When we first meet Claudio, he is
under arrest. As the Provost seems to be parading the arrested Claudio at a
public place, Claudio makes a mild protest against being thus exhibited. The
Provost thereupon explains that it is under orders from above that he is
exhibiting him (Claudio) to the public while taking him to the prison, Claudio
makes a generalization in which he blames men of authority for being callous
towards those who have incurred their wrath: “Thus can the demi-god, Authority,
Makes us pay down for our offence by weight.” He makes another generalization
when Lucio asks him why he has been arrested. In this case he says that too
much liberty always invites restraint, meaning that a man who enjoys too much
freedom is likely to be put under restraint. When Lucio asks him whence comes
this restraint, Claudio replies: “From too much liberty, my Lucio. Liberty, As
surfeit, is the father of much fast; So every scope by the immoderate use Turns
to restraint.” Here he speaks almost like a moralist, and he speaks in a
sententious, pithy style. Claudio, is giving to Lucio an account of the events
leading to his arrest, tells him that he had been sleeping with Juliet whom he
regards truly as his wife even though he is not yet formally married to her. He
gives Lucio the reason why the ritual of marriage between him and Juliet had
not been gone through. He then goes on to inform Lucio that a drastic action
has been taken against him by Angelo who is the new governor of the country and
who is probing to be a tyrannical ruler. Claudio says that Angelo has revived a
certain law which had long been in disuse and has condemned him to the maximum
punishment permitted by that law. He then requests Lucio to convey his
predicament to his sister Isabella. Claudio would like Isabella to use all her
graces and her persuasive manner of speech to try to win a pardon for him from
Angelo. Claudio’s comments on Angelo lead us to believe that Angelo is really
asserting his authority with the maximum rigour. Lucio’s manner of speaking
shows him to be a frivolous kind of person. In fact, Lucio too is a comic
character, like Pompey and Mistress Overdone even though he belongs to a higher
class of society.
No comments:
Post a Comment
thank you for your wise concern. your comment will be shown after a short review. have a nice time.