Disillusionment in Measure by Measure

According to Professor Little: Lucio, as the light, brings about disillusionment within the play symbolically by pulling the veil off the duke and thus exposing the conviction of authority.

Disillusionment: loss of false belief: disappointment caused by a frustrated ideal or belief. Encarta ® World English

Vienna in Measure by Measure stands as a city masked by illusion. In the beginning the characters and
citizens are all impulsively drawn to the perverse over the natural. For instance Isabella desires to enter
nunnery which traditionally symbolizes the ultimate institution of virtue. However, Shakespeare’s depicts
the nunnery as sterile, void of life and Professor Little described it as a “Dead Zone.“ This perverts the
audience’s understanding of Isabella’s desire for chastity as her hunger for virtue becomes a hunger for
death. While discussing her sexuality to her brother she even uses “death” terminology: “whips, strip myself
to death, sick, yield body up to shame (Scene 2.4, line 100.) ” Ultimately, Isabella serves as character marred
by illusion as her impulses do not match up to her thoughts, words and thus convictions.

Lucio, however never suppresses his natural impulses. He unashamedly hangs out with whores, he gossips, openly jokes and ultimately never denies himself access to his raw desires. In a sense, Lucio is a naked character for Shakespeare does not present his impulses as different from his thoughts or actions. Thus, by pulling the veil off the duke, Lucio reveals the masquerade the Duke solicited as an authority figure. Where Lucio is light, clear and honest, the Duke is a shadow. He disguises himself, aims to suppress the natural impulses of the city by closing down the brothels and strips the citizens of their privacy by representing an omnipresent, always prevalent authority. Thus, Lucio brings about disillusionment by urging Vienna’s citizens to admit to their lack of privacy brought upon by the Duke.

Heather Farley-Rushworth section 1A