A dark and difficult play, Measure for Measure has been a popular play since the latter half of the 20th century for its prescient dramatisation of the issues of sexual and political hypocrisy, and the ways in which the state interferes in the private lives of its citizens. Set in Duke Vincentio's Vienna, where poverty, disease and prostitution are rife, Claudio and his fiancée Juliet are arrested for having sex before marriage, and Claudio is sentenced to death. Angelo, the Duke's deputy, who stands in for the Duke whilst he ostensibly goes off on a pilgrimage, enthusiastically endorses the sentence. In fact the Duke remains behind the scenes, watching Angelo as he falls for Claudio's sister Isabella, who comes to beg for her brother's life. Angelo is a wonderful creation, loathsome yet fascinating as he struggles with the double standards of his enforcement of draconian laws whilst lusting after the sister of the man he is prepared to execute, debating "The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?".
No one is spared Shakespeare's withering look at the mores of early 17th-century life, not even the pimps and madams who try to get by in the midst of the Duke's bizarre and coercive disguises and performances. The deeply ambiguous ending of Measure for Measure confirms it as one of Shakespeare's most ambivalent and arguably despairing plays. --Jerry Brotton
No one is spared Shakespeare's withering look at the mores of early 17th-century life, not even the pimps and madams who try to get by in the midst of the Duke's bizarre and coercive disguises and performances. The deeply ambiguous ending of Measure for Measure confirms it as one of Shakespeare's most ambivalent and arguably despairing plays. --Jerry Brotton
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Used availability for William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure
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Hardback Editions
August 2008 : Hardback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Large Print Edition) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-554-26387-4 / 978-0-554-26387-8 (USA edition) Publisher: BiblioLife Availability: Amazon More details... |
July 2005 : Library Binding
| Title: Measure For Measure (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-4177-6786-3 / 978-1-4177-6786-1 (USA edition) Publisher: Turtleback Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
May 1999 : Hardback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-929142-16-1 / 9781929142163 (USA edition) Publisher: One Page Book Company Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
December 1997 : Library Binding
| Title: Measure for Measure (Folger Ed.) (New Folger Library Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-8335-1149-1 / 978-0-8335-1149-2 (USA edition) Publisher: Tandem Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
1992 : Hardback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): Shakespeare William Publisher: The Easton Press Availability: Amazon More details... |
December 1964 : Hardback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Arden Shakespeare S.) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-416-47530-2 (UK edition) Publisher: Routledge,an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
1959 : Hardback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-09-051760-1 / 978-0-09-051760-2 (UK edition) Publisher: Hutchinson Educ. Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
Paperback Editions
April 2012 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (New Kittredge Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-58510-347-0 / 9781585103478 (USA edition) Publisher: Focus Publishing/R. Pullins Co. Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
November 2011 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure: Unabridged (Dover Thrift Editions) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-486-40889-2 / 978-0-486-40889-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Dover Publications Availability: Amazon More details... |
September 2010 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Modern Library Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-8129-6928-6 / 978-0-8129-6928-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Modern Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
November 2009 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Norton Critical Editions) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-393-93171-4 / 978-0-393-93171-6 (USA edition) Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Availability: Amazon More details... |
January 2008 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Easy Reading Old World Literature: Level 2) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-55576-349-9 / 9781555763497 (USA edition) Publisher: EDCON Publishing Group Availability: Amazon More details... |
November 2007 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Shakespeare Library Classic) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-59986-781-8 / 9781599867816 (USA edition) Publisher: Filiquarian Availability: Amazon More details... |
July 2006 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-521-67078-0 / 978-0-521-67078-4 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 2006 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Webster's Thesaurus Edition) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-497-25352-6 / 978-0-497-25352-3 (USA edition) Publisher: ICON Group International, Inc. Availability: Amazon More details... |
October 2005 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Penguin Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-101380-X / 978-0-14-101380-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Classics Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
June 2005 : Mass Market Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Folger Shakespeare Library) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Paul Werstine ISBN: 0-7434-8490-8 / 978-0-7434-8490-9 (USA edition) Publisher: Simon & Schuster Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
2005 : Paperback
| Title: Measure For Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare Publisher: Washington Square Pr 2005-06-01 Availability: Amazon More details... |
