About halfway through Act I of Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, I had to take a quick break from the page to adequately roll my eyes at the Duke's logic.
So let me get this straight: We have this Duke and a set of laws but the Duke never actually follows them. Suddenly, he has a change of heart, perhaps some sort of cosmic energy coursing through his veins, that gives him the motivation to leave the entire kingdom in the hands of a man named Angelo, all so he can be sure that his kingdom no longer slacks off on these laws. Why couldn't he have just cracked down on the citizens himself, instead of playing "Undercover Boss" and disguising himself as a friar to watch Angelo rule the kingdom with an iron fist? He felt like he had lost the authority, he feared that people would not take him seriously, and altogether he just didn't feel right doing it. So instead he feels the need to go through this whole ordeal to put Angelo in his shoes. Newsflash, Mr. Duke, anybody can order an execution. If you really want a stricter kingdom, do it yourself.
I just don't understand why the Duke felt the need to go through all of this extraneous drama. If he was really that worried about his kingdom "slacking off" then couldn't he have started enforcing more laws gradually until his kingdom has been whipped into shape the way he wishes it to be? Apparently not. After all, Shakespeare is the king of "Go Big or Go Home."
Don't get me wrong, I understand that the Duke feels uncomfortable enforcing these laws that he has let slide for so long, but I also think he should feel equally uncomfortable appointing Angelo, not even Escalus, the man who really deserves the spot, to take his place all so he can watch his little "experiment" unfold. That's quite an ordeal for a man too chicken to enforce some laws himself.
Maybe the Duke's reasoning will pay off in the course of the novel, but right now I am not impressed. If anybody wants to enlighten me on the Duke's actions, by all means go ahead. For now I will sit back and read, waiting for Shakespeare to explain what in the world Duke Vincentio is thinking. I hope for his sake that this works out because, quite frankly, I am embarrassed for him.
Yours truly,
A very exasperated Sarah
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