Theme's in 'Measure for Measure.'
'Sex' is a particularly relevant theme in 'Measure for Measure.' It does not actually appear very often as a theme in itself, but it provides a background to most of the other important themes in the play, such as justice, 'seeming,' sin and morality. All of the separate story lines appear to involve a sexual theme, including Claudio and Juliet's 'crime,' Angelo's hypocrisy involving both Mariana and Isabella, and Mistress Overdone's brothel. Shakespeare has assigned sexual attitudes to particular characters, and through these he presents sex as a theme. Characters with particular attitudes towards sex include Angelo, Isabella, Juliet and Claudio. Their principles only appear to be presented during the first three acts of the play, as the story line continues on a basis of what we already know about their attitudes towards sex. The individual views of these characters are set against a background of Vienna as a corrupt city; religious and moral principles; Mistress Overdone and Pompey's professional interest, and Lucio's promiscuity. Shakespeare has used Lucio as the representative promiscuous character. He banters bawdily with two gentlemen in Act I, Scene II, when they accuse each other of suffering from venereal disease, 'I had as lief be a list of an English kersey, as be piled, as thou art pilled, for a French velvet.' Shakespeare has used humour in this scene as this