NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE

Antony and Cleopatra

As You Like It

The Comedy of Errors

Coriolanus

Hamlet

Henry IV, Parts One and Two

Henry V

Julius Caesar

King Lear

Macbeth

The Merchant of Venice

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Much Ado About Nothing

Othello

Richard II

Richard III

Romeo and Juliet

Sonnets

The Taming of the Shrew

The Tempest

Twelfth Night

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Winter’s Tale

NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE

MEASURE
FOR
MEASURE

SPARKNOTES and NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE are registered trademarks of SparkNotes LLC.

Text © 2017 Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

Cover © 2017 Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4549-2876-8

For information about custom editions, special sales, and premium and corporate purchases, please contact Sterling Special Sales at 800-805-5489 or specialsales@sterlingpublishing.com.

sterlingpublishing.com

sparknotes.com

Cover and title page illustration by Richard Amari.

There’s matter in these sighs, these profound heaves.

You must translate: ’tis fit we understand them.

(Hamlet, 4.1.1–2)

FEAR
NOT.

Have you ever found yourself looking at a Shakespeare play, then down at the footnotes, then back up at the play, and still not understanding? You know what the individual words mean, but they don’t add up. SparkNotes’ No Fear Shakespeare will help you break through all that. Put the pieces together with our easy-to-read translations. Soon you’ll be reading Shakespeare’s own words fearlessly—and actually enjoying it.

No Fear Shakespeare pairs Shakespeare’s language with a translation into modern English—the kind of English people actually speak today. When Shakespeare’s words make your head spin, our translation will help you sort out what’s happening, who’s saying what, and why.

CHARACTERS

Isabella (also known as Isabel)—A virtuous and chaste young woman and devoted sister. Isabella pleads for her brother’s life when he is sentenced to death for having unlawful sex. Isabella is a spiritual person, and initially plans to become a nun.

Duke Vincentio—An unfailingly virtuous, good, and kind-hearted character. Duke Vincentio spends most of his time disguised as a friar to observe what is happening in his absence. He tends to rule leniently, which is why he enlists Angelo’s help.

Claudio—Isabella’s brother. Claudio is young man sentenced to death for impregnating his fiancée before they were married. Claudio depends less on the guidance of laws and religious practices than on that of his sister.

Angelo—The villain of the play. He rules strictly and without mercy. He also proves himself to be a hypocrite who does not adhere to the strict rules he imposes on those around him.

Escalus—A wise lord who advises Angelo to be more merciful. He is loyal to the duke and seeks to carry out his orders justly, but he cannot go against Angelo’s will.

Lucio—A flamboyant bachelor who provides much of the play’s comedic content. Lucio is a friend of Claudio’s and tries to help him.

Mariana—Angelo’s former fiancée. She was supposed to marry Angelo, but he called the wedding off when she lost her dowry in a shipwreck that killed her brother.

Mistress Overdone—The manager of a brothel in Vienna.

Pompey—A clown who also works for Mistress Overdone.

Provost—The prison-keeper who is responsible for carrying out all of Angelo’s orders.

Elbow—A dim-witted constable who arrests people for misconduct, particularly of the sexual variety. Elbow speaks in malapropisms and provides comic relief throughout the play.

Barnardine—A long-term prisoner of the jail. Barnardine is sentenced to be executed together with Claudio. The duke originally considers him hopeless and therefore dispensable but later changes his mind.

Juliet—Claudio’s lover. She is pregnant with his baby.

NO FEAR SHAKESPEARE

MEASURE
FOR
MEASURE