Corruption and Hypocrisy, Essay Example

Over the courser of two decades, William Shakespeare penned a myriad of plays that sought to capture the real meanings that undergird human conflict and emotion. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is quite a unique and distinctive narrative because it starkly contrasts from the most infamous works attributed to Shakespeare, as it fits into its own genre akin to how contemporary readers would perceive the world today. This play is quite unique because it delves into the issues and themes of the abuse of authority and power, particularly in its examination of the abuse that took place between Angelo and Isabella. It should be noted that during the time that Shakespeare lived, sexual harassment did not exist as a horrific crime From a cultural perspective, Shakespeare’s lesser known play entitled “Measure for Measure” demonstrates how accumulating and exerting power ultimately results in people becoming corrupted persons and hypocrites. This passage further expounds one M e a s u r e f o r M e a s u r e, which explains how Shakespeare arrives in this play at his vision of a creature who – for all his airs and graces, manners and laws – is ultimately a natural thing, flawed, naked and unaccommodated.  Given a common humanity, what – the play asks – entitles one man to judge any other because of the difficulty of the move.

Bibliography

Shakespeare Measure for Measure , Arden Shakespeare 1965 ed. J. M . Nosworthy, Shakespeare Measure for Measure , New Penguin Shakespeare 1969