Measure for Measure Act 1 scene 2

This extended resource (material for 2 or 3 lessons) for Measure for Measure Act 1 scene 2 explores the beginning of the Claudio/Juliet plot along with a study of the underclass characters in the world of the brothel and prison. Shakespeare’s prose is discussed as is the language of the lower class characters, centering around money/poverty/disease/immorality and the potential for contextual social commentary this scene provides. Class tasks consider this language (through close analysis of an extract, glossed with contextual and language features), as well as the conventions of marriage (useful for understanding Claudio and Juliet in the eyes of the law). The resource closes with a writing task focusing on what students have learned about Angelo (in Act 1 scene 1 and now by hearing about his actions in Act 1 scene 2), and a sample partial response is included.