Measure for Measure

I was faced with a tough decision today: watch the Jimmy Stewart marathon on TCM in honor of his 100th birthday, or read Measure for Measure. I opted for the latter, since I already spend an unhealthy amount of time in front of the tube, not to mention I get better bragging rights for the literature. Out of the three Shakespearean comedies I've read this week, Measure for Measure takes its rightful place as my favorite. There's no cross-dressing this time around, but disguises and hidden indentities are still abound (oh, I'm rhyming now. See what a week of Shakespeare will do?). In case you haven't noticed, I like the sex plays. For years I was on a steady literary diet of Henry Miller and Anais Nin, so I'm naturally inclined to prefer the scandalous subject matter to the more benign. The premise of the action is that Claudio impregnates Juliet out of wedlock, an offense for which he is sentenced to death while the Duke is "out of town." The crafty duke isn't actually out of town at all, though, he's just galavanting around Vienna as a friar while Angelo and his milquetoast brother act as substitute rulers. I realize I shouldn't give too much away concerning plot in case anyone who hasn't read this would like to. I'll just say that I enjoyed this one not only for the bawdy material (whores, pimps, brothels, pre-marital sex, sexual blackmail--gold), but it's politically pertinent to the current climate. The overarching theme is that of the ability of power to corrupt, and the verse is beautifully anti-authoritarian--enough to make any Marxist girl giggle with giddiness. "It is excellent to have a giant's strength; but it is tyrraneous to use it like a giant." There is even a tinge of anti-war sentiment in the first act, which I found rather surprising, seeing that war was generally regarded as a glorious affair in that time. This is definitely the liberal's Shakespeare. I don't have any silly commentary to bestow this time around, but next is A Midsummer Night's Dream, so just wait for it.

Oh, and as a side-note, if I prayed, I would be praying for the Kennedy family right now, for what it's worth. I wish the senator a speedy recovery. Despite his faults, he has been a constant voice of reason and justice in this country.