To What Extent Does Religion Affect the Characters in "Measure for Measure?"

The figurative language that the friar uses reminds and describes to the consequences of desperation to Romeo. For example, he starts by comparing Romeo to things that are soft-hearted by stating, “Thy tears

An English student from Calvin College writes that, "Several themes that are only Catholic also can be incurred throughout his works. For example, Shakespeare, at times, used the word holy in the sacramental sense that Catholics used it. Characters in his plays showed devotion to various saints. They also blessed themselves with the sign of the cross. Shakespeare incorporated references to Purgatory into some of his plots… [His] upbringing certainly came into play in his familiarity of these subject." (Brydon). It is true that Shakespeare did have all of those references and signs of Catholicism in his plays, it should also be remembered that what a playwright instills in his characters does not necessarily reflect what he himself believes.

American physicist and Nobel Prize recipient Steve Weinberg once claimed that “ for good people to do evil things, it takes religion”. However, the culprit isn’t the mere term and message behind religion, but the institutions that tug the puppet strings of it’s meaning and impact. Secular “religious” institutions have proven time and time again that an idea as controversial as religion can be used for a wide spectrum of uses, and unfortunately, Fordism in Brave New World falls under the corrupt end of the spectrum. In this novel, the author Aldous Huxley uses Fordism and its purpose to mirror the modern day secular institution trend in religious communities to illustrate how lack of religion and spirituality can give way to a sovereignty of

   In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare is able to examine the concept of right and wrong through the characters of Mistress Overdone and Mariana. Throughout the play, by using characters that most people would find morally reprehensible, Shakespeare is able to give the audience a different view of these people and, hopefully, show his audience that people aren't always what they appear to be. Through the character of Mistress Overdone, Shakespeare is able to bring a jovial side to the oldest job known to man -- prostitution. Through the character of Mariana, Shakespeare allows the audience to decide if two wrongs do, in fact, make a right. While the concepts of right and wrong are given a

In the early 1500s, religious tension grew under the reign of King Henry VIII. England, Scotland, and Ireland intensified in their differences. Scotland was staunchly Calvinist, while Ireland was radically Catholic. England was strongly Catholic, however, it contained a large protestant minority. Henry VIII invoked political, religious, and economic strife when he separated from the Roman Catholic Church, commenced the dissolution of the monasteries, and appointed Thomas Cromwell to maintain order. Although the administrative and oppressive ruler, Henry VIII, and his aristocratic supporters may deny the harmful and corrupt impacts of these aforementioned decisions, the government was clearly guilty of being inept at providing security, abandoning

The Elizabethan drama was almost wholly secular; and while Shakespeare was writing he practically confined his view to the world of non-theological observation and thought, so that he represents it substantially in one and the same way whether the period of the story is pre-Christian or Christian (40).

and his God, showing the reader how this affects him as a means of persuasion.

because he treats his children like adults. He instills conscience in them by teaching them to

This applies to all individuals of all faiths. Many times during the play, race and religion became a major

Religion was a major factor in a number of Shakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the “Merchant of Venice,” “a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.” (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama from a Christian point of view he illustrates religion by conflicts of the Old Testament and the New Testament in Venetian society and its court of law. These Testaments are tested through the

Shakespeare’s ideas towards kingship can be seen throughout the play. He shows that a king should be chosen by divine right and shows the attributes of what a good king should be.

Barnardine’s character demonstrates the change in the Duke’s severity through his years as a ruler by highlighting how clueless the Duke actually is regarding Barnardine’s situation. In the first scene of act one, the Duke is portrayed as the embodiment of responsibility. As he leaves for his fake vacation, he makes certain to leave someone to fill his position in his absence. Moreover, Angelo seems like the right choice. The Duke’s praises, Angelo’s gracefulness, even his angelic name, provide the reader with a sense of trust. Although the Duke is

William Shakespeare alludes to the Bible in Hamlet constantly because many of the characters, including Claudius and Hamlet, are experiencing a personal crisis concerning sin. Claudius prays, “O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven;/ It hath the primal eldest curse upon ‘t,/ A brother’s murder.” The reflection made by Claudius to the killing of his brother, an allusion to the biblical story of “Cain and Able,” is influential because it captures the importance and failure of religion present during the play’s depicted period of time. Pamela Ronson, a Professor at Yale, states, “[Claudius] asks God for forgiveness, yet knows he does not merit it, since he cannot commit to penance for his crime. His prayers are empty: while he may repent breaking the sixth commandment by murdering his brother (a direct reference to Cain & Able), he refuses to preform any penance for it because of his pride (a Deadly sin)” (11). Religion proves important to Claudius because he does decide to reach out in prayer, but religion

The character of the Duke is portrayed by Shakespeare as a very complex, hypocritical and contradictory character. To many critics, he is conveyed as a Machiavellian Prince, using others for his own political ends, and to some critics, a God-like figure, testing the pathology of power in Vienna. Despite these two polar opposites the character is nethertheless a character of ambivalence. Contradiction is one of the main themes of the play, as is appearance versus reality, law versus grace and justice versus mercy. The Duke never lets go of the puppet strings, pulling events and manipulating other characters in the play. Vincentio's motives for influencing the events are controversial; it has been argued that the Duke enjoys watching others

Shakespeare still had to please the crowd with the insults and anti-Semitic feelings the people loved. He did this by adding flaws to the characters that they are now known for. Shakespeare gave Shylock his deep hatred for Antonio and all Christians, shown constantly by Shylock himself as he rants how Antonio constantly wrongs him. Another flaw in Shylock's morals is seen in his "Hath not a Jew eyes" speech. There he believes he has the right for revenge when a Christian wrongs him, saying, "If a Jew wrongs a Christians, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrongs a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge." (III, i, 63-66). Antonio too shows flaws, both through Shylock's stories of Antonio's persecution and through the insults he offers Shylock throughout the play. In the courtroom scene, Antonio tells Bassanio he might as well go stand on the beach and tell the waves to stop their endless beat upon the shores than try to get the Jew to change his mind. He also jokes that Shylock is turning into a Christian with his kindness to lend Antonio the 3,000 ducats, saying "The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind." (I, iii, 170). Not only does this add the necessary conflicts for humor that the audience wants, but it provides the backbone for the story, showing the background of the