Duke's Action example essay topic

Consider the role that Duke Vincentio plays in Measure For Measure. Do his actions remain consistent throughout? Are his actions responsible? Refer to the novel in order to support your answer Duke Vincentio plays a very important, yet controversial role in William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. Firstly he gives power away to Angelo his deputy, and disappears from the Viennese political scene, to come back as an advice-giving Friar. He then goes on to try to resolve the situation between Isabella and Angelo.

Angelo his replacement at the head of power gives Isabella an ultimatum involving the life of her dear brother Claudio. Isabella has to sleep with Claudio in order for her brother not to be executed, so Isabella comes to Duke Vincentio (disguised as Friar Lodewick) for help. The Duke in Act 2, scene 3 we first see the Duke disguised as Friar Lodewick and he seems very helpful, caring and virtuous which of course are the traits that made him the Duke he was. The Duke's action seem to be very unselfious, he gives up his power because he feels he is not fulfilling his duty and goes out of his way to help the grieving Juliet. Then the Duke meets Isabella and falls for her beauty he even goes as far as saying that 'the hand that has made you fair hath made you good'. This influences his actions for the rest of the play, as he now seeks to make Isabella his own and make sure she stays away from Angelo.

He then makes sure that Isabella switches with Mariana, who was betrothed to Angelo, and that she goes to sleep with Angelo instead of Isabella. He then switches Claudio with Barnadine and he is executed instead of Claudio. The Duke's actions remain constant as they help other people out, and he pushes for a joyous resolution. But of course the actions that he commits for him only have two final destinations. Firstly he wishes to become Duke again, and wants the Viennese to see just how virtuous and inspiring a leader that he can be. His actions more than suggest that he is trying to push Angelo away from power.

Secondly his actions proof that he is madly in love with the fair and enchanting Isabella. He would not risk the life of Mariana by sending her to Angelo instead of Isabella, and execute Barnadine to make to Isabella happy if he was not doing everything for her. Therefore we can also say that his actions are not always constant as he switches the aim of his actions. His actions can be seen as acts of love, or as acts of trickery on Angelo.

The actions that he takes cannot entirely be seen as responsible. The only types of responsibility that he used in his actions are the ones that he has to accept the full responsibility for. His actions cannot fully be justified as being responsible or even reasonable; after all he is blinded by his love for Isabella. He tampers with the emotions of Mariana and Angelo by re-uniting them after their traumatic separation due to the unfortunate drowning of Mariana's brother. Angelo is in a state of shock as he now knows that he must renounce his position as Duke, due to the fact that he had already committed (and was about to commit the same crime again) the crime that his regime and rule was so against.

The execution of Barnadine on the other hand can be seen as responsible although many would beg to differ. Barnadine was already waiting to be executed a long time and he had commited a crime under the Duke's reign. Claudio commited a crime that was hyprocritcally condemned by Angelo, so Claudio had a viable reason not to be executed. The last speech made by the Duke in the play sums up all of his actions and the reader has to make his own judgement on whether or not the Duke's actions were consistent and responsible. The Duke became madly in love with Isabella and therefor his actions were not responsibly, instead they can be seen as selficious. But his actions can be described as consistent as he is persistant in reclaiming the title of Duke, and in obtaining Isabella's hand in marriage.