Key Quotations (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Key Quotations
Understanding key quotations from Measure for Measure is essential for your A-Level exam. This revision note organises important quotes by act, providing context, analysis of literary techniques, and connections to major themes. These quotations will help you support your essays with textual evidence and demonstrate your understanding of Shakespeare's dramatic methods.
Act 1
Angelo's reluctance to accept power
Now, good my lord, Let there be some more test made of my metal, Before so noble and so great a figure Be stamp'd upon it.
Speaker: Angelo, Act 1, Scene 1
Context and significance: Angelo expresses hesitation when the Duke grants him authority over Vienna. This quote is important because it shows Angelo's initial humility, which contrasts sharply with his later abuse of power. The use of metaphor here is particularly striking: Angelo compares himself to raw metal that needs testing before having a noble stamp placed upon it. This imagery suggests that he views authority as something that permanently marks and transforms a person.
The metaphor of metal and stamping draws on the process of minting coins - the Duke's authority will be "stamped" onto Angelo, just as a monarch's image is stamped onto currency. This creates dramatic irony, as Angelo will later fail this very test of his worthiness.
Literary techniques:
- Metaphor: The comparison of Angelo to metal being stamped with a coin's design represents how power will shape and define him
- The language of testing and worthiness creates dramatic irony, as Angelo will later fail this very test
Key themes: Authority, responsibility, humility
The arbitrary nature of authority
Thus can the demigod, Authority, Make us pay down for our offense by weight The words of heaven: on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so; yet still 'tis just.
Speaker: Claudio, Act 1, Scene 2
Context and significance: Claudio reflects on how authority operates in Vienna after being arrested. This is a crucial quote because it questions the fairness of justice itself. Claudio suggests that authority acts like a divine power, choosing whom to punish arbitrarily, yet society still accepts this as just. This critique becomes central to the play's examination of law and mercy.
Claudio's observation that authority operates arbitrarily - "on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so" - yet is still considered just reveals a fundamental flaw in Vienna's legal system. This paradox drives much of the play's conflict.
Literary techniques:
- Personification: Authority is described as a demigod, giving it divine, almost godlike qualities
- Metaphor: The phrase 'pay down for our offense by weight' suggests justice as a commercial transaction
- The repetitive structure 'on whom it will, it will; On whom it will not, so' emphasises the capricious nature of power
Key themes: Authority, justice, power
Vienna's neglected laws
We have strict statutes and most biting laws, The needful bits and curbs to headstrong steeds, Which for this nineteen years we have let slip; Even like an o'ergrown lion in a cave That goes not out to prey.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 1, Scene 3
Context and significance: The Duke explains to Friar Thomas why he has allowed Vienna's laws to go unenforced. This admission is vital to understanding the play's central problem. The Duke acknowledges his own failure as a ruler, having been too lenient for nineteen years. This sets up Angelo's harsh enforcement as an overcorrection.
Literary techniques:
- Simile: Laws are compared to 'bits and curbs' used to control spirited horses
- Metaphor: The extended comparison of the law to an overgrown lion that has become lazy captures how laws lose their power without enforcement
- The animal imagery throughout creates vivid pictures of untamed forces
The Duke uses two animal metaphors - first comparing laws to equipment for controlling horses, then to a dormant lion. Both suggest that laws need active enforcement to maintain their power, foreshadowing the harsh measures Angelo will take.
Key themes: Law, governance, neglect
Moral corruption
Thy bones are hollow; impiety has made a feast of thee.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 1, Scene 2
Context and significance: The Duke criticises Lucio for his immoral lifestyle. This brief but powerful statement illustrates the extent of moral decay in Vienna. The vivid imagery suggests that sin has literally consumed Lucio from within, leaving him empty.
Literary techniques:
- Metaphor: Hollow bones represent moral emptiness
- Personification: Impiety (lack of respect for moral standards) is personified as something that feasts, making sin seem like a destructive force
Key themes: Morality, corruption, consequences
Act 2
Justice must condemn the act
Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it? Why, every fault's condemned ere it be done: Mine were the very cipher of a function, To fine the faults whose fine stands in record, And let go by the actor.
