SUMMARY
ACT
I
The
Duke of Vienna cries for his people are becoming indifferent. Because of that,
he decides on leaving the city and announces Angelo to replace on his position.
The Duke believes on his abilities and so is Escalus, one of the Duke’s
advisors, who said that he is worthy of the task. Angelo is somewhat humbled in
accepting grant from the Duke and he was wished with luck in bringing
lawfulness and discipline back to the citizens of the city.
Lucio, a citizen of Vienna,
speaks with transgression with two other gentlemen especially of frequenting
whorehouses. They met Miss Overdone, who runs one of these whorehouses, who
reported that Claudio, a good man, has been taken to prison for getting his
fiancée pregnant because of his seduction. Although the woman he got was
pregnant, Juliet, was his wife but it was all taken in charge in the legal
sense. Claudio asks Lucio to go to his sister , Isabella, who is in a convent
to negotiate, using her wit and influence to Angelo, on what has befallen him.
The Duke confesses to the Friar,
Thomas, that he does not intend to leave the town but that he rather wants to
stay and observe Angelo at work. He had this conviction that he would probably
be influenced to make sure how invulnerable and inhuman in regard to Angelo on
how he was to these temptations.
Lucio asks Isabella to go see
Angelo and beg for her brother’s life while in the convent as they meet.
ACT
II
Angelo states that he is determined
to guard the law. Escalus thinks that Angelo is far too strict and showing no
mercy. He cries to see despised by a fault alone.
Escalus had decided to aid Angelo
in his pursuit to enforce the law. He wishes that something could be done on
Claudio’s case but fears to divert the law.
The Provost goes to talk to Angelo,
to plead for Claudio’s life since his sin is hardly something unknown to
Vienna. Angelo refuses to cease and suggests that Juliet should be taken care
of about her labor. Isabella comes to see Angelo, and begins to plead with him
for Claudio’s life. She calls upon Angelo’s pity, mercy, and moderation.
The Duke, disguised as a friar, visits the
prison that he might minister the prisoners in their sorrows. He finds out that
Juliet and Claudio are indeed in love, and their decision to sleep with each other
was mutual. He decides to help heal Juliet’s shame and tries to soothe her
because Claudio is about to be executed.
Angelo was attracted to Isabella
and asks her if she was willing to give up her virginity for her brother’s life.
Isabella responded that she prizes it and had a fixed mind not to sleep with
Angelo. She feared that Angelo’s good appearance would be taken over with
corruption.
ACT
III
The Duke, disguised as a friar,
goes to see Claudio in jail. He told Claudio to count on death in spite of his
hopes to live. Isabella arrives and tells the Duke that Angelo has made up his
mind not to spare Claudio. She added that there is one condition that will
leave Claudio without any honor if he takes it. Claudio is willing to know what
this condition is.
Isabella tells him that to save him
is to give herself to Angelo. Claudio agrees to what was told and Isabella got
mad and would consider her shame less weighty than his death.
But, just then the Duke, dressed as
the friar, reported to Isabella that the proposition of Angelo to her was only
a test. He told her that Claudio would eventually be free without any negative
effects that would come to her.
The Duke tells her of Mariana, a
maid that was engaged to Angelo but was neglected because he found out that his
dowry was lost. He then tells Isabella to go to Angelo and agrees on his test.
He went searching for Mariana. Isabella decides to place Mariana in her stead
and hopes that the two will end up to marriage.
Escalus says that he has been
pleading with Angelo to let Claudio live, but in case Angelo does not give in,
Claudio should be prepared to die. The Duke, as a friar, tells Escalus he has
been counseling Claudio, and he is prepared. Escalus leaves to visit Claudio.
The Duke then makes a speech about the virtues and moderation of a good ruler,
and laments that Angelo does not have these qualities; but, he also knows that
Angelo will get his just punishment when he has to marry Mariana and is exposed
as a hypocrite.
