1605

MEASURE FOR MEASURE
by William Shakespeare

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
VINCENTIO, the Duke

ANGELO, the Deputy
ESCALUS, an ancient Lord

CLAUDIO, a young gentleman
LUCIO, a fantastic

Two other like Gentlemen
VARRIUS, a gentleman, servant to the Duke

PROVOST
THOMAS, friar

PETER, friar
A JUSTICE

ELBOW, a simple constable
FROTH, a foolish gentleman

POMPEY, a clown and servant to Mistress Overdone
ABHORSON, an executioner

BARNARDINE, a dissolute prisoner
ISABELLA, sister to Claudio

MARIANA, betrothed to Angelo
JULIET, beloved of Claudio

FRANCISCA, a nun
MISTRESS OVERDONE, a bawd

Lords, Officers, Citizens, Boy, and Attendants
SCENE:

Vienna
ACT I. SCENE I.

The DUKE'S palace
Enter DUKE, ESCALUS, LORDS, and ATTENDANTS

DUKE. Escalus!
ESCALUS. My lord.

DUKE. Of government the properties to unfold
Would seem in me t' affect speech and discourse,

Since I am put to know that your own science
Exceeds, in that, the lists of all advice

My strength can give you; then no more remains
But that to your sufficiency- as your worth is able-

And let them work. The nature of our people,
Our city's institutions, and the terms

For common justice, y'are as pregnant in
As art and practice hath enriched any

That we remember. There is our commission,
From which we would not have you warp. Call hither,

I say, bid come before us, Angelo. Exit an ATTENDANT
What figure of us think you he will bear?

For you must know we have with special soul
Elected him our absence to supply;

Lent him our terror, dress'd him with our love,
And given his deputation all the organs

Of our own power. What think you of it?
ESCALUS. If any in Vienna be of worth

To undergo such ample grace and honour,
It is Lord Angelo.

Enter ANGELO
DUKE. Look where he comes.

ANGELO. Always obedient to your Grace's will,
I come to know your pleasure.

DUKE. Angelo,
There is a kind of character in thy life

That to th' observer doth thy history
Fully unfold. Thyself and thy belongings

Are not thine own so proper as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee.

Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues

Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike
As if we had them not. Spirits are not finely touch'd

But to fine issues; nor Nature never lends
The smallest scruple of her excellence

But, like a thriftygoddess, she determines
Herself the glory of a creditor,

Both thanks and use. But I do bend my speech
To one that can my part in him advertise.

Hold, therefore, Angelo-
In our remove be thou at full ourself;

Mortality and mercy in Vienna
Live in thy tongue and heart. Old Escalus,

Though first in question, is thy secondary.
Take thy commission.

ANGELO. Now, good my lord,
Let there be some more test made of my metal,

Before so noble and so great a figure
Be stamp'd upon it.

DUKE. No more evasion!
We have with a leaven'd and prepared choice

Proceeded to you; therefore take your honours.
Our haste from hence is of so quick condition

That it prefers itself, and leaves unquestion'd
Matters of needful value. We shall write to you,

As time and our concernings shall importune,
How it goes with us, and do look to know

What doth befall you here. So, fare you well.
To th' hopefulexecution do I leave you

Of your commissions.
ANGELO. Yet give leave, my lord,

That we may bring you something on the way.
DUKE. My haste may not admit it;

Nor need you, on mine honour, have to do
With any scruple: your scope is as mine own,

So to enforce or qualify the laws
As to your soul seems good. Give me your hand;

I'll privily away. I love the people,
But do not like to stage me to their eyes;

Though it do well, I do not relish well
Their loud applause and Aves vehement;

Nor do I think the man of safe discretion
That does affect it. Once more, fare you well.

ANGELO. The heavens give safety to your purposes!
ESCALUS. Lead forth and bring you back in happiness!

DUKE. I thank you. Fare you well. Exit
ESCALUS. I shall desire you, sir, to give me leave

To have free speech with you; and it concerns me
To look into the bottom of my place:

A pow'r I have, but of what strength and nature
I am not yet instructed.

ANGELO. 'Tis so with me. Let us withdraw together,
And we may soon our satisfaction have

Touching that point.
ESCALUS. I'll wait upon your honour. Exeunt

SCENE II.
A street

Enter Lucio and two other GENTLEMEN
LUCIO. If the Duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition

with the King of Hungary, why then all the dukes fall upon the
King.

FIRST GENTLEMAN. Heaven grant us its peace, but not the King of
Hungary's!

SECOND GENTLEMAN. Amen.
LUCIO. Thou conclud'st like the sanctimonious pirate that went to

sea with the Ten Commandments, but scrap'd one out of the table.
SECOND GENTLEMAN. 'Thou shalt not steal'?

LUCIO. Ay, that he raz'd.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. Why, 'twas a commandment to command the captain

and all the rest from their functions: they put forth to steal.
There's not a soldier of us all that, in the thanksgiving before

meat, do relish the petition well that prays for peace.
SECOND GENTLEMAN. I never heard any soldier dislike it.

LUCIO. I believe thee; for I think thou never wast where grace was
said.

SECOND GENTLEMAN. No? A dozen times at least.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. What, in metre?

LUCIO. In any proportion or in any language.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. I think, or in any religion.

LUCIO. Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of all controversy; as,
for example, thou thyself art a wickedvillain, despite of all

grace.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. Well, there went but a pair of shears between us.

LUCIO. I grant; as there may between the lists and the velvet.
Thou art the list.

