Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare's "problem plays," is set in Vienna, where Duke Vincentio feigns departure and appoints the puritanical Angelo as deputy. Angelo immediately enforces long-ignored morality laws, condemning Claudio to death for impregnating his betrothed. Claudio's sister, the virtuous novice Isabella, pleads for mercy, but Angelo demands her chastity as the price of her brother's life. Disguised as a friar, the Duke secretly orchestrates a scheme—a "bed trick" and a substituted head—that exposes Angelo's corruption and hypocrisy. Ultimately, justice is tempered with mercy. The play profoundly explores law, morality, power, hypocrisy, and the tension between justice and forgiveness.
