Measure for Measure · Chapter
Scene II explained
In the prison, the Duke (disguised as a friar) orchestrates a plan to substitute Barnardine's head for Claudio's to thwart Angelo's execution order.
What happens
In the prison, the Duke (disguised as a friar) orchestrates a plan to substitute Barnardine's head for Claudio's to thwart Angelo's execution order. The Provost is initially reluctant but is persuaded by the Duke's authority and the promise of the Duke's imminent return. Meanwhile, Pompey agrees to become the hangman's assistant, and the Provost receives a direct order from Angelo to execute Claudio by four o'clock. The Duke reveals Angelo's hypocrisy and devises the head substitution scheme.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Manipulation
The Duke manipulates the Provost into substituting Barnardine's head for Claudio's, using his disguise and the Duke's seal to deceive Angelo.
Justice and Mercy
The tension between strict legal justice (Angelo's order) and merciful intervention (the Duke's plan) is central, as the Duke seeks to save Claudio from an unjust execution.
Hypocrisy and Appearance vs. Reality
Angelo's public profession of justice contrasts with his private corruption, and the Duke's disguise as a friar highlights the gap between appearance and reality.
Characters to notice
- Duke Vincentio
Disguised as a friar, he persuades the Provost to substitute Barnardine's head for Claudio's and reveals Angelo's hypocrisy.
- Provost
Reluctant to defy Angelo's orders but eventually agrees to the Duke's plan after seeing the Duke's seal and hearing of his return.
- Pompey
A former bawd who agrees to become the hangman's assistant to avoid a whipping, engaging in banter with Abhorson about the 'mystery' of hanging.
- Abhorson
The executioner who reluctantly accepts Pompey as his helper, debating the dignity of his trade.
- Claudio
Awaiting execution at dawn, he is informed of the warrant and expresses resignation, while the Duke plans to save him.
- Lord Angelo
Referenced as the 'bitter deputy' who sends a strict order for Claudio's execution by four o'clock, revealing his hypocrisy.
- Barnardine
A condemned murderer who is deeply asleep and indifferent to death; the Duke plans to substitute his head for Claudio's.
Key passages
“O, death’s a great disguiser; and you may add to it. Shave the head, and tie the beard; and say it was the desire of the penitent to be so bared before his death: you know the course is common.”
Death is an excellent disguise; you can enhance it by shaving the head and trimming the beard, claiming the condemned requested it as a sign of penitence—this is a common practice.
The Duke instructs the Provost on how to pass off Barnardine's head as Claudio's.
“Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd time out of mind; but yet I will be content to be a lawful hangman.”
I've been a brothel-keeper for ages, but I'm willing to become a legal executioner instead.
Pompey accepts the offer to assist the hangman, preferring it to punishment.
“A man that apprehends death no more dreadfully but as a drunken sleep; careless, reckless, and fearless of what’s past, present, or to come; insensible of mortality, and desperately mortal.”
He views death no more fearfully than a drunken sleep—indifferent to past, present, or future, unaware of his own mortality, and recklessly alive.
The Provost describes Barnardine's utter indifference to his impending execution.
