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Measure for Measure - Act 1, scene 2
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Measure for Measure - Act 1, scene 2Act 1, scene 2
Scene 2
Synopsis:
Angelo enforces Vienna’s law against fornication, ordering the brothels torn down and having Claudio arrested because his fiancée’s pregnancy exposes his guilt in breaking this law. Claudio, sentenced to be executed immediately, sends Lucio to the convent to beg Claudio’s sister Isabella, a novice, to intercede with Angelo.
Enter Lucio and two other Gentlemen.LUCIO 0091 If the Duke, with the other dukes, come not to
0092 composition with the King of Hungary, why then all
0093 the dukes fall upon the King.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0094 Heaven grant us its peace, but not
0095 5 the King of Hungary’s!
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0096 Amen.
LUCIO 0097 Thou conclud’st like the sanctimonious pirate
0098 that went to sea with the ten commandments but
0099 scraped one out of the table.
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0100 10“Thou shalt not steal”?
LUCIO 0101 Ay, that he razed.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0102 Why, ’twas a commandment to command
0103 the Captain and all the rest from their functions!
0104 They put forth to steal. There’s not a soldier of
0105 15 us all that in the thanksgiving before meat do relish
0106 the petition well that prays for peace.
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0107 I never heard any soldier dislike it.
LUCIO 0108 I believe thee, for I think thou never wast where
0109 grace was said.
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0110 20No? A dozen times at least.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0111 What? In meter?
LUCIO 0112 In any proportion or in any language.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0113 I think, or in any religion.
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LUCIO
0114
Ay, why not? Grace is grace, despite of all0115 25 controversy; as, for example, thou thyself art a
0116 wicked villain, despite of all grace.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0117 Well, there went but a pair of shears
0118 between us.
LUCIO 0119 I grant, as there may between the lists and the
0120 30 velvet. Thou art the list.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0121 And thou the velvet. Thou art good
0122 velvet; thou ’rt a three-piled piece, I warrant thee. I
0123 had as lief be a list of an English kersey as be piled,
0124 as thou art piled, for a French velvet. Do I speak
0125 35 feelingly now?
LUCIO 0126 I think thou dost, and indeed with most painful
0127 feeling of thy speech. I will, out of thine own
0128 confession, learn to begin thy health, but, whilst I
0129 live, forget to drink after thee.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0130 40I think I have done myself wrong,
0131 have I not?
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0132 Yes, that thou hast, whether thou
0133 art tainted or free.
Enter ⌜Mistress Overdone, a⌝ Bawd.
LUCIO 0134 Behold, behold, where Madam Mitigation
0135 45 comes! I have purchased as many diseases under
0136 her roof as come to—
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0137 To what, I pray?
LUCIO 0138 Judge.
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0139 To three thousand dolors a year.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0140 50Ay, and more.
LUCIO 0141 A French crown more.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0142 Thou art always figuring diseases in
0143 me, but thou art full of error. I am sound.
LUCIO 0144 Nay, not, as one would say, healthy, but so sound
0145 55 as things that are hollow. Thy bones are hollow.
0146 Impiety has made a feast of thee.
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FIRST GENTLEMAN, ⌜to Bawd⌝
0147
How now, which of your0148 hips has the most profound sciatica?
BAWD 0149 Well, well. There’s one yonder arrested and
0150 60 carried to prison was worth five thousand of you all.
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0151 Who’s that, I pray thee?
BAWD 0152 Marry, sir, that’s Claudio, Signior Claudio.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0153 Claudio to prison? ’Tis not so.
BAWD 0154 Nay, but I know ’tis so. I saw him arrested, saw
0155 65 him carried away; and, which is more, within these
0156 three days his head to be chopped off.
LUCIO 0157 But, after all this fooling, I would not have it so!
0158 Art thou sure of this?
BAWD 0159 I am too sure of it. And it is for getting Madam
0160 70 Julietta with child.
LUCIO 0161 Believe me, this may be. He promised to meet
0162 me two hours since, and he was ever precise in
0163 promise-keeping.
SECOND GENTLEMAN 0164 Besides, you know, it draws something
0165 75 near to the speech we had to such a purpose.
FIRST GENTLEMAN 0166 But most of all agreeing with the
0167 proclamation.
LUCIO 0168 Away. Let’s go learn the truth of it.
⌜Lucio and Gentlemen⌝ exit.
BAWD 0169 Thus, what with the war, what with the sweat,
0170 80 what with the gallows, and what with poverty, I am
0171 custom-shrunk.
Enter ⌜Pompey.⌝
0172 How now? What’s the news with you?
POMPEY 0173 Yonder man is carried to prison.
BAWD 0174 Well, what has he done?
POMPEY 0175 85A woman.
BAWD 0176 But what’s his offense?
POMPEY 0177 Groping for trouts in a peculiar river.
BAWD 0178 What? Is there a maid with child by him?
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POMPEY
0179
No, but there’s a woman with maid by him.0180 90 You have not heard of the proclamation, have you?
BAWD 0181 What proclamation, man?
POMPEY 0182 All houses in the suburbs of Vienna must be
0183 plucked down.
