Dreamweaver

Welcome to Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare's most complex and morally ambiguous works. Often categorized as a 'problem play,' it defies simple classification as a comedy or a tragedy, instead offering a stark and unsettling look at justice, hypocrisy, and the fine line between law and mercy.

The play is set in Vienna, where Duke Vincentio, finding his city's laws too lenient, feigns a departure and places the puritanical Angelo in charge. The Duke, however, remains in Vienna disguised as a friar to observe how his deputy will govern. Angelo immediately begins a harsh crackdown on moral transgressions, reviving an old law that makes fornication punishable by death. His first victim is the young Claudio, who has impregnated his fiancée.

Claudio's sister, the virtuous and aspiring nun Isabella, pleads for her brother's life. But Angelo, a man who has always prided himself on his strict morality, is overwhelmed by his lust for Isabella. He offers her a terrible choice: sacrifice her chastity to him to save her brother, or let Claudio die. This moral dilemma forms the core of the play, exposing the hypocrisy of those in power.

The disguised Duke watches these events unfold and intervenes with a series of elaborate deceptions to expose Angelo's corruption and ultimately resolve the crisis. Measure for Measure challenges the audience to consider difficult questions about the nature of justice, the corruption of human institutions, and whether it is possible for anyone to truly be free of sin.