Duke Vincentino in Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure". The Playwright Within The Play (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 2,0, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, language: English, abstract: With Duke Vincentino, Shakespeare has created a very ambiguous character in "Measure for Measure", one that seems to split critics up into two camps - Is this Duke a figure of Christian Providence, who has complete control over his surroundings? Or should he be seen as a coward with inappropriate judgement will try to discuss it along the following research question: To what extent does Duke Vincentino act as a "playwright at work within the play"?

As a basis for the analysis I am going to introduce the Duke in a characterization, which will include a closer look at his personal traits as well as his relations with other characters in the play. After this overview of the Duke's character and affairs, I will advance to analyzing them in context of the play more deeply. This part will consist of three subchap
ters, in which I will go into more detail of the different roles the Duke takes on throughout the play. First, in 'The Disguise (Acts I.I-II.II)', I will elaborate on the Duke's motives to officially leave the city, but actually stay in disguise as Friar Lodowick. I will then proceed to the analysis of Acts II.II-IV, in which I hope to shine a light on the way the Duke pulls the strings of the other characters and thereby controls the plot, with a focus on his schemes that are often referred to as the 'bedtrick' and the 'headtrick'. Finally, I am going to discuss the denouement in Act V.
Conclusively, I am going to discuss whether the Duke's manipulations contribute to an achievement of justice or not. To finalize the conclusion, I am going to refer back to and possibly answer the research question presented above.