June 2004 : Paperback
| Title: Measure For Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-4191-3337-3 / 978-1-4191-3337-4 (USA edition) Publisher: Kessinger Publishing Co Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
September 2003 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Writers & Their Work S.) Author(s): Kate Chedgzoy ISBN: 0-7463-0849-3 / 978-0-7463-0849-3 (UK edition) Publisher: Northcote House Publishers Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 2001 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Applause Shakespeare Library) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-55783-387-7 / 9781557833877 (USA edition) Publisher: Applause Theatre Book Publishers Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
August 2000 : Paperback
| Title: Measure For Measure (Revised Edition) (Pelican Shakespeare) Author(s): A. Braunmuller, Stephen Orgel, William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-071479-0 / 978-0-14-071479-1 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
February 2000 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure: Applause First Folio Editions (Folio Texts) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-55783-291-9 / 9781557832917 (USA edition) Publisher: Applause Books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
October 1998 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Arden Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-17-443477-4 / 978-0-17-443477-1 (UK edition) Publisher: Arden Shakespeare Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
April 1998 : Paperback
| Title: The Oxford Shakespeare: Measure for Measure (Oxford World's Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-19-283422-3 / 978-0-19-283422-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
October 1997 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Penguin Popular Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-062256-X (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
May 1995 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Wordsworth Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-85326-251-X / 9781853262517 (UK edition) Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
July 1994 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Everyman Paperback Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare, John Andrews, Tim Pigott-Smith ISBN: 0-460-87454-3 / 978-0-460-87454-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Everyman Paperbacks Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
June 1991 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-521-29401-0 / 978-0-521-29401-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
February 1989 : Paperback
| Title: "Measure for Measure" (Arden Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-415-02697-0 / 978-0-415-02697-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Routledge Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
1984 : Paperback
| Title: Measure For Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare Publisher: Penguin Books Availability: Amazon More details... |
August 1983 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-671-49612-3 / 978-0-671-49612-8 (USA edition) Publisher: Washington Square Press Availability: Amazon More details... |
December 1981 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (Penguin) (Shakespeare, Penguin) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-070715-8 / 978-0-14-070715-1 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Classics Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 1980 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure (New Clarendon Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-19-831945-2 / 978-0-19-831945-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Oxford University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
April 1969 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-070125-7 / 978-0-14-070125-8 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 1959 : Paperback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-09-051763-6 / 978-0-09-051763-3 (UK edition) Publisher: Hutchinson Educ. Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
Audio Editions
May 1999 : Audio Cassette
| Title: Measure for Measure (Arkangel audiobooks) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-086890-9 / 978-0-14-086890-6 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
August 1995 : Audio Cassette
| Title: Measure for Measure: Complete & Unabridged Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-00-104877-5 / 978-0-00-104877-5 (UK edition) Publisher: HarperCollins Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
Other Editions
May 2012 : Kindle edition
| Title: Measure for Measure (2012 Academic Edn. / Interactive TOC / Incl. Study Guide) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Mark.C Garde Publisher: DIGIPUBLISHED Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
February 2012 : Kindle edition
| Title: Measure for measure Author(s): William Shakespeare Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 2012 : Kindle edition
| Title: Measure for Measure (Shakespeare) : Full Annotated version Author(s): William Shakespeare Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
September 2010 : Kindle edition
| Title: Measure for Measure (Modern Library Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Jonathan Bate, Eric Rasmussen Publisher: Modern Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
October 2000 : Turtleback
| Title: Measure for Measure Author(s): ISBN: 0-606-19221-2 / 978-0-606-19221-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Demco Media Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
August 2000 : Kindle edition
| Title: Measure for Measure (The Pelican Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare, A. R. Braunmuller Publisher: Penguin Classic Availability: Amazon More details... |
December 1996 : Unknown
| Title: Measure for Measure (Arden Shakespeare S.) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-17-443579-7 (UK edition) Publisher: Arden Shakespeare Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
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