about the handkerchief being a magic heirloom. After he leaves, Emilia tells Desdemona that she thinks that jealousy has overtaken Othello and Desdemona says that she hopes that heaven will "... keep that monster from Othello's mind." Cassio enters and thanks Desdemona for helping him. Cassio is then left with Bianca who is his love interest. He gives Bianca a handkerchief with strawberries on it that he has found in his chamber.
"Perdition, catch my soul" - Othello Act 3
A servant is sent by Cassio to find out off Emilia the state of play, while Iago assures Cassio that Othello will be kept out of Cassio's way. After Emilia assures Cassio that Desdemona is about to plead his case to Othello, Cassio insists on talking to Desdemona himself so Emilia takes Cassio to Desdemona. Meanwhile, Othello sends Iago off and arranges to meet later to check fortifications.
Just when Cassio is leaving Desdemona after she has assured him she will plead his case to Othello, Othello (who is with Iago) sees Cassio leaving Desdemona's side. Iago fuels the fire of jealousy by making a sly comment about Cassio stealing away "so guilty-like". Othello's suspicions are further fueled when Desdemona boldly pleads for the case of Cassio's reinstatement. When Desdemona leaves, Iago cleverly convinces Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. He then seems to warn Othello about not letting jealousy overtake him.
" O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is a green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on..."
Iago also suggests that Venetian women are known for their promiscuous behaviour and suggests that she probably will return to her 'white' suitors reminding Othello also that Desdemona did deceive her own father when she eloped with Othello. Iago leaves and Othello reveals how jealousy is starting to take a hold of him and how he is starting to hate Desdemona who he once loved.
"She's gone. I am abused; and my relief
Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,
That we can call these delicate creatures ours
And not their appetites!"
When Desdemona returns she continues to petition for Cassio and this fuels Othello's jealousy further. When Othello says he has a headache, Dedemona gives him a handkerchief with strawberries on it which he pushes aside and it drops to the floor. The handkerchief is then taken by Emilia who gives it to Iago who has been asking for this handkerchief for some time. The major object to be used later in the play is in Iago's hand.
Othello is furious and tells Iago that he wishes that he had never known of Desdemona's true nature and he even threatens Iago.
"Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content...
Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore..."
He then asks Iago to tell him everything. Iago says that he has spied Cassio with Desdemona's handkerchief with the strawberries on it.
When Othello questions Desdemona about the handkerchief, she cannot find it and Othello tells a made up story about the handkerchief being a magic heirloom. After he leaves, Emilia tells Desdemona that she thinks that jealousy has overtaken Othello and Desdemona says that she hopes that heaven will "... keep that monster from Othello's mind." Cassio enters and thanks Desdemona for helping him. Cassio is then left with Bianca who is his love interest. He gives Bianca a handkerchief with strawberries on it that he has found in his chamber.
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