Within Measure for Measure we are presented with the situation that bearing a child out of wedlock, despite out of love, is equivalent to death. (Having sex prior to marriage is illegal.) Although Claudio truly loved Juliet, the woman bearing his child, he was to be executed for his illegal actions. As we all know, he eventually escapes execution and is happily reunited with Juliet, leaving the possibility for the assumption that they marry and live “happily ever after.” But for some of the other characters, their ending was not so merry.

Lucio claims :”Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, / whipping, and hanging:” (5.1.30) This suggests that the woman who bore his child is a prostitute whom he did not love or care for marrying. Despite the severity in the repercussions, he still wished to not marry her. In effect, he preferred death, or any punishable acts, over being forever bound to a prostitute, or any woman whom he did not love.

A similar situation is presented to Angelo when the Duke orders him to marry Mariana for having pre-marital sex with her. Although he obeys the Duke, he never speaks a word, implying his dissatisfaction with the event that has occurred. This may be going too far into it but the fact that he sentenced Claudio to death may have implied that he was doing him a favor. By not believing in the true love between Claudio and Juliet, he would save him from a life of suffering. (This may of course be an invalid interpretation but i thought it was a bit humorous.)

Surprisingly, Isabella is confronted with the same situation. When she is finally told that her brother is alive and well, the Duke suggest that he has done her a favor. Most individuals believe that no favor is done out of pure kindness but rather because there is something that’s wanted out of the act. This applies to this event. After implying that he has done her a favor by forgiving the illegal act of her brother, and in effect, saving his life, he asks for her hand in marriage. She remains silent after the proposal but we are unsure whether she is silently happy or silently upset. One can assume that the silence is her expression of disbelief that she is once again being conned by a powerful figure. (Angelo attempted a similar action) “If he be like your brother, for his sake/Is he pardon’d; and, for your lovely sake,/Give me your hand and say you will be mine” (5.1.61).

In conclusion, we can  now see that death has typically projected a better outcome than that of marriage. If we took a step back, in the play. and attempted to imagine what it would be like if anyone who engaged in sexual actions prior to marriage, would be sentenced to death, how would it affect the characters. Who would change for the better? Would it change anything at all?