Measure for Measure Lies and Deceit Quotes Page 3

When Barnardine informs the officials that he is simply too hungover to be executed that day, we're pretty astonished (and amused), especially given the fact that the Duke plans to substitute Barnardine's head for Claudio's.  It seems like Barnardine's role in the play is to draw our attention to the immorality and hypocrisy of the Duke's plan.

When Duke Vincentio pulls off his friar's hood and reveals his true identity, Angelo knows the jig is up and confesses immediately.  What's interesting about this passage is the way Angelo compares the Duke to an all-knowing, all-seeing "power divine."  While Angelo associates the Duke's disguise with the omniscience of God, the audience may wonder at the seeming sacrilegious nature of the Duke's behavior.  After all, what kind of a man impersonates a friar? 

When Escalus lights into Angelo for being corrupt on the inside while appearing so "learned and wise" on the outside, he uses the language of minting (coining) to describe Angelo's fall from grace.  Here, Escalus plays on the word "slip," which literally means "to make a mistake," and is also a name for a counterfeit coin.  Check out "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory" if you want to know more about the play's obsession with coin metaphors and imagery.