SOURCE: "'He Who the Sword of Heaven Will Bear': The Duke Versus Angelo in Measure For Measure" in Shakespeare Survey: An Annual Survey of Shakespearian Study and Production, Vol. 37, 1984, pp. 89-97.

In the essay that follows, Bawcutt explores the distinctly different attitudes of the Duke and Angelo toward the law and how it is applied in Vienna, arguing that it is oversimplifying the matter to state, as critics often do, that Angelo personifies the Law while the Duke stands for Mercy.

'Law', 'Mercy', and 'Justice' are three of the main concepts repeatedly used in Measure for Measure. There are no simple deductions to be made from this fact: the meaning of the play cannot be summed up as a kind of mathematical equation, Law plus Mercy equals Justice. The words themselves are not presented unambiguously. 'Law' is usually qualified by adjectives implying that Viennese law is harsh by...