MEASURE FOR MEASURE.

HERAUSGEGEBEN UND ERKLÄRT

VON

DR. NICOLAUS DELIUS.

ELBERFELD, 1860. VERLAG VON R. L. FRