William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

Louise Harrington (Cardiff University); Revised By: Alexandra Katherine Harrington (University of Durham)
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Claudio: Sweet sister, let me live.                What sin you do to save a brother’s life,                Nature dispenses with the deed so far                That it becomes a virtue.

Isabella: Oh, you beast!                O faithless coward, o dishonest wretch,                Wilt thou be made a man out of my vice?                Is’t not a kind of incest to take life                From thine own sister’s shame? (3.1.138-145)

Isabella: Oh, you beast!                O faithless coward, o dishonest wretch,                Wilt thou be made a man out of my vice?                Is’t not a kind of incest to take life                From thine own sister’s shame? (3.1.138-145)

This exchange

2665 words

Citation: Harrington, Louise, Alexandra Katherine Harrington. "Measure for Measure". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 April 2004; last revised 07 June 2020. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=3651, accessed 28 March 2024.]

3651 Measure for Measure 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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