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Cursory Remarks On Shakspeare's Measure For Measure.
the title itself , the hint of which , we may conclude , was taken from this scripture text , ' With what measure ye mete , it shall be measured ta you again . ' As compared with the denouement of the play , where , instead of seeing guilt punished , as we are led to expect , for the sake of making the play end happily , ' Measure for Measure' is forgotten , ami the cul prit is constrained to marry a woman of hkhertq unblemished famewho , in violation of all probabilitypreviousl
, , y resigns her virtue to him , as the only pledge for securing his faith . Independent of this too evident disparagement , the plot as well as the whole apportionment of characters and incidents are much better and more consistently managed than in many of his plays . Its chief excellencies consist in its strength and justness of character , and the elegant diversity of its style , in both which particulars it is but in
few instances surpassed by Shakspeare himself . The character of Isabel is undoubtedly the best drawn and most interesting , which forms one among the m . ny contradictions of our author having paid little attention to his females . Perhaps the only flaw in the whole of this character is , that her grief at the supposed treacherous death of her brother is neither long nor vehement enough ( a fault which occurs also in the character of Romeo ) and
which may , in both instances , be amply confirmed b ;> -a comparative reference to that of Constance in 'King John , ' where the feelings of nature have much larger scope , though actuated by a slighter impulse . When we consider the nature of most state marriages , viz . their foundation in policy and foreign alliance , we cannot but look upon Isabel ' s union with the Duke as another violation of probability , for the same trivial cause that I have before mentioned
-, butwhich might have been in some measure softened by m ;; k ; ng her . of a noble family , which she does not appear to have been . 1 am aware that Shakspeare borrowed his plot from a novel of Cinthio's , from whence some critics may infer that he is not responsible for the inconsistencies of the story ; " but , when we recollect the freedom he always took with the stories he dramatised { Othello especially ) , I am
afraid he cannot on this occasion be acquitted . The character of the Duke , though here brought to our notice under circumstances not altogether plausible , is supported throughout by language and sentiments hi g hly apposite and impressive : in particular , his address to Claudia , on the immoderate love of life , is not only highly eloquent in point of style , but is a rich emanation of such pure philosophy as is calculated to wean the affections from transitory objects , and fix them on the soul ' s immortality .
Our author s attention to his subordinate characters forms a highly useful lesson to all who write for the stage . That oi Barnardine , though seen hut once , is perhaps as true a picture from nature of a man so vitiated as to have become insensible to every object as pen ever drew . Again , the volubility of Lucio we meet with everyday noris the wavering mind of Claudia , on the prospect of his death and dreadful alternative , less justly drawn , though distressing to the audience , DRAMATICUS
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Cursory Remarks On Shakspeare's Measure For Measure.
the title itself , the hint of which , we may conclude , was taken from this scripture text , ' With what measure ye mete , it shall be measured ta you again . ' As compared with the denouement of the play , where , instead of seeing guilt punished , as we are led to expect , for the sake of making the play end happily , ' Measure for Measure' is forgotten , ami the cul prit is constrained to marry a woman of hkhertq unblemished famewho , in violation of all probabilitypreviousl
, , y resigns her virtue to him , as the only pledge for securing his faith . Independent of this too evident disparagement , the plot as well as the whole apportionment of characters and incidents are much better and more consistently managed than in many of his plays . Its chief excellencies consist in its strength and justness of character , and the elegant diversity of its style , in both which particulars it is but in
few instances surpassed by Shakspeare himself . The character of Isabel is undoubtedly the best drawn and most interesting , which forms one among the m . ny contradictions of our author having paid little attention to his females . Perhaps the only flaw in the whole of this character is , that her grief at the supposed treacherous death of her brother is neither long nor vehement enough ( a fault which occurs also in the character of Romeo ) and
which may , in both instances , be amply confirmed b ;> -a comparative reference to that of Constance in 'King John , ' where the feelings of nature have much larger scope , though actuated by a slighter impulse . When we consider the nature of most state marriages , viz . their foundation in policy and foreign alliance , we cannot but look upon Isabel ' s union with the Duke as another violation of probability , for the same trivial cause that I have before mentioned
-, butwhich might have been in some measure softened by m ;; k ; ng her . of a noble family , which she does not appear to have been . 1 am aware that Shakspeare borrowed his plot from a novel of Cinthio's , from whence some critics may infer that he is not responsible for the inconsistencies of the story ; " but , when we recollect the freedom he always took with the stories he dramatised { Othello especially ) , I am
afraid he cannot on this occasion be acquitted . The character of the Duke , though here brought to our notice under circumstances not altogether plausible , is supported throughout by language and sentiments hi g hly apposite and impressive : in particular , his address to Claudia , on the immoderate love of life , is not only highly eloquent in point of style , but is a rich emanation of such pure philosophy as is calculated to wean the affections from transitory objects , and fix them on the soul ' s immortality .
Our author s attention to his subordinate characters forms a highly useful lesson to all who write for the stage . That oi Barnardine , though seen hut once , is perhaps as true a picture from nature of a man so vitiated as to have become insensible to every object as pen ever drew . Again , the volubility of Lucio we meet with everyday noris the wavering mind of Claudia , on the prospect of his death and dreadful alternative , less justly drawn , though distressing to the audience , DRAMATICUS