ALTERNATIVE ESSAY ASSIGNMENT:

LUCIO: I beseech your highness, do not marry me to a whore.

Your highness said even now, I made you a duke:

good my lord, do not recompense me in making me a cuckold.     [550]

DUKE VINCENTIO: Upon mine honour, thou shalt marry her.

Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal

Remit thy other forfeits. Take him to prison;

And see our pleasure herein executed.

LUCIO: Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death,     [555]

whipping, and hanging.

DUKE VINCENTIO: Slandering a prince deserves it. Measure for Measure 5.1.548-557.

Which, do you think, is the primary conflict here: Man vs Nature, Supernatural, Society, Man, or Himself? And how are we interpret the resolution (the theme?) of this conflict (Lucio’s chastisement)? For example, is the Duke letting Lucio “off the hook”? Or is this punishment really worse than hanging and torture? How would the critical perspectives that we discussed------ historical, philosophical, biographical, psychological, and New Critical---help us understand Lucio’s punishment?

Here are the requirements for the assignment:

1) Use at least three of the five critical perspectives that we discussed--- historical, philosophical, biographical, psychological, and New Critical---in your answer (in other words, how would a historical critic see, and answer, the question? Or a biographical? Or a New Critic? etc.)

2) Make sure your answer is at least a page; try to have at least three paragraphs.