Measure For Measure - FULL Audio Play - by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

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• published: 14 Feb 2013
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Measure For Measure - FULL Audio Play - by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) SUBSCRIBE to https://www.youtube.com/user/GreenAudioBooks - Cast: Abhorson: John D. Nugent Angelo: Roger Clifton Barnardine: Pseudonae Vox Claudio: mb Elbow: David Nicol Escalus: Bellona Times First Gentleman: L. Lambert Lawson Francisca: Sonja Friar Peter: StephenC Friar Thomas: Availle Froth: om123 Isabella: Arielle Lipshaw Juliet: Elli Justice: Abigail Bartels Lucio: Denny Sayers Mariana: Elizabeth Klett Messenger: Lucy Perry Mistress Overdone: Ruth Golding Pompey: Simon Pride Provost: Mark Penfold Second Gentleman: StephenC Servant: Pseudonae Vox Vincentio: Bruce Pirie Narrator: David Lawrence - Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604. It was (and continues to be) classified as comedy, but its mood defies those expectations. As a result and for a variety of reasons, some critics have labelled it as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. Originally published in the First Folio of 1623 (where it was first labelled as a comedy), the play's first recorded performance was in 1604. The play deals with the issues of mercy, justice, and truth and their relationship to pride and humility: "Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall". - SYNOPSIS Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, makes it known that he intends to leave the city on a diplomatic mission. He leaves the government in the hands of a strict judge, Angelo. Claudio, a young nobleman, is betrothed/unofficially married to Juliet. At the time, marriages were supposed to be announced by banns in advance. Due to lack of money, Claudio and Juliet did not observe all the technicalities. This did not make them unique however; at the time most people (including the Church) would have considered them married. Technically, however, all the formalities for a civil marriage had not been followed and so a strict judge might rule that they were not legally married. Angelo, as the personification of the law, decides to enforce the ruling that fornication is punishable by death, and since he does not accept the validity of the marriage, Claudio is sentenced to be executed. Claudio's friend, Lucio, visits Claudio's sister, Isabella, a novice nun, and asks her to intercede with Angelo on Claudio's behalf. Isabella obtains an audience with Angelo, and pleads for mercy for Claudio. Over the course of two scenes between Angelo and Isabella, it becomes clear that he harbours lustful thoughts about her, and he eventually offers her a deal: Angelo will spare Claudio's life if Isabella yields him her virginity. Isabella refuses, but she also realises that (due to Angelo's austere reputation) she will not be believed if she makes a public accusation against him. Instead she visits her brother in prison and counsels him to prepare himself for death. Claudio vehemently begs Isabella to save his life, but Isabella refuses. As a novice nun, she feels that she cannot sacrifice her own immortal soul (and that of Claudio's, if he causes her to lose her virtue) to save Claudio's transient earthly life. - If you enjoyed listening to "Measure For Measure - FULL Audio Play - by William Shakespeare (1564-1616)" please rate, comment and subscribe to GreenAudioBooks, We really appreciate it :) Thanks for viewing Measure For Measure - FULL Audio Play - by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) We hope you enjoyed Measure For Measure - FULL Audio Play - by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) Audio is courtesy of Librivox. For more Librivox audio book recordings please refer to http://librivox.org