Measure for Measure: Key Quotations (OCR A Level English Literature)
Revision Note
Key Quotations
The best way to revise quotations is to group them by character, or theme. Below you will find definitions and analysis of the best quotations, arranged by the following themes:
Examiner Tip
Examiners reward answers which link ideas and themes in the given extract to the rest of the play. A convincing way to do this is to include short quotations or references from elsewhere in Measure for Measure which show a connection, contrast, or that illustrate thematic or character development. The trick is to show how Shakespeare develops these themes and how they are shown by the end. It is equally valuable to include “paired quotations”: two quotations that might not feature in the extract but show these connections, or changes. These paired quotations are marked below, and are great when analysed together.
Appearance and reality
Shakespearean comedies, such as Measure for Measure, revolve around thwarted plans and romantic dilemmas, raising questions, via disguises and tricks, about what is real and what is false. Comedies, however, resolve these problems at the end with a wedding or marriage. Measure for Measure ends with marriage too. However, the resolution is ambiguous regarding what is outwardly seen (on the surface a respectable marriage) and the reality of love and relationships.
“Because we see it; but what we do not see/We tread upon” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene I
Meaning and context
In the rising action, Angelo explains to the court his thoughts on justice after sentencing Claudio to death for adultery
He tells Escalus he believes justice is like a gem you see on the ground; sometimes you see it and sometimes you miss it
He believes you should catch someone when they commit a crime regardless of all other people who have committed that crime or a worse crime
Analysis
The line uses an analogy of seeing a gem in the street which alludes to the idea of luck regarding punishing crime
Angelo’s repetition of “see” within his suggestion that ‘seeing is believing’ is ironic:
Angelo, himself, tricks people into believing he is sinless and is later tricked into believing Mariana is Isabella
“Go to your bosom,/Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know” Isabella, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene II
Meaning and context
In this scene Isabella pleads with Angelo to be merciful
She asks him to look into his heart and see what he really is, to consult his conscience
Later in the scene, Isabella refers to Angelo’s powerful status as like a “medicine” for his sins:
She tells him his status cures all his crimes while others are punished for similar crimes
Analysis
Isabella challenges Angelo with a mataphor in her rhetorical plea to his conscience
This line presents Isabella as not only religiously devout but also morally pure
Isabella associates morality with conscience, an innate wisdom about real goodness:
She highlights the difference between what is perceived as right and what is not
By personifying the heart. she suggests Angelo should address his conscience (his heart) about what is genuine justice and goodness
Paired Quotations:
“O that we were all, as some would seem to be,/From our faults, as faults from seeming, free!“ Duke Vincentio, Measure for Measure, Act III Scene II
“O, what may man within him hide,/Though angel on the outward side!” Duke Vincentio, Measure for Measure, Act III Scene II
Meaning and context
In this climactic scene Elbow pleads with the Duke to intervene on behalf of Pompey:
He says Angelo will be harsh on Pompey
The Duke replies that everyone has faults but not all of them can be seen
Later in the scene, the Duke becomes distressed as he realises Angelo’s reputation for morality is not true:
The Duke says that Angelo is an “angel on the outward side”
Analysis
It could be argued that the Duke’s exclamation conveys his deep concerns regarding crime and punishment
The alliterative and ambiguous message about visible and hidden sin explores the play’s themes of human fallibility in the enforcement of a moral code
Later, his reflections on Angelo reveals he has been deceived by Angelo’s reputation:
He uses a pun to connect the idea of an “outward” angel with Angelo’s name
The exclamation here suggests his distress that Angelo’s puritanical code of morality appears to be false in reality
This is ironic as the audience knows the friar himself is also only “an angel on the outward side”
Paired Quotations:
“Wrench awe from fools, and tie the wiser souls/To thy false seeming!” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene IV
“Say what you can, my false o'erweighs your true” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene IV
Meaning and context
In a soliloquy, Angelo mourns his dilemma: he feels desire for Isabella while knowing this is immoral
He reflects that appearances are deceiving:
He says that those with high ranking clothes can easily convince the gullible of their goodness and cause confusion for the wise
Later in the scene, Angelo confirms and misuses his powerful status:
He tells Isabella the city will believe his lies over her truths
Analysis
In his soliloquy, audiences hear Angelo’s real thoughts on the power and influence of appearance:
He uses dynamic verbs to show the destructive power authority holds
He describes the way admiration is “wrenched” from fools as they are easily manipulated
Meanwhile, wiser individuals are still “tied” and bonded to what they perceive as real
The play’s juxtaposition of truth and deceit is evident in Angelo’s oxymoronic phrase:
Angelo states that what is true and what is false depends on what is perceived by others
Gender and sexuality
Measure for Measure has been described as a play which deals sympathetically with the limitations placed on women in Jacobean society. Female characters are coerced and controlled by male characters, regardless of their status or behaviour. The play grapples with standards of female sexuality related to virtue and promiscuity in a patriarchal and puritanical society.
