“With any scruple; your scope as mine own
So to enforce or qualify the laws
As to your soul seems good”
Duke Vincento Act I Sc I
During the Dukes two large speeches in the first scene and in those by Escalus and Angelo, there are frequent references to Justice, Power and also to Mercy, these are all very important themes in the play, all of which begin to unfold in the following acts. Shakespeare has introduced these ideas from the very start, and his use of repetition is implanting the idea into the head of the reader early on in the play.
The scene closes where the Duke leaves and Angelo and Escalus are left to discuss their positions. Even though Angelo is the Dukes stand-in, Escalus does have a certain amount of power.
In my opinion, I feel that here Shakespeare has introduced the main themes (Power and Justice) and the key characters (Angelo and Duke Vincento) with success because the play has a logical following.
In this next scene, we are introduced to a very different set of characters and it establishes a different theme to that in the first. The scene takes place in a street in Vienna amongst the people of the town, one of which being Lucio, another of the more significant characters, who appears frequently in the play.
Lucio is speaking to two gentlemen in the town. From the conversation, between them, the ideas of corruption and immorality in society is introduced, these, along with those mentioned in earlier sections are key themes in the play and are involved right the way through. The three gentlemen firstly speculate why the Duke has left the country, they suggest that he has left on a political mission to Hungry. The conversation then drifts another way; the three gentlemen are involved in lighthearted banter. The topic of conversation gives the reader an impression of what the people of society are like. They firstly discuss “Piracy” which after much debate they conclude that they do not feel is anything wrong with this. The two gentleman with Lucio try to pick holes in him and basically just try to ridicule him. But Lucio doesn’t rise to the bait. The idea of “Disease” is introduced when one of the gentleman start to talk of “French Velvet”, which is a metaphor for Syphilis. The idea that the society may be “diseased” is introduced. This idea is confirmed when Mistress Overdone, a brothel keeper is brought into the picture
“Behold, behold where Madam Mitigation comes!
I have purchased as many diseases under her roof”
Lucio Act I Sc II
Mistress Overdone is one of the characters that shows the state of society at this time. She also introduces the another of the main character of the play “Marry, sir, that’s Claudio, Signior Claudio”. She tells us of Claudio’s misfortune, he is to be beheaded for the crime of fornication. This is the punishment Angelo has decided on for him. Angelo appears to be already using his new give “power”. Lucio, a friend of Claudio, and the two gentlemen he was with, leave the scene to go and investigate the Mistress’s claim.
Pompey, a pimp, enters the scene bringing comedy into the conversation between him and Mistress Overdone. The comic characters in Shakespeare’s plays did tend to be those in the lower classes of society. The two characters are both show evidence of the corruption and immorality present in the society in Vienna. I think here, Shakespeare does particularly well in getting across the idea of the immoral society using the comic characters, the prostitute and her pimp, to introduce and reinforce this idea.
Another element of corruption that becomes evident is when Pompey is telling Mistress Overdone, of Angelo’s proclamation that “All houses in the suburbs must be plucked down”. Pompey hints of corruption in the upper classes when he says that all those in the town would have been brought down, if it wasn’t for the town councilor, who is described as “wise: but probably used the “houses” himself.
“They shall stand for seed: they had gone down too,
but that a wise burgher put in for them”
Pompey Act I Sc II
As the two comic characters leave, the so-called “villain”, Claudio, is brought into the scene. Provost appears to be attempting to shame Claudio by showing him off.
“Fellow, why dost thou show me thus to the world?
Bear me to prison, where I am committed.”
Claudio Act I Sc II
Provost tells those present that he has taken his orders “From Lord Angelo by special charge” to arrest Claudio. Here, as the facts of the so-called “crime” are presented, it becomes clear that Angelo appears to have been over-zealous with the power that he now has. Angelo is trying to show the people he is in charge; he does not appear to be at all merciful. Claudio describes Angelo as having absolute power and using it completely for his own devices and does not appear to be bothered about the consequences that his actions may have. He is implementing all the laws of the land, seeming to crack down on crime. But as discussed later in the play, the “police” of the time, do not go out looking for crime, they just punish those that they hear about, which is unfair and unjust.
“He can command, lets it straight feel the spur;
Whether the tyranny be in his place,
Or in his emmence that fills it up,
I stagger in: -but this new governor
Awakes me all the enrolled penalties”
Claudio Act I Sc II
After hearing the facts and realizing that Claudio will soon be put to death, Claudio decides to send Lucio as a messenger, to his sister, Isabella, a nun-to-be “This day my sister should the cloister enter”, Claudio hopes that she will go to try and convince Angelo to show mercy, (A reoccurring theme in this play) towards Claudio and let him go free.
“When she will play with reason and discourse
And well she can persuade”
Claudio Act I Sc II
The third scene in this first act takes place in a monastery, between Duke Vincento and Friar Thomas. The Duke is telling Friar Thomas why he left the country with such haste. He explains that the society has downfallen in the last 19 years and needs someone, to bring some kind of law and order back in to the society.
“We have strict statues and most biting laws.
The needful bits and curbs to headstrong weeds,
Which for this nineteen years we have let slip”
Duke Vincento Act I Sc III
The Duke goes on then to discuss with the Friar the corrupt society of Vienna and the Duke discloses his “plans” to the friar. He is to attempt, under the guidance of the Friar, to disguise himself as a friar and re-enter Vienna, to watch and to get the opinion of others on how Angelo manages the kingdom with the power he has,
“I will, as t’were a brother of your order,
Visit both prince and people: therefore, I prithee,
Supply me with the habit and instruct me
How I may formally in person bear me
Like a true friar.”
Duke Vincento Act I Sc III
We are now aware of the Dukes plans and it is evident that the Duke will abuse his power some how, one way, has already been established in his treatment of Claudio.
In this final scene of the opening act, we meet the final of the more important characters, Isabella, the sister of the supposedly guilty man, Claudio. Lucio appears at the convent to pass on the message from her brother. He tells Isabella of her brother’s predicament that he is to be beheaded for getting his fiancé pregnant.
“For that which, if myself might be his judge,
He should receive his punishment in thanks:
Ha hath got his friend with child.”
Lucio Act I Sc II
Isabella’s loyalties to both her brother and to her moral beliefs are being tested as Lucio asks her to go and attempt to convince Angelo to set free her brother. Isabella makes her feeling on her brothers sentence clear to Lucio, she believes that he should have some kind of punishment implemented as he has, according to the law, commited a crime. Lucio does in the end appeal to Isabella’s better nature, when she agrees to go to the Duke to beg for her brother’s release. This agreement has set the structure and plot for the rest of the play. Isabella does not play a large part in this act, but her character and her thoughts and feelings, which are reflected through the themes, are evident in the later acts.
Overall, I do feel that Shakespeare has been successful in creating good first impressions and introductions of the more significant characters, Angelo, Lucio and Isabella. All though Isabella is not in this opening act much, her character ids set up for those later acts, where she will play a bigger, more significant part. Shakespeare’s introduction of the themes is also done well. The first appears to be the introduction of power, where the Duke leaves and Angelo is named as the stand in. The theme of corruption is also brought across well, using the comic characters, the prostitute, Mistress Overdone and the pimp, Pompey. As an opening act to a play, I feel that all the characters and the main themes are introduced well, which helps the reader to understand the play because they are introduced from the beginning.
Suraya Chowdhury A level English Language and Literature