BAWD 0184 And what shall become of those in the city?
POMPEY 0185 95They shall stand for seed. They had gone down
0186 too, but that a wise burgher put in for them.
BAWD 0187 But shall all our houses of resort in the suburbs
0188 be pulled down?
POMPEY 0189 To the ground, mistress.
BAWD 0190 100Why, here’s a change indeed in the commonwealth!
0191 What shall become of me?
POMPEY 0192 Come, fear not you. Good counselors lack no
0193 clients. Though you change your place, you need
0194 not change your trade. I’ll be your tapster still.
0195 105 Courage. There will be pity taken on you. You that
0196 have worn your eyes almost out in the service, you
0197 will be considered.
Enter Provost, Claudio, Juliet, ⌜and⌝ Officers.
BAWD 0198 What’s to do here, Thomas Tapster? Let’s
0199 withdraw.
POMPEY 0200 110Here comes Signior Claudio, led by the Provost
0201 to prison. And there’s Madam Juliet.
⌜Bawd and Pompey⌝ exit.
CLAUDIO, ⌜to Provost⌝
0202 Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to th’ world?
0203 Bear me to prison, where I am committed.
PROVOST
0204 I do it not in evil disposition,
0205 115 But from Lord Angelo by special charge.
CLAUDIO
0206 Thus can the demigod Authority
0207 Make us pay down for our offense, by weight,
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0208
The words of heaven: on whom it will, it will;0209 On whom it will not, so; yet still ’tis just.
Enter Lucio and Second Gentleman.
LUCIO
0210 120 Why, how now, Claudio? Whence comes this
0211 restraint?
CLAUDIO
0212 From too much liberty, my Lucio, liberty.
0213 As surfeit is the father of much fast,
0214 So every scope by the immoderate use
0215 125 Turns to restraint. Our natures do pursue,
0216 Like rats that raven down their proper bane,
0217 A thirsty evil, and when we drink, we die.
LUCIO 0218 If I could speak so wisely under an arrest, I
0219 would send for certain of my creditors. And yet, to
0220 130 say the truth, I had as lief have the foppery of
0221 freedom as the mortality of imprisonment. What’s
0222 thy offense, Claudio?
CLAUDIO
0223 What but to speak of would offend again.
LUCIO 0224 What, is ’t murder?
CLAUDIO 0225 135No.
LUCIO 0226 Lechery?
CLAUDIO 0227 Call it so.
PROVOST 0228 Away, sir. You must go.
CLAUDIO
0229 One word, good friend.—Lucio, a word with you.
LUCIO 0230 140A hundred, if they’ll do you any good. Is lechery
0231 so looked after?
CLAUDIO
0232 Thus stands it with me: upon a true contract
0233 I got possession of Julietta’s bed.
0234 You know the lady. She is fast my wife,
0235 145 Save that we do the denunciation lack
0236 Of outward order. This we came not to
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0237
Only for propagation of a dower0238 Remaining in the coffer of her friends,
0239 From whom we thought it meet to hide our love
0240 150 Till time had made them for us. But it chances
0241 The stealth of our most mutual entertainment
0242 With character too gross is writ on Juliet.
LUCIO
0243 With child, perhaps?
CLAUDIO 0244 Unhappily, even so.
0245 155 And the new deputy now for the Duke—
0246 Whether it be the fault and glimpse of newness,
0247 Or whether that the body public be
0248 A horse whereon the governor doth ride,
0249 Who, newly in the seat, that it may know
0250 160 He can command, lets it straight feel the spur;
0251 Whether the tyranny be in his place
0252 Or in his eminence that fills it up,
0253 I stagger in—but this new governor
0254 Awakes me all the enrollèd penalties
0255 165 Which have, like unscoured armor, hung by th’ wall
0256 So long that nineteen zodiacs have gone round,
0257 And none of them been worn; and for a name
0258 Now puts the drowsy and neglected act
0259 Freshly on me. ’Tis surely for a name.
LUCIO 0260 170I warrant it is. And thy head stands so tickle on
0261 thy shoulders that a milkmaid, if she be in love, may
0262 sigh it off. Send after the Duke and appeal to him.
CLAUDIO
0263 I have done so, but he’s not to be found.
0264 I prithee, Lucio, do me this kind service:
0265 175 This day my sister should the cloister enter
0266 And there receive her approbation.
0267 Acquaint her with the danger of my state;
0268 Implore her, in my voice, that she make friends
0269 To the strict deputy; bid herself assay him.
0270 180 I have great hope in that, for in her youth
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0271
There is a prone and speechless dialect0272 Such as move men. Besides, she hath prosperous art
0273 When she will play with reason and discourse,
0274 And well she can persuade.
LUCIO 0275 185I pray she may, as well for the encouragement of
0276 the like, which else would stand under grievous
0277 imposition, as for the enjoying of thy life, who I
0278 would be sorry should be thus foolishly lost at a
0279 game of tick-tack. I’ll to her.
CLAUDIO 0280 190I thank you, good friend Lucio.
LUCIO 0281 Within two hours.
CLAUDIO 0282 Come, officer, away.
They exit.