Scan barcode
A review by isabellarobinson7
Measure for Measure: Third Series by William Shakespeare
Rating: ?? stars
Ok. Measure for Measure by Shaky P. I'm just going to tell the whole story in my own words so if you're worried about spoilers for a 500 year old play, then... well, see ya.
There’s this Duke who rules over Vienna and he goes “away” for a holiday and leaves this douche in charge (I forget his name, so he will from now on the Douche with a capital "D"). The Douche then sentences this guy to dead for impregnating a women out of wedlock. But… they were basically married if not for a technicality that means legally they are only engaged. So in their hearts, they are husband and wife, but in the eyes of the law, they are not. But the Douche won’t listen to anyone and wants this guy to die. Because he is, as I have established, a douche.
The guy’s sister named Isabella goes to the Douche and pleads with him to let her brother go free, and explains the situation. The Douche falls in love with Isabella (just like that. Must have something to do with her name) but the problem is she is in training to be a nun or something and is off limits for marrying or doing sexy times. The duke (the guy actually in charge of the town who is on a "holiday") disguises himself as a friar to monitor what the Douche is doing in his stead, and when he learns about what has happened to Isabella, he helps her make her case against the Douche. Isabella tries really hard to get the Douche to spare her brother (with the Friar/Duke off to the side making motivational remarks every now and again like her own personal cheerleader), and the Douche, true to his name, says if Isabella will give him her virginity he will set her brother free. He’s a douche. But Isabella doesn’t want to do the sexy times with the Douche (understandable) because it means sacrificing her immortal soul (it's not a fantasy, she's just Christian) and her brother won’t let her go through with it anyway.
But then turns out the Douche has a secret wife that he was mean to or something, but she still loves him (can't attest to this lady's sanity, honestly) so the Friar/Duke and Isabella come up with this plan that the Douche can have sexy times with this wife thinking she was Isabella, and then her brother would be free. So this happens. BUT the Douche goes back on his word (not surprised at this point) and still wants Isabella's brother's head chopped off anyway. SO they find criminal to execute whose head looks like Isabella's brother and could be given to the Douche, but that criminal (get this) doesn't want to die so they can't get his head. (Wow, it's as if wanting to live is human nature or something.) But then they find a dead pirate and send his head to the Douche so it's ok.
(This is when things get a little complicated.) Then the Duke "returns" to Vienna (i.e. takes off his disguise) and so Isabella can file a complaint about the Douche to him, but the Douche is just like "nah, I didn't do nothin". The Douche then blames the Friar for doing all those things and says the Duke should punish him instead. The Duke says ok then let the Friar answer to his crimes, and then runs into the next room and puts all his friar costume on again. When the Douche tries to seal the case against the Friar, the Duke rips off his fake moustache and is like "tada! The Friar can't be guilty because I'm the Friar" thus exposing the Douche as a liar and proving Isabella's accusations. Then they execute the Douche because (I sound like a broken record here) he's a douche... and everyone loves capital punishment, apparently. Yay for guillotines. Off with everyone's head.
Then there's the confusing part: the Duke proposes marriage to Isabella... who then says nothing. Shakespeare didn't write any response to the Duke's "will you marry me", Isabella just kind of stares off into the middle distance and doesn't reply. What it means, I don't know. This is what Wikipedia says: "This is one of the "open silences" of the play, and has been widely interpreted by various adaptations." so I guess you can choose whatever way you want it to end. I personally think the Duke reveals himself to be the Doctor and invites Isabella into his TARDIS and then they explore space and time together. That's just my theory anyway.
Ok. Measure for Measure by Shaky P. I'm just going to tell the whole story in my own words so if you're worried about spoilers for a 500 year old play, then... well, see ya.
There’s this Duke who rules over Vienna and he goes “away” for a holiday and leaves this douche in charge (I forget his name, so he will from now on the Douche with a capital "D"). The Douche then sentences this guy to dead for impregnating a women out of wedlock. But… they were basically married if not for a technicality that means legally they are only engaged. So in their hearts, they are husband and wife, but in the eyes of the law, they are not. But the Douche won’t listen to anyone and wants this guy to die. Because he is, as I have established, a douche.
The guy’s sister named Isabella goes to the Douche and pleads with him to let her brother go free, and explains the situation. The Douche falls in love with Isabella (just like that. Must have something to do with her name) but the problem is she is in training to be a nun or something and is off limits for marrying or doing sexy times. The duke (the guy actually in charge of the town who is on a "holiday") disguises himself as a friar to monitor what the Douche is doing in his stead, and when he learns about what has happened to Isabella, he helps her make her case against the Douche. Isabella tries really hard to get the Douche to spare her brother (with the Friar/Duke off to the side making motivational remarks every now and again like her own personal cheerleader), and the Douche, true to his name, says if Isabella will give him her virginity he will set her brother free. He’s a douche. But Isabella doesn’t want to do the sexy times with the Douche (understandable) because it means sacrificing her immortal soul (it's not a fantasy, she's just Christian) and her brother won’t let her go through with it anyway.
But then turns out the Douche has a secret wife that he was mean to or something, but she still loves him (can't attest to this lady's sanity, honestly) so the Friar/Duke and Isabella come up with this plan that the Douche can have sexy times with this wife thinking she was Isabella, and then her brother would be free. So this happens. BUT the Douche goes back on his word (not surprised at this point) and still wants Isabella's brother's head chopped off anyway. SO they find criminal to execute whose head looks like Isabella's brother and could be given to the Douche, but that criminal (get this) doesn't want to die so they can't get his head. (Wow, it's as if wanting to live is human nature or something.) But then they find a dead pirate and send his head to the Douche so it's ok.
(This is when things get a little complicated.) Then the Duke "returns" to Vienna (i.e. takes off his disguise) and so Isabella can file a complaint about the Douche to him, but the Douche is just like "nah, I didn't do nothin". The Douche then blames the Friar for doing all those things and says the Duke should punish him instead. The Duke says ok then let the Friar answer to his crimes, and then runs into the next room and puts all his friar costume on again. When the Douche tries to seal the case against the Friar, the Duke rips off his fake moustache and is like "tada! The Friar can't be guilty because I'm the Friar" thus exposing the Douche as a liar and proving Isabella's accusations. Then they execute the Douche because (I sound like a broken record here) he's a douche... and everyone loves capital punishment, apparently. Yay for guillotines. Off with everyone's head.
Then there's the confusing part: the Duke proposes marriage to Isabella... who then says nothing. Shakespeare didn't write any response to the Duke's "will you marry me", Isabella just kind of stares off into the middle distance and doesn't reply. What it means, I don't know. This is what Wikipedia says: "This is one of the "open silences" of the play, and has been widely interpreted by various adaptations." so I guess you can choose whatever way you want it to end. I personally think the Duke reveals himself to be the Doctor and invites Isabella into his TARDIS and then they explore space and time together. That's just my theory anyway.