Measure for Measure 10

Some Shake-Speare / Bacon parallels in Measure for Measure (10)

Shake-Speare:

“Some (are) condemned for a fault alone”.

Measure for Measure, 2.1.40

Bacon:

“. . . in men of eminent virtue, their smallest faults (or defects) are readily seen, talked of, and severely censured, which in ordinary men would be either entirely unnoticed or readily excused”.

Bacon on Ecclesiastes X.I.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  -

Shake-Speare:

Isabella: “O just but severe law”!

Measure for Measure, 2.2.41

Bacon:

“There are some laws fit to be retained but their penalty too great.”

(Life and Letters, 6. p.65)

“And it is ever a rule that any over-great penalty (besides the acerbity of it) deads the execution of the law”.

(Life and Letters, 6, p. 65)