Speaker: Angelo, Act 2, Scene 2
Context and significance: Angelo argues that effective justice requires punishing the criminal, not just acknowledging that a crime is wrong. This quote reveals Angelo's rigid interpretation of law. He uses rhetorical questions to dismiss Isabella's plea for mercy, insisting that without punishment, he would be nothing more than a meaningless symbol of authority. This demonstrates his inflexible approach to justice.
Literary techniques:
- Rhetorical questions: Angelo uses questions to assert his position rather than invite genuine debate
- Metaphor: He describes himself as a 'cipher' (a zero, or empty symbol) if he doesn't enforce punishment
- The wordplay on 'fine' (both to penalise and the recorded penalty) shows Angelo's legalistic thinking
Angelo's claim that he would be merely a 'cipher of a function' without punishment reveals his view that authority derives entirely from enforcement, not from wisdom or mercy. This inflexible philosophy will lead directly to his downfall.
Key themes: Justice, accountability, morality
The law awakened
The law hath not been dead, though it hath slept: Those many had not dared to do that evil If the first that did the edict infringe Had answered for his deed: now 'tis awake.
Speaker: Angelo, Act 2, Scene 2
Context and significance: Angelo justifies his harsh enforcement by explaining that the law, though dormant, still exists and must now be applied. This quote uses powerful imagery to present the law as a living entity that has merely been resting. Angelo argues that previous leniency encouraged wrongdoing, and now strictness must be restored. This reveals his belief that fear of punishment prevents crime.
Literary techniques:
- Personification and metaphor: The law is personified as a living being that can sleep and wake, making it seem like a force with its own will
- The contrast between sleeping and waking creates a sense of sudden, dramatic change
Key themes: Law, justice, enforcement
The danger of abusing power
O, it is excellent To have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous To use it like a giant.
Speaker: Isabella, Act 2, Scene 2
Context and significance: Isabella pleads with Angelo to show mercy, warning him about the dangers of misusing his authority. This is one of the play's most famous lines about power. Isabella acknowledges that having power is good, but exercising it without restraint makes one a tyrant. Her words prove prophetic, as Angelo will abuse his power in the very next scene.
Isabella's warning distinguishes between possessing power and abusing power. This crucial distinction becomes central to the play's exploration of authority - power itself isn't evil, but using it without mercy or restraint transforms a leader into a tyrant.
Literary techniques:
- Simile: Comparing power to a giant's strength makes abstract authority concrete and physical
- Juxtaposition: The contrast between having strength and using it tyrannously highlights the moral dimension of power
Key themes: Mercy, power, authority
Impersonal justice
It is the law, not I, condemn your brother; Were he my kinsman, brother, or my son, It should be thus with him: he must die tomorrow.
Speaker: Angelo, Act 2, Scene 2
Context and significance: Angelo distances himself from responsibility for Claudio's execution by blaming the law itself. This quote is significant because it shows Angelo hiding behind legal authority. He claims he's merely enforcing existing law and would do so even if Claudio were his own family member. This appears noble on the surface but actually reveals how Angelo avoids personal moral responsibility. The dramatic irony is powerful: Angelo is about to commit the same crime as Claudio.
Angelo's hypothetical claim - "Were he my kinsman, brother, or my son, It should be thus with him" - attempts to prove his impartiality. However, this very impartiality becomes a form of moral cowardice, allowing him to avoid wrestling with the human consequences of his judgments.
Literary techniques:
- Hypothetical statements: Angelo's 'were he my kinsman' construction attempts to prove his impartiality
- The declarative 'he must die tomorrow' shows the cold certainty of his judgment
Key themes: Law, justice, impartiality
Act 3
Hope in despair
The miserable have no other medicine, But only hope: I've hope to live, and am prepared to die.
