
Dramatis Personæ
ACT I - SCENE I. An apartment in the Duke’s palace.
ACT II - SCENE I. A hall in Angelo’s house.
ACT III - SCENE I. A room in the prison.
ACT IV - SCENE I. A room in Mariana’s house.
ACT V - SCENE I. A public place near the city gate.
In the bustling streets of Vienna, a ruler steps back from his throne, handing power to his stern deputy Angelo. The duke’s confidence in Angelo’s strict sense of justice sets the city on a course toward harsh enforcement of long‑ignored laws. As the new authority begins to mete out punishments, the citizens—ranging from hopeful lovers to seasoned officials—feel the weight of an unforgiving regime.
Among those caught in the tightening grip is Claudio, a young gentleman whose indiscretion threatens his future, and his sister Isabella, a devout novice determined to protect him. Their desperate pleas draw them into a moral maze where law, mercy, and personal desire clash. With witty banter from streetwise Lucio and the looming presence of the Duke’s hidden watchfulness, the drama unfolds as Vienna wrestles with the balance between order and compassion.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (124K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
the PG Shakespeare Team, a team of about twenty Project Gutenberg volunteers
Release date
Nov 1, 1998
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1564–1616
A playwright, poet, and actor whose stories have traveled far beyond the Elizabethan stage, shaping the way generations think about love, ambition, jealousy, power, and loss. His plays and poems remain lively, surprising, and deeply human more than four centuries after his death.
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by E. (Edith) Nesbit, William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare

by William Shakespeare