Scholars generally identify Measure for Measure as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays." In Shakespeare’s day, plays were generally classified as either histories, comedies, or tragedies. In the Folio, the first printed collection of Shakespeare’s plays, Measure for Measure was listed as a comedy, and indeed, there are many comedic elements in the play. As is typical of Shakespearean comedy, Measure for Measure is full of puns and clever wordplay, features a number of absurd, foolish, and outlandish characters, and most importantly, has a “happy” ending.
However, the play also features a number of elements more often associated with tragedy, including lengthy soliloquies that meditate on such topics as death and mortality, and a villain willing to stoop to murder. In addition, many of the social and interpersonal tensions depicted in the play are not fully resolved by the play’s ending, including the “good” Duke Vincentio’s apparent willingness to execute prisoners in order to bring about his goals. These dark themes and questions make it difficult for many audiences and readers to think of Measure for Measure as a comedy, and now it is most often identified as one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays,” a term used in modern scholarship to categorize a number of works written by Shakespeare at the end of his career. Like his other problem plays, Measure for Measure combines tragic and comic elements to create a play with an uneasy and ambivalent tone.
