Episode 207

Whereas the larger-than-life characters in ‘Othello’ left us with no moral ambiguities, but plenty of questions about the nature of the outsider and society’s attitude towards those who are different. Shakespeare’s next offering, ‘Measure for Measure’ was a very different piece with few of those certainties.

The dating and earliest performance of the play

The early print history of the play

Changes made by Thomas Middleton

The source material for the play

A brief synopsis of the play

Comedy of Tragicomedy?

Issues with the structure of the play

Justice and mercy

The premise of the play examined

How the characters avoid easy categorisation

The role of the duke

The role of Isabella

The role of Angelo

The role of Lucio

The ending of the play and Isabella’s response to the duke

The mixed critical response to the play

The later performance history of the play

Measure for Measure on film

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