ACT
IV
The Duke finds Mariana, and
exchanges a few cursory words with her. Isabella sends for Mariana and the
letter was assured by the Duke that she is doing no sin, because she is only
fulfilling the contract she had with Angelo some time ago.
The Provost goes to Claudio, showing
him the warrant for his death. A message from Angelo came and the duke hopes
that it is a pardon; still, it is an order to go ahead with Claudio’s
execution. The Duke decides that they will send Barnardine’s head instead, who
is also to be executed, as a disguise that it was Claudio’s. The Duke sends a
letter to the Provost that his help will secure justice for Claudio.
Isabella visits the jail to see if
her brother’s pardon came through as it was supposed to. The Duke assures
Isabella to set her emotions, since the Duke will be back the next day, to take
power back from Angelo. He says that the Duke will make things right and ensure
that justice happens.
Escalus and Angelo receive notice of the Duke’s
return and noted that the letter sent gave a tone of anguish. Angelo thinks it
would be a good idea to announce that any who have grievances can meet at the
place where they are to receive the Duke back into the city; Angelo thinks this
will protect him from any legal actions, in case there are nay issues that have
not yet been dealt with.
The Duke is telling Friar Peter (the Duke) to keep the letters he is
giving him, and to follow the plans that the Duke had laid out. He has the
Friar call a few men of the city together for his return, and then continues
his preparations.
Isabella is getting ready in showing Mariana
to Angelo.
The people are having preparations
for the coming of the Duke.
ACT
V
Angelo confesses what he has done,
and forego a trial of his wrongdoing.
Claudio is fetched from the prison,
and the fact that he is alive is revealed to all. Immediately, after his appearance,
the Duke proposes marriage to Isabella, perhaps using her flood of happiness at
seeing her brother to secure her quick consent.
The Duke then says for Claudio to be
reunited with Juliet, and for Mariana and Angelo to live happily. He calls
Isabella to him, since they are to be joined, and calls the play to close on a
happy tune.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF WOMEN
The following women are the
characters having important part in the play: Isabella, lives in a convent who
asks for her brother’s life to Angelo. She has been offered with a test by
Angelo whether to prize her virginity or save her brother’s life. Her idea that
her virginity is worth more then her brother’s life is ridiculous; Mariana,
experiences splitting up with Angelo since his dowry was lost. She is still
desperately in love with him, and agrees to the Duke’s plan to get Claudio free
because it will also force Angelo to marry her after all; Mistress Overdone,
she owns a brothel in Vienna who reported about the case of Claudio’s to Lucio.
She has excessive self-indulgence in sensual pleasures and so untidy. She took
care of Lucio’s illegitimate son for a moment.
FEMINIST VIEWS of WOMEN
The women in this play are performing
important functions to the benefit of the society. Although feminine
significance was shown through humor, the illustration of women is sufficed on
women descriptions and views.
Isabella conserve herself in the
convent through nunnery. She believes that if she takes action and negotiate to
Angelo the case of her brother, would be free, through wit and eloquence. She prizes
her virginity through her reasoning that it is worth more than Claudio’s life.
Furthermore, she defended the worth of her virginity that it is ideal to be untouched
in front of the husband in marriage.
Juliet believes that it is more
feminine to bear fruit over the person you love because she agreed to eloped
with and be seduced by Claudio in the name of love. Her fragility came out when
Claudio was sentenced to death as she laments for him.
Mariana, though hurt because the
contract of marriage was ceased, she is still in love with Angelo. Her feminine
way of showing how deep her love was to Angelo was to run after him and
consents to the Duke’s plan to get Claudio free that she and Angelo may proceed
to marriage.
Miss Overdone is lustful and dirties
herself through sensual pleasures. She uses her body and her idea of
exploitation through whoring in order to earn a living. But, somehow, she also
had in mind about other consequences in the society.
The women discussed are the
differing views of women in the play and their functions.
Rebecca Rodriguez
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