Speaker: Claudio, Act 3, Scene 1
Context and significance: Claudio expresses the complex emotions of a condemned man who clings to hope whilst accepting his fate. This quote captures the central paradox of Claudio's situation. He has nothing but hope to sustain him, yet simultaneously prepares for death. This demonstrates the psychological torment of waiting for execution.
Literary techniques:
- Juxtaposition: The contrast between 'hope to live' and 'prepared to die' creates tension
- Antithesis: Life and death are placed in direct opposition, reflecting Claudio's internal conflict
- Metaphor: Hope is described as medicine, suggesting it has healing or sustaining power
Key themes: Hope, despair, mortality
Acceptance of death
Be absolute for death; either death or life Shall thereby be the sweeter.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 3, Scene 1
Context and significance: Disguised as a friar, the Duke counsels Claudio to accept death completely. This philosophical advice suggests that fully accepting mortality paradoxically makes both life and death more bearable. The Duke argues that someone who fears death suffers in life, whilst acceptance brings peace.
The Duke's counsel presents a Stoic philosophy - that accepting what we cannot control brings peace. This idea that preparing for death makes life "sweeter" reflects Renaissance philosophical debates about mortality and virtue.
Literary techniques:
- Paradox: The contradictory idea that preparing for death makes life sweeter challenges conventional thinking
- Imperative mood: The command 'be absolute for death' has authoritative force
- The balanced structure of 'either death or life' creates a sense of equilibrium
Key themes: Acceptance, death, resolution
Embracing fate
If I must die, I will encounter darkness as a bride, And hug it in mine arms.
Speaker: Claudio, Act 3, Scene 1
Context and significance: Claudio initially expresses courage in facing execution, comparing death to a bride. This beautiful and unsettling image shows Claudio attempting to transform terror into acceptance by reimagining death as something to be embraced rather than feared. However, this bravery will soon collapse when he begs Isabella to save him through shameful means.
Literary techniques:
- Metaphor: Death (darkness) is compared to a bride, making something frightening seem intimate and even desirable
- The active verbs 'encounter' and 'hug' suggest Claudio taking control of his fate
- The sensory detail creates a vivid picture
The contrast between Claudio's brave declaration here and his later desperate pleading to Isabella reveals the gap between philosophical acceptance and genuine fear. This shows Shakespeare's psychological realism - courage wavers when death becomes immediate.
Key themes: Death, acceptance, bravery
Defiance of death
I will not consent to die this day, that's certain.
Speaker: Barnardine, Act 3, Scene 2
Context and significance: Barnardine bluntly refuses to cooperate with his own execution. This darkly comic moment provides relief from the play's tension whilst also highlighting the absurdity of Vienna's justice system. Barnardine's stubborn refusal demonstrates that authority requires consent to function, even in matters of life and death.
Literary techniques:
- Direct, plain language: The simple declarative statement contrasts with other characters' elaborate speeches
- The certainty expressed in 'that's certain' creates dark humour through its matter-of-fact tone
Key themes: Defiance, absurdity, death
Act 4
Beauty and virtue
The hand that hath made you fair hath made you good: the goodness that is cheap in beauty makes beauty brief in goodness; but grace, being the soul of your complexion, should keep the body of it ever fair.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 4, Scene 1
Context and significance: The Duke speaks to Mariana about the relationship between outer beauty and inner goodness. This complex statement suggests that true beauty comes from virtue, and that superficial beauty without goodness is fleeting. The Duke argues that grace (moral and spiritual goodness) should preserve both inner and outer beauty. This relates to the play's broader theme of appearance versus reality.
Literary techniques:
- Metaphor: The Duke uses body and soul imagery to distinguish physical and moral qualities
- Antithesis: The contrast between cheap goodness and lasting grace creates a moral hierarchy
- The extended, elaborate syntax reflects the complexity of the idea
The Duke's complex language here - distinguishing between beauty, goodness, and grace - reflects Renaissance debates about the relationship between physical and moral beauty. His assertion that "grace, being the soul of your complexion" suggests spiritual goodness should animate physical appearance.
