An Equal Slander Essay by Taylor Hall

An Equal Slander
The role of Lucio in Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure".
# 45815 | 1,377 words | 2 sources | MLA | 2003 | CA
Published on Nov 22, 2003 in Shakespeare (Measure for Measure)


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Description:

Lucio is a key role in "Measure for Measure", but is he simply a foil for Duke Vincentio or is he more than that? This paper asks if Duke Vincentio is actually just as much of a slanderer as Lucio is and whether Shakespeare is trying to make a point about the rule of King James.

From the Paper:

"The more I read about Lucio the more I realized that everyone had different views about him and his role in Measure for Measure. Some simply dismiss him as an unimportant character that was just inserted for comic relief, some believe him to be Duke Vincentio's foil that was there simply to make the Duke look even better, and some believe that Lucio is an extremely important character without which the play would have virtually no meaning. I read a few different journal articles and books to prepare for this presentation, but I was especially influenced by Kaplan's The Culture of Slander in Early Modern England because there was an entire chapter dedicated to slander in Measure for Measure and I found myself agreeing with Kaplan's interpretation of Lucio's role more than anyone else's. I found all of the articles that extolled the virtues of the Duke and portrayed Lucio as a villainous slanderer who deserved all that he got and more very limited in their analysis. It is just too easy, and since Shakespeare does not create characters that are easy to analyze, Lucio is no exception."

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APA Format

An Equal Slander (2003, November 22) Retrieved December 10, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/essay/an-equal-slander-45815/

MLA Format

"An Equal Slander" 22 November 2003. Web. 10 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/essay/an-equal-slander-45815/>

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