Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

Ideology and Point of View in Measure For Measure ” says, “One of the striking features of Measure for Measure is the
over powering presence of its leading character, the old Duke of Vienna”(Krontiris 293).
At the plays beginning the Duke has informed his deputy Angelo that he will be assigning him the
authority to govern and rule in his absence. The Duke is in charge of the city and he desires to bring more
law and order to it, yet Shakespeare indicates to the reader in the Dukes conversation with the friar, that
the laws of Vienna have been grossly disregarded. “We have strict statues and most biting laws, The needful bits
and curbs to headstrong weeds, which for this fourteen years we have let slip” (Measure for Measure 14). Here is the
paradox. The Duke has been in charge for the fourteen years of unregulated desire, and now he has selected
Angelo, his deputy, who we learn is much more strict and exacting in his governing than Duke Vincentio.
Critics suggest that the Duke believes the law—or what I would suppose the authority behind the
law is losing its “delegated power”. Yet, for all the Duke’s observation and private laments he does not want
to punish the people because he feels the present condition and moral state of the city can be attributed as a
fault of his own making, “Sith „twas my fault to give the people scope, T‟would be my tyranny to strike and gall them.
For what I bid them do, for this we bid this done When evil deeds have their permissive pass” (Measure for Measure
14). So, as a result the Duke puts the burden on Angelo, knowing his character and zealousness to do the
“dirty work”, which he believes he is qualified to do, and not discharge his duties hypocritically. Krontiris
believes, that the “Duke’s own self portrait of himself is the point of view critics have often automatically
and problematically identified with the text” (297). She questions, does the text endorse the Duke’s selfrepresentation
of a benevolent and gracious ruler who rules mercifully. Krontris maintains, “I will be
suggesting far from endorsing the Duke‟s representation, the text reveals him not to be only a man of theater (actor and
stage manager) but one who stages a spectacle for his own benefit—to reaffirm his absolute authority through a display
of God-like power” (Krontiris 297).
For Kontiris, the Duke of Vienna, “Vincentio is empowered with knowledge about the private lives of the
other characters , a knowledge that he possesses as the head of state or acquires under disguise and that enables him to
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