Key themes: Beauty, virtue, grace
Appeal for justice
Justice, O royal Duke! Vail your regard Upon a wrong'd, I would fain have said, a maid!
Speaker: Mariana, Act 4, Scene 1
Context and significance: Mariana appeals directly to the Duke for justice, starting to call herself a wronged maid before breaking off. This interrupted speech conveys her emotional distress and the awkwardness of her situation (she has consummated her relationship with Angelo through the bed trick but is not formally married).
Literary techniques:
- Apostrophe: Mariana directly addresses the Duke and the abstract concept of justice
- Interrupted statement: The break in her speech ('I would fain have said') reveals her emotional state
- The urgent tone conveys desperation
Key themes: Justice, plea, urgency
Blessing and protection
The best and wholesomest spirits of the night envelope you, good provost! Who call'd here of late?
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 4, Scene 3
Context and significance: Still disguised as a friar, the Duke offers a blessing to the provost. This gentle, protective language contrasts with the harsh judgments elsewhere in the play. The Duke invokes benevolent spirits, creating an atmosphere of safety and calm even in the prison setting.
Literary techniques:
- Metaphor and personification: Spirits are imagined as physical entities that can envelope or surround someone
- The religious language reinforces the Duke's friar disguise
Key themes: Protection, blessing, calm
Appearance versus reality
O, what may man within him hide, Though angel on the outward side!
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 4, Scene 3
Context and significance: The Duke reflects on Angelo's hypocrisy, noting the vast difference between his public reputation and private behaviour. This couplet encapsulates one of the play's central themes. Angelo appeared angelic but harboured corrupt desires. This observation applies broadly to human nature and the difficulty of knowing others' true character.
This rhyming couplet captures the play's central theme of appearance versus reality. Angelo's transformation from seeming angel to proven hypocrite demonstrates that outward virtue can mask inner corruption - a warning about trusting appearances.
Literary techniques:
- Metaphor: Comparing Angelo to an angel emphasises the contrast between appearance and reality
- Juxtaposition: The contrast between inner corruption and outer virtue is starkly presented
- Rhyming couplet: The rhyme scheme gives this statement memorable, epigrammatic quality
Key themes: Duality, appearance vs. reality, human nature
Act 5
The principle of reciprocal justice
Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and measure still for measure.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 5, Scene 1
Context and significance: The Duke articulates the play's title principle: that justice should be proportional and reciprocal. This statement of poetic justice suggests that people should receive treatment equivalent to what they have given others. The balanced, measured language reflects the balanced, measured justice the Duke claims to dispense. This principle will govern Angelo's punishment.
Literary techniques:
- Antithesis: 'Haste' and 'leisure' are contrasted to show that actions receive appropriate responses
- Repetition: The phrase structure is repeated for emphasis, and 'measure still for measure' directly echoes the play's title
- Parallelism: The grammatical structures mirror each other, reinforcing the concept of balance
The phrase "measure still for measure" gives the play its title and encapsulates the Duke's philosophy of justice - that punishment should exactly match the crime. However, the play's resolution will complicate this principle by introducing mercy.
Key themes: Justice, balance, reciprocity
Poetic justice for Angelo
An Angelo for Claudio, death for death! Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure; Like doth quit like, and measure still for measure.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 5, Scene 1
Context and significance: The Duke declares that Angelo will face execution for condemning Claudio. This moment represents the climax of the play's justice theme. Angelo will experience the same fate he imposed on others. However, this apparent fairness will be complicated by subsequent mercy, showing that rigid reciprocal justice isn't the final answer.
