tragicomedy in five acts by william shakespeare, produced in 1604-05 and published in the first folio of 1623. the play examines the nature of mercy and justice, proposing that a good government is one that is flexible and based on common sense. the play opens with vincentio, the duke of vienna, telling his deputy angelo to govern his duchy while he travels to poland. in actuality, the duke remains in vienna disguised as a friar. following the letter of the law, angelo passes the death sentence on claudio, a nobleman convicted for impregnating his betrothed, juliet. claudio's sister isabella, a novice in a nunnery, pleads his case to angelo, who offers to spare claudio in exchange for her favors. on the advice of vincentio, isabella schedules the rendezvous but secretly arranges for angelo's spurned fiancee, mariana, to take her place. afterward, angelo reaffirms the execution. vincentio comes to the rescue, and in the end claudio is saved and wed to juliet, angelo is discredited and ordered to marry mariana, and vincentio asks isabella to be his wife. -- the merriam-webster encyclopedia of literature --this text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. 　　　　 　　 　　 "professor bawcutt has produced an edition that should flourish in the classroom. the introduction is both thorough and user-friendly, while the notes consistently promote clear explication. overall the edition is crisp, efficient, and illuminating."--ronald j. boling, lyon college　　 --this text refers to the paperback edition. 　　　　 　　 edited, introduced and annotated by cedric watts, research professor of english, university of sussex in the hope of saving her brother's life, should a woman submit to rape? should the law be respected when its administrator is corrupt? how powerful in the state should religion become? although measure for measure ends like a comedy, with reconciliations, forgiveness and marriages, it has often been regarded as one of shakespeare's problem plays. the drama shows the difficulty of effecting an appropriate balance between judicial severity and mercy, between sexual repression and decadence, and between political vigilance and social manipulation. these problems remain topical, and, in measure for measure, they are given immediacy by vivid character-conflicts and memorably intense poetry. this is one of shakespeare's most probing and powerful works.