FIRST GENTLEMAN. And thou the velvet; thou art good velvet; thou'rt
a three-pil'd piece, I warrant thee. I had as lief be a list of

an English kersey as be pil'd, as thou art pil'd, for a French
velvet. Do I speak feelingly now?

LUCIO. I think thou dost; and, indeed, with most painful feeling of
thy speech. I will, out of thine own confession, learn to begin

thy health; but, whilst I live, forget to drink after thee.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. I think I have done myself wrong, have I not?

SECOND GENTLEMAN. Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or
free.

Enter MISTRESS OVERDONE
LUCIO. Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation comes! I have

purchas'd as many diseases under her roof as come to-
SECOND GENTLEMAN. To what, I pray?

FIRST GENTLEMAN. Judge.
SECOND GENTLEMAN. To three thousand dolours a year.

FIRST GENTLEMAN. Ay, and more.
LUCIO. A French crown more.

FIRST GENTLEMAN. Thou art always figuring diseases in me, but thou
art full of error; I am sound.

LUCIO. Nay, not, as one would say, healthy; but so sound as things
that are hollow: thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast

of thee.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. How now! which of your hips has the most profound

sciatica?
MRS. OVERDONE. Well, well! there's one yonder arrested and carried

to prison was worth five thousand of you all.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. Who's that, I pray thee?

MRS. OVERDONE. Marry, sir, that's Claudio, Signior Claudio.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. Claudio to prison? 'Tis not so.

MRS. OVERDONE. Nay, but I know 'tis so: I saw him arrested; saw him
carried away; and, which is more, within these three days his

head to be chopp'd off.
LUCIO. But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so. Art

thou sure of this?
MRS. OVERDONE. I am too sure of it; and it is for getting Madam

Julietta with child.
LUCIO. Believe me, this may be; he promis'd to meet me two hours

since, and he was ever precise in promise-keeping.
SECOND GENTLEMAN. Besides, you know, it draws something near to the

speech we had to such a purpose.
FIRST GENTLEMAN. But most of all agreeing with the proclamation.

LUCIO. Away; let's go learn the truth of it.
Exeunt Lucio and GENTLEMEN

MRS. OVERDONE. Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat, what
with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am custom-shrunk.

Enter POMPEY
How now! what's the news with you?

POMPEY. Yonder man is carried to prison.
MRS. OVERDONE. Well, what has he done?

• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为....所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)
• affect [ə´fekt] vt.影响；感动；假装 (初中英语单词)
• absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)
• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)
• undergo [,ʌndə´gəu] vt.经历(受)；遭受 (初中英语单词)
• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)
• observer [əb´zə:və] n.遵守者；观察员 (初中英语单词)
• goddess [´gɔdis] n.女神 (初中英语单词)
• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
• enforce [in´fɔ:s] vt.执行；强迫；加强 (初中英语单词)
• withdraw [wið´drɔ:] v.收回；撤销；撤退 (初中英语单词)
• satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)
• dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)
• proportion [prə´pɔ:ʃən] n.比率 vt.使成比例 (初中英语单词)
• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
• wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
• velvet [´velvit] n.&a.天鹅绒(般的) (初中英语单词)
• healthy [´helθi] a.健康的 (初中英语单词)
• poverty [´pɔvəti] n.贫穷(乏，瘠)；不足 (初中英语单词)
• finely [´fainli] ad.美好地；精细地 (高中英语单词)
• befall [bi´fɔ:l] v.降临；发表(于) (高中英语单词)
• execution [,eksi´kju:ʃən] n.执行；演奏；表演 (高中英语单词)
• relish [´reliʃ] n.滋味；风味 v.品尝 (高中英语单词)
• applause [ə´plɔ:z] n.鼓掌；欢呼；称赞 (高中英语单词)
• pirate [´paiərət] n.海盗 v.做海盗；掠夺 (高中英语单词)
• thanksgiving [´θæŋks,giviŋ] 感恩节 (高中英语单词)
• petition [pi´tiʃən] n.请愿 vt.向...请愿 (高中英语单词)
• controversy [´kɔntrəvə:si] n.争论；争吵 (高中英语单词)
• painful [´peinfəl] a.痛(苦)的；费力的 (高中英语单词)
• confession [kən´feʃən] n.招供；认错；交待 (高中英语单词)
• whilst [wailst] conj.当...时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)
• vienna [vi´enə] n.维也纳 (英语四级单词)
• obedient [ə´bi:djənt] a.服从的，恭顺的 (英语四级单词)
• unfold [ʌn´fəuld] v.展开；显露，表明 (英语四级单词)
• hopeful [´həupfəl] a.有希望的，激励人的 (英语四级单词)
• commandment [kə´mɑ:ndmənt] n.戒律；圣训 (英语四级单词)
• villain [´vilən] n.坏人；恶棍；反面角色 (英语四级单词)
• warrant [´wɔrənt] n.根据；委任书；权利 (英语四级单词)
• precise [pri´sais] a.精确的；清楚的 (英语四级单词)
• gallows [´gæləuz] n.绞刑架 (英语四级单词)
• pregnant [´pregnənt] a.怀孕的；含蓄的 (英语六级单词)
• scruple [´skru:pəl] n.&v.犹豫；顾忌 (英语六级单词)
• thrifty [´θrifti] a.节俭的；兴旺的 (英语六级单词)
• hungary [´hʌŋgəri] n.匈牙利 (英语六级单词)