Literary techniques:
- Parallelism: The repeated structure 'Angelo for Claudio, death for death' emphasises equivalence
- Repetition: The Duke repeats his earlier statement about justice to underscore its application
- The exclamatory sentence adds dramatic force
Key themes: Justice, retribution, fairness
Redemption through imperfection
They say best men are molded out of faults; And, for the most, become much more the better For being a little bad: so may my husband.
Speaker: Mariana, Act 5, Scene 1
Context and significance: Mariana pleads for Angelo's life, arguing that people can grow from their mistakes. This quotation presents a crucial counter-argument to Angelo's harsh justice. Mariana suggests that experiencing and overcoming moral failure can improve someone's character. This idea of redemption through fault becomes central to the play's conclusion, where mercy ultimately triumphs over strict justice.
Mariana's paradoxical claim - that "best men are molded out of faults" - directly challenges Angelo's earlier rigid justice. Her argument introduces the possibility of redemption and moral growth, suggesting that experiencing and overcoming weakness can create better people than those who have never been tested.
Literary techniques:
- Paradox: The contradictory idea that being bad makes people better challenges simple moral categories
- Antithesis: Contrasting 'faults' with 'best men' and 'bad' with 'better' creates thought-provoking tension
- The tentative 'so may my husband' shows Mariana's hopeful but uncertain application of this principle
Key themes: Redemption, growth, imperfection
Unity and partnership
What's mine is yours, and what is yours is mine.
Speaker: Duke Vincentio, Act 5, Scene 1
Context and significance: The Duke proposes marriage to Isabella with this simple declaration of shared life. This final quotation represents the play's movement towards resolution and unity. The balanced, reciprocal structure reflects the balanced justice the Duke has tried to achieve throughout the play. However, Isabella's silence in response has puzzled readers and audiences, leaving the ending somewhat ambiguous.
Literary techniques:
- Parallelism: The perfectly balanced grammatical structure reflects the equality the Duke proposes
- Simplicity: The straightforward language contrasts with the Duke's usually elaborate speech, suggesting sincerity
- Chiasmus: The reversed structure (mine/yours, yours/mine) creates a sense of perfect reciprocity
Key themes: Unity, partnership, sincerity
Literary techniques glossary
Understanding the literary devices Shakespeare employs will strengthen your analysis:
- Metaphor: A comparison between two things without using 'like' or 'as', suggesting one thing is another (e.g., the law is a sleeping lion)
- Simile: A comparison using 'like' or 'as' to draw parallels between different things
- Personification: Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities, making abstract concepts more vivid
- Juxtaposition: Placing contrasting ideas, characters, or images side by side to highlight differences
- Antithesis: A form of juxtaposition that creates a balanced contrast between opposing ideas
- Paradox: A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth upon examination
- Apostrophe: Directly addressing someone absent or an abstract concept as if it were present
- Parallelism: Using similar grammatical structures to create rhythm and emphasis
- Rhetorical question: A question asked for effect rather than to elicit an actual answer
Exam tips for using quotations
Strategies for Success:
When writing about Measure for Measure, follow these approaches:
- Embed quotations smoothly into your sentences rather than dropping them in awkwardly
- Select quotations purposefully to support specific points about themes, characters, or Shakespeare's methods
- Analyse the language within quotations rather than simply identifying techniques
- Make connections between quotations from different parts of the play
- Consider context by discussing what's happening in the scene and why the character speaks these lines
- Link to Shakespeare's intentions and the play's broader concerns with justice, authority, and mercy
Strong exam responses integrate quotations seamlessly and analyse how Shakespeare's language creates meaning, not just what techniques he uses. Always connect your analysis to the play's larger themes and dramatic purposes.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- The play's title comes from the Duke's statement about reciprocal justice: 'measure still for measure'
- Quotations reveal character development, especially Angelo's fall from seeming virtue to proven hypocrisy
- Shakespeare uses various literary techniques to explore the tension between strict justice and merciful forgiveness
- Key themes running through these quotations include authority, justice, mercy, appearance versus reality, and redemption
- Understanding the context and speaker of each quotation is as important as memorising the words themselves