Measure for Measure: Irony 6 key examples

Though he insists that he loves “the people” of Vienna, he does not like to “stage” himself “to their eyes,” or to stand before an audience to be looked upon. He acknowledges that this is an important part of his role as Duke, but nonetheless claims that he does not “relish well / Their loud applause.” Further, he states that those who do like to be the center of attention are untrustworthy. 

The Duke’s speech, then, is one of Shakespeare’s many ironic references in his plays to the theater itself. Unlike the Duke, the audience is aware that he is in fact a character written for the stage, and that the disdain he feels for theatrics is being expressed on a stage. The comedy of this scene, then, stems from the fact that an actor is criticizing his own profession in the voice of a character. 

Lucio insists that Angelo’s blood “[i]s very snow-broth,” frozen water rather than warm blood. Further, he metaphorically suggests that Angelo “never feels / The wanton stings and motions of the sense,” but is rather completely unresponsive to pain and discomfort. These metaphors characterize Angelo as someone who is not quite fully human, never experiencing human desires or pains, and who is therefore unable to sympathize with others, or govern fairly. Instead, Lucio imagines Angelo as a cold, robotic figure, wholly invested in “profits of the mind” without any of the vulnerabilities that are “natural” to bodies. 

Though Lucio does not realize this, his criticism of Angelo is deeply ironic. Angelo will soon prove to be very much vulnerable to his own bodily desires, and he violates his own moral code out of lust for Claudio’s sister, Isabella, despite his claims to piety. 

Angelo’s speech exemplifies dramatic irony. Though most of the citizens of Vienna consider Angelo to be a harsh and punitive moralist, the audience knows that he is consumed with desire for Isabella, as revealed in a soliloquy. He condemns the “filthy vices” of those who submit to lust, and he does so while simultaneously attempting to seduce Isabella, despite the vow of chastity that she has taken as a novice nun. This gap in knowledge between the audience and Isabella contributes to the tension of this scene, as Isabella repeatedly fails to discern what Angelo wants from her, and mistakenly believes that he desires for her to pray on his behalf. The audience, however, understands that Angelo is deeply attracted to Isabella, and registers the threat of sexual coercion that punctuates Angelo’s speech.  

Here, Isabella echoes the sentiments of many of the Viennese citizens in the play in insisting that the Duke was a better leader than the strict and unsympathetic Angelo. She argues that if the Duke were present, he would immediately set right the various wrongs committed by Angelo in his absence, saving the life of her brother. The Duke, unable to expose his own false identity, merely tells her that it would be a good idea to tell the Duke about her plight. This scene, suffused with dramatic irony, highlights the Duke’s control over the events of the plot. By assuming a disguise as a friar, he is able to get a closer look at what is happening in Vienna, while also retaining the authority he wields as Duke when necessary. 

The comic potential of the scene stems from Lucio’s lack of awareness that he is speaking with the Duke himself, and further, telling several lies about the Duke in the process. Both the audience and the Duke, however, understand that Lucio is attempting to elevate his own position by claiming to be an “inward,” or close companion, of the far more important man. This scene emphasizes both the deceptive nature of Lucio, but also the ease with which false gossip and rumors spread. 

Here, the Duke is saying precisely the opposite of what he means, exemplifying verbal irony: though he outwardly compliments Angelo for his leadership of Vienna, he in fact intends to shame him for his hypocrisy and cruelty. Much of the language in his speech is deliberately ambiguous. He does not clarify, for example, why exactly Angelo’s actions deserve to be written in brass as a tale to be told in the future. Though the Duke apparently means that Angelo will be a legendary figure of good leadership, he in fact means that Angelo will be an infamous example of tyranny, like the many villains of history. The exaggerated nature of the Duke’s praise sharpens the sense of irony and sarcasm, as he is well aware of Angelo’s true nature.