Measure for Measure Annotated

The first performance of Measure for Measure is believed to have taken place in 1604, during the reign of King James I. By this time, Shakespeare is believed to have begun writing his plays for performance at the Blackfriars theatre, a small, indoor theater mostly frequented by the wealthy. Most modern editions of the play are based upon the edition of Measure for Measure that appeared in the First Folio of 1623.Although the Vienna that Shakespeare portrays is Catholic and not a kingdom, little within the play besides the mention of the setting and the 'friars' sets is apart from Protestant England. Although the Duke is not a monarch per se, he wields complete power in a way similar to James I, who reclaimed his right to absolute rule.However, there are certain key differences between the world portrayed in Measure for Measure, and the post- Elizabethan England that Shakespeare lived in. A ruler would not be able to arbitrarily give up power, and then reclaim it; the theory of "divine right of kings," which was also made popular by James I, would hold this to be a breach of God's law, as the ruler was put in place and sanctioned by God, not by the acts of men. Also, a woman like Isabella who came forth and accused a man of high position of sexual impropriety would face harsh punishment if the charges could not be proven, usually through the testimony of other men of high status. The fact that Shakespeare's play also favors the woman in this dispute, over the man of position, would not have been a common stance during his A time