Stunning
5 of 7 Ciao Users found the following review helpful
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Advantages The plot is very interesting...
Disadvantages There are so many levels it would be easy to completely lose the plot
This play really astounded me. Even with a not-brilliant English teacher, when I studied this at A-level it blew me away. There are so many levels, and best of all - no character is completely good or completely bad. There are motivations for everything, strange reactions, and lots to discuss.
We could have spent the entire 2 years on this book, and still not even agreed what happens at the end!Although it's one of Shakespeare's lesser-known plays, I would really recommend this to anyone wanting to get deeper into his writings. It's full of life, humour and reality.
SHORT PLOT SUMMARY:
A girl is about to become a nun. At the same time, the Duke in charge of the city intends to go away to test his second-in-command. In reality, he stays and watches to see what happens. The first thing that happens is the introduction of strict purity laws, which result in the girl's brother being sentenced to death for his presence in a brothel. The Duke's second (now apparently a bad guy) says to the girl that if she sleeps with him, he will let her brother go, thus introducing the first hypocritical element.From here onwards, farce, humour, switching places and an end resolution are all part of the plot. Traditional, you might say, but no. All the traditional elements are there, but in a new format.
The ending is a complete surprise. If you see it as a play, it will help you to see different possibilities for the end. I don't want to spoil it for you!Detailed Rating
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| 1 - 5 out of 8 comments
scruff 29/03/2001 12:04
licon 29/03/2001 10:47
I perhaps should have said something about the plot. So I will summarise it. Basically, a girl is about to become a nun. At the same time, the Duke in charge of the city goes away to test his second-in-command. In reality, he stays and watches to see what happens. The first thing that happens is the introduction of strict purity laws, which result in the girl's brother being sentenced to death for being in a brothel. The bad guy, the one under the Duke, says to the girl that if she sleeps with him, he will let her brother go, thus introducing the first hypocritical element. From here onwards, farce, humour, switching places and an end resolution are all part of the plot. Traditional, you might say, but no. All the traditional elements are there, but in a new format. The ending is a complete surprise. If you see it as a play, it will help you to see different possibilities for the end. I don't want to spoil it for you!
the_mad_cabbie 29/03/2001 10:45
weebagpuss 29/03/2001 10:44
I studied this play at A level too. Have you ever seen it performed anywhere - I never have! Because it is not that well known, it doesn't get the performances it deserves. Would be nice to see it at the RSC sometime... I agree it is a great play and does work on different levels. Claire
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I have also read Measure for Measure as part of my English Lit A level. I completely agree with you about it being an intriguing and brilliant play. But i have rated this opinion as UNHELPFUL, im sorry but this is because I have read the play and understand what you mean, but to anyone who has no knowledge of this play, this is completely unhelpful. I will be glad to re-rate it if you include some detail on characters or context. Obviously, because this a complicated play, it will be hard to explain, but some brief detail will help. Sorry.