In a play where lies, deceit, and disguises are at the core of the plot, there remains only one man who continues to carry on his personal values regardless of the pressure to conform to the higher ups that lay down the law of the land; his name is Lucio, the true hero (maybe anti-hero) of the story. A man who decides to play by his own rules, regardless of the inevitable consequences that’ll be handed down to him continues to express his charismatic and witty personality towards every other character throughout the play; therefore forcing them to come to terms with their own personal demons and desires. The way he subliminally “pimps” out Isabella to Angelo so that she can free her brother Claudio from prison, or how he casually talks to the disguised friar(the Duke in disguise) about how the Duke was a great leader not just because of his leniency but because how he also indulged in the pleasure of other women just like his fellow citizen. The term “sin” is blind to the of Lucio as he believes that it is not a sin to please ones desires, and that those who believe it to be so are clearly in denial of their own human wants and needs. Is Lucio a saint? Nope, but that is the reason he is the best and most relatable character within the play; he embraces his human instincts and does not sugar coat his opinion. The title of the play is Measure for Measure but a lot of the characters within this story take half measures, as they decide to not fully embrace there own beliefs and desires. Angelo wants to enforce the law against premarital sex, but can’t resist Isabella. Isabella wants to save her dear brother Claudio, but refuses to commit a single sin to save his life, but will deceive Angelo in the end. The Duke wants to infiltrate the community as a common man, but still has issues letting go of his ego. It is only Lucio who goes all in from the beginning until the end, and even though he is disciplined by the king his character never wavers. Is he immature and volatile? Indeed, but within the character of Lucio there are no half measures, only full and that makes him the ultimate hero of the story.
One thought on “No more Half Measures”
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Christopher, this makes a lot of sense. I’ll go you one further, however, and nominate the priceless Barnardine as the winner for this category. I’m sure there were many young men like Lucio in Elizabethan London–there certainly are in 21st-century Manhattan: he’s a privileged person of relatively high status and much of the tension in his part comes from the sense that he’s not living up to the standard he enjoys. He is a sleazy guy, although he can be reverent when he meets a beautiful novice in her convent, and how he’s played by an actor will make an enormous difference in the audience’s ultimate evaluation of his worth.