Paired quotations:
“Never could the strumpet,/With all her double vigour, art and nature,/Once stir my temper; but this virtuous maid/Subdues me quite” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene II
“Dost thou desire her foully for those things/That make her good?” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene II
Meaning and context
In a soliloquy, Angelo reflects on his confusing feelings for Isabella
He realises that he respects Isabella for her virtue and chastity
He says that he would not desire an immoral and promiscuous “strumpet”
Angelo says that “foully desiring” a woman outside of marriage is something he would usually condemn
Analysis
Angelo uses emotive language to reflect on his responses to women:
He says an immoral woman would not “stir” his “temper” but a virtuous female would subdue him
Angelo shows his disdain for promiscuous women by using a derogatory term, “strumpet”
The oxymoron of “foul” and “good” conveys the dichotomies in the play regarding female sexuality
Angelo’s reflections comment on the hypocritical standards for women in Jacobean society
“Then, Isabel, live chaste, and, brother, die./More than our brother is our chastity.” Isabella, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene IV
Meaning and context
In this scene, Isabella pleads with Angelo to stop Claudio’s execution
She repeats to Angelo that her chastity is worth more than her brother’s life
Analysis
Isabella emphasises the value of her chastity in an emphatic sentence which places the words “live” and “chaste” beside each other
This line comments on the power and influence Isabella gains by her virtuous sexuality
The oxymoronic comparison of “live” and “die” signifies her belief that her chastity is equivalent to life:
This highlights the limited autonomy of Jacobean women
Paired Quotations:
“Why, you are nothing, then, neither maid, widow,/nor wife?”
Duke Vincentio, Measure for Measure, Act V Scene I
“I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a/whore.” Lucio, Measure for Measure, Act V Scene I
Meaning and context
The Duke asks Mariana if she is a virgin, widowed or married
When she replies she is not any of these he describes her as having no worth
Lucio jokes that perhaps she is a prostitute as many are single and are not virgins
Later in the resolution, Lucio begs the Duke not to marry him to a prostitute, suggesting this would be a fate worse than death
Analysis
The Duke and Lucio attempt to ascertain Mariana’s status and identity:
This illustrates the connections between female power and marital and sexual status
The indefinite pronoun “nothing” clarifies Mariana’s lack of autonomy
Lucio’s plea to the Duke is emphasised throughout the scene as he repeatedly compares marriage to a prostitute to a fate worse than death:
His tone is desperate as he beseeches the Duke not to punish him with marriage to a prostitute
Here we see the shame attached to promiscuous women in a puritanical society
Examiner Tip
Don’t include quotations that have nothing to do with the question. As tempting as it might be if you have them memorised, examiners really dislike when students “shoe-horn in irrelevant quotations”. This can affect your overall mark since your response can become less focused. Use the evidence to support your argument. Evidence can be a reference to language, as well as dramatic devices.
Justice
The play centres around the concept of mercy and fair punishments for sins. However, Shakespeare explores the complexities of carrying out justice by showing hypocrisies in the way crimes are punished. Characters with senior positions in court (the Duke, Lucio and Angelo) admit it is not possible to enforce laws; some criminals are caught and some go free. The play explores who is able to act with impunity and who is subject to merciless shaming and harsh punishment.
Paired quotations:
“Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall” Escalus, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene I
“Which is the wiser here, Justice or Iniquity?” Escalus, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene I
Meaning and context
In an aside, after Angelo has condemned Claudio, Escalus admits that the justice system is flawed:
He says that some are rewarded for their sins and others are punished, however good they are
After a confusing and humorous discussion with Pompey and Elbow, Escalus expresses his exasperation referring to "Justice" (the merciful Elbow) and "Iniquity" (the immoral but clever Pompey)
Analysis
Once again, an oxymoron highlights the complexities of punishing sin by placing the contrasting ideas of “rise” and “fall” and “sin” and “virtue” in a single declarative statement
Escalus asks a rhetorical question which highlights again the ineffectiveness of the legal system:
He answers the question by offering a choice between justice and sinful pleasure
He believes the sinful often escape punishment
“The baby beats the nurse, and quite athwart/Goes all decorum.” Duke Vincentio, Measure for Measure, Act I Scene III
Meaning and context
The Duke is concerned about the city as it is overrun with brothels
The analogy of a baby beating the nurse conveys the Duke’s conclusions that the city is not being disciplined strictly enough
He laments the reversal of roles, believing the leaders are not controlling the citizens
Analysis
The metaphor is constructed in a way to allude to the Duke’s misunderstanding of justice:
Here he suggests that if the nurse were to beat the baby that would make things right
This is ironic as Angelo goes on to order the execution of Claudio
The play shows the irony of the Duke’s misinterpretation of his city’s problems by clearly illustrating the real issues via the characters he meets when disguised as a friar:
He begins to see the lack of accountability of those in power
In the resolution, the Duke attempts to resolve the miscarriage of justice he set in motion:
He dispenses punishments according to what he thinks each character deserves, acting, yet again, as omnipotent judge
He punishes male characters who have abandoned female characters and illegitimate children
He shows mercy on Angelo, presenting the theme of measured justice
“When I that censure him do so offend,/Let mine own judgement pattern out my death” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene I
Meaning and context
In the rising action, Angelo, having just condemned Claudio to death for adultery, attempts to justify his actions
He tells the court he is willing to die if he were to commit the same crime as Claudio
He asks to be judged equally and submits himself to ‘measure for measure’ justice
Analysis
Angelo’s emphatic line creates tension and foreshadows later events
The line turns out to be ironic later in the play when Angelo’s moral superiority is mocked
In the resolution, Angelo is offered mercy and is not judged in the “pattern” he mentions here:
The Duke holds Angelo to account by wedding him to Mariana, rather than sentencing him to death for sexual deviance
Examiner Tip
For your exam, you are not expected to learn dozens of quotations by heart. Although examiners do reward the use of memorised quotations in your essay, you will also be rewarded for your ability to mention plot points from various points of the play. These are called “textual references”, and do not have to include direct quotations. Try to remember key words from the quotations to embed the most significant words in your answer.
Therefore, it is better to learn a few quotations - and their wider significance - really well, than lots of random quotations: you will not be awarded more marks for more quotations.
The quotations above have all been chosen as they cover a good range of themes that Shakespeare explores in Measure for Measure.
Religion and virtue
The play refers to a biblical passage in its title, “Measure for Measure”. Taken from the gospel of Matthew, this phrase suggests that as one is judged so others will judge them, and whichever measure they use to punish, the same will be dealt back. The play’s protagonist and heroine, Isabella, gripped by puritanical philosophies regarding sexuality, is made to grapple over her religious ideals while morally superior characters are exposed as sinful. The play explores the fallibility of man in the delivery of heavenly justice.
Paired quotations:
“Thus can the demigod, Authority,/Make us pay down for our offence by weight
The words of heaven” Claudio, Measure for Measure, Act I Scene II
“His glassy essence, like an angry ape/Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven” Isabella, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene II
Meaning and context
Claudio laments the punishment he has been dealt:
He complains that figures with authority deliver harsh justice because of their close position to God
Claudio demonstrates his sense of vulnerability within the justice system
In Act II, Isabella, however, is aware of Angelo’s true nature:
She angrily compares him to an animal, ignorant to what heaven and God really advocate
Analysis
Claudio is presented as a good Christian in his dialogue, yet is unable to accept his punishment from Angelo
Claudio accepts his adultery as a sin against God, in keeping with puritanical religious ideals in Jacobean England:
Imagery relating to weight bearing down on the sinful conveys the harsh burden Claudio carries in his shame
However, Claudio also reveals the power he vests in those who deliver justice on earth, signified by the capitalisation of “Authority”
Nevertheless, throughout the play Claudio refuses to accept Angelo’s punishment and challenges the justice system
Isabella’s character is sincere and merciful, values which are given credence in the play through her wise and sophisticated language:
The aliteration of “high heaven” and “angry ape” conveys the passion in her words
The sibilance of “glassy essence” emphasises her insult regarding Angelo’s falseness
Paired quotations:
“I had rather give my body than my soul” Isabella, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene IV
“Might there not be a charity in sin/To save this brother's life?” Angelo, Measure for Measure, Act II Scene IV
Meaning and context
In her confrontation with Angelo, Isabella illustrates the stock she places in her sexuality and the protection of her chastity
Here, she tells Angelo she would rather die than have adulterous sex with him:
Earlier in the play, she expresses similar thoughts on adultery, confirming the consistency of her beliefs
This contrasts with Angelo, who earlier condemns behaviour he now wishes to indulge in
In response, Angelo asks her to consider that the sin of adultery may be forgiven and overridden by the virtue of saving her brother’s life
Analysis
Isabella’s speeches highlight discrepancies within puritanical ideals, specifically related to female autonomy
Making use of binary opposites allows Shakespeare to convey the ambiguous nature of sin and virtue:
Here, Isabella’s oxymoronic phrase juxtaposes “body” and “soul” in order to highlight religious ideals relating to sexuality
Angelo’s misuse of Christian values after Isabella’s plea is humorous in its hypocrisy:
He tries to justify his lust as an opportunity for Isabella to be charitable
Shakespeare pokes fun at Angelo’s confusion about what is good
“Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful” Duke Vincentio, Measure for Measure, Act III Scene I
Meaning and context
In this climactic scene, the Duke tries to find a solution to Isabella’s dilemma
He tells he her has a plan to outsmart Angelo and allow her to keep her chastity
When Isabella says she will do anything she considers moral, the Duke, dressed as a friar, tells her that she should not be afraid to do what is right
Analysis
Here the Duke, dressed as a friar, tries to persuade Isabella to trick Angelo
He repeats the same idea that goodness is the same as bravery:
The Duke’s confusing dialogue represents the way he deceives characters while ultimately wanting to help them
Shakespeare often includes ‘meddling’ yet well-intentioned friars in his plays:
This could suggest his frustration with religious conflicts at the time
Other interpretations suggest the friar/the Duke represents Shakespeare’s voice
This line is ironic as the Duke’s bold disguise instructs characters in the ways of God
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