Themes presented in Act 1-Measure for Measure

A theme becoming noticeably present throughout Act 1 is that of religion, possibly part of the larger them of morality. The Duke, Scene 1 line 70, speaks of being greeted by ‘aves vehement'. The word ‘Ave' in Latin means ‘Hail' and is often associated with prayer, particularly to the Virgin Mary (a figure prominent in Catholicism). This suggests that the public in Vienna see the Duke as a saviour and a figure to be worshipped. At the time of its original performance this would have conveyed to the audience the prominence and power of the Duke in Vienna. However, the Duke says this greeting is good he does not ‘relish' it, showing the audience possibly that the Duke is not arrogant and does not wish to be a replacement for someone's faith; it perhaps allows the audience to hold a respect for the Duke from the beginning of the play. In scene 2, the references to religion continue with Lucio speaking of ‘the sanctimonious pirate that went out to sea with the ten commandments, but scraped one off the table'. This suggests a corruption of religion and its associated beliefs, which may foreshadow other themes coming later in the play-those of right and wrong, particularly when interpreting laws on prostitution and the confusion about marriage (should it be based on good faith or a legal ceremony). The pirate reference, particularly to the original audience, may have suggested that personal interpretations and sinister dealings were going to occur in the performance. Both the reference to the pirate and ‘aves' could show how Shakespeare is presenting a ‘problem play'. They raise the question of how religion should be carried out and how it can creep too far into everyday behaviour, until people begin to make powerful/adored figures idols and interpret religious teachings to suit their own behaviour. Scene 3, in the monastery, has two intertwining themes running through it-those of power and religion. The audience is presented with two powerful figures in their own right, one powerful due to his allegiance to God and perhaps less powerful in the workings of society and the other powerful due to his position in society and perceived almost as a ‘God' by his people. A silent power struggle appears to be occurring in the scene, not power for power's sake, but in order to earn the respect of the other. Throughout, the Duke appears to be justifying his argument in order to make it sound less corrupted and more favourable in the eyes of the friar. This comes across in his greetings of ‘Holy father' and ‘holy sir' and flattery ‘none knows better than you'. The friar speaks politely to the Duke ‘Gladly, my lord'. There is some sense of balance or equality in this scene, as ordinarily the Duke would be seen to be more powerful, due to his reign on the justice system however, he knows that the only person who can help him is the friar and the friar has the weapon of being aware of why the Duke has disappeared. Justice and morality are two another themes running throughout Act 1. The main plot line of Claudio being sentenced is at the centre of these themes. At the time of the first performance, brothels were widely apparent and many powerful figures were known for making use of their services. This is made clear to the audience, with the scene set in a brothel and the comic references to sexual diseases and the portrayal of the brothel as an industry. This should show the audience that it was widely accepted that these places were a part of society, making Claudio's actions seem less severe. He talks of Julietta being ‘fast my wife', apart from the legal proceedings so the fact he is being punished for this action and others are getting away with prostitution seems even more immoral, it raises the question of whether Claudio's actions are worse than the other male characters despite him being faithful to one woman. This is open to interpretation by the actors, however, they may choos e to play Claudio's speech with comedy, to make it sound like a feeble excuse for his actions rather than a legitimate plea for justice, which could make it seem as though justice is being done. Again a sense of corruption is presented, this time in politics. The Duke, who has fled unexpectedly, has let the law be ignored for a number of years yet Claudio is being punished under it. This suggests the laws can be manipulated to suit the leader. This is similar to the corruption of religion mentioned earlier when the pirate changed the ten commandments to suit his lifestyle and ideals at the time.

Religion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Religion - Assignment Example The ultimate reality is the ultimate basis of every human problematic in every religion (Streng). In Christianity, for example, the human problematic is death and eternal torment in hell, and the ultimate reality, which is the God in the Christian Bible provides the basis and explanation for the existence of this human problematic. In the case of Christianity, death and eternal torment in hell is caused by sin, which has its roots in the original sin of Adam and Eve that led to the fall of man. On the other hand, the ultimate dimension is the way of changing the human problematic. Every religion or religious movement, after identifying the cause, seeks to find a solution to the human problematic and employs a number of solutions like rituals, prayer, consumption of organic foods, and other things. Ultimate dimension is supposed to inspire someone to change his current situation or to find a solution to the human problematic. 2. Cultural dimension is the actions that someone takes as a group in order to reinforce the community and to increase church attendance as well as to consider marriage and funeral rites. Whatever is personal must always go harmoniously with culture. One aspect of cultural dimension is the historical conditions upon which a particular belief or system of belief evolved (Streng). For example, during the time of Jesus, the political scenario was turbulent because of the conquest of Israel by the Romans, and that the Jews were persecuted by the conquerors. This was the time when Jesus rose and led the people into defiance of Roman authority. The transformative power that was evident in his preaching was the result of the cultural dimension of belief, which means that there was shared religious intent among the Jews who opposed Roman rule. This sense of unity somehow turned into a system of faith and belief. During the time of Muhammad, he was in a cave in a religious retreat when the A ngel Gabriel appeared to him in a dream, and

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