Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" | In Person (Ryan Ranch)

Course Description:

Set in Vienna, Shakespeare's unsettling "sex in the city" comedy reflects London more than any other play he wrote. Saturated with moral decline, it moves between courtroom, prison, nunnery, and brothel as a corrupt judge propositions a defendant's sister, leading to a troubling conclusion. The first of Shakespeare's problem comedies, its hard-edged tone often blocks fantasies of lasting happiness. The scabrous humor of Vienna's fleshpots once got the play banned by Victorians, and the moral ambiguity of nearly every character complicates ethical judgment. "Measure for Measure" powerfully explores how moral choices shape society. We will read and discuss the play and "travel" to London (via DVD) to see the "riotously enjoyable… crowd-pleasing saucy romp" at Shakespeare's Globe.