Measure for Measure 20

Some Shake-Speare / Bacon parallels in Measure for Measure (20)

Shake-Speare:

Angelo:  “ . . . He should have liv'd, save that his riotous youth, with dangerous sense, might in the times to come have ta'en revenge, . .”   

Measure for Measure, 4.4.26-28

(Angelo was being prudent in intending to kill Claudio, since he saw Claudio as a danger to him, if he was allowed to live).

Bacon:

“Cruelty proceeding from danger is prudence”.

Exempla Antithetorum

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Shake-Speare:

Angelo’s evil conception (to abuse Isabel) could not be dealt with until he communicated his intentions to her; then, and only then could care be taken that, as Isabella says of Angelo: 

 “ . . . His act did not o’ertake his bad intent”.  

Measure for Measure, 5.1.448

Bacon:

 “And it is part of clemency to punish the middle or intermediate acts to prevent their ends from being accomplished”.   And as was posted earlier:  “It is the part of discipline to punish the first buddings of all grave offences”.

Aphorism 41

(Once Angelo’s intent is communicated (the first budding, or intermediate act of a grave offence, then he could be disciplined to prevent its completion).