what is shakespheres measure for measure about?

[Dantes muse]

shakesphere was a clever man, good with words.

Iam looking at his play Measure for Measure and i was wondering what is it about?

Is their a moral to it?

I have looked with play up, im not good at makinf sense of things lol

thx to all who help

[Sindhu]

I'd be glad to help, but maybe I'd better send you an email than post here in case you would like a somewhat long rply. How about dropping me an email with specific things you want to know and I'll reply promptly.
Sindhu.

[Dantes muse]

heres my email :
[email protected]

Im not looking for any thing specific, just on whats its about
(doesnt have to be 3 pages long lol)

thx tons :D

[Sindhu]

Ok, since you don't require anything very long, I'll just post here. What is the play "about?" It's about so many things, even a listing would take pages! To start off, this is indicated in its being usually referred to as a dark comedy or even more aptly a problem play. Problems abound and we cannot say with certainity that any of them have been fully resolved at the end. First you have the question of law and order, of organizing and controlling society. The Duke deputizes his authority and tries to play an omnipotent role through hidden supervision. But his motives are not praiseworthy, he wants the laws to be enforced, but does not want himself to be considered a tyrant, so he transfers the responsibility together with the oprobrium to the willing Angelo- very convenient.
There is also the clash between the letter and the spirit of the law. The idea behind the laws is to wipe out prostitution and adultery,. Claudio is guilty of impregnating his own fiancee through a mutually consenting sexual act and he is perfectly willing to marry her. Considering the spirit of the law, there is no great crime here, but Angelo chooses to stick to the letter and his reason for sentencing Claudio to death is to make an example of him, in other words to impress the people with his own authority. A perfect example of petty tyranny where power corrupts thoroughly.
Another question cruial to the play is the role of women. It is not a simple question of why Isabella, as Claudio's sister cannot sleep with Angelo and thereby rescue her brother from death. Modern audiences often perceive Isabella as frigid, overly moral etc. The question however goes deeper than that, it is a question of a woman's autonomy or control over her own body. Isabella has taken her vows to be a nun and she is in effect propositioned to break those vows by 3 men, Angelo who attempts to seduce her, her own brother Claudio who suggests she bargain her virginity for his life and finally the Duke who proposes marriage after putting her in a situation of indebtedness which makes it very difficult for her to refuse. Indeed the most vexing question for most directors of the play is how to portray Isabella's reaction to the Duke's proposal. None of these three men seem to think that her CHOICE matters- her body is to be bargained for whether for lust, life or love.
As Lucio points out, unless you render the men sexless the brothels will continue to function. It is a classic instance of blaming the victim when Antonio has the barefaced cheek to apparently seriously ponder whether he or Isabella is responsible for his lust for her.
Other issues which figure prominently are the clash of power and mercy, the corruption which has already reached the heart of the whole society, the double standards and hypocricy which prevail at every level and which can be overcome only by the crudest role playing. Indeed gamesmanship and role playing are pivotal issues in the play.
As for a moral, n my opinion,it would be pretty futile to hunt for a moral concretely set out in any of Shakespeare's plays, especially one as complex as this where no character is left untarred by suspect motivations if not behaviour. It is more of a commentary on society than a suggested remedy, and a commentary that holds its relevance even today.
Hope this helps :)

[Dantes muse]

thank you for your help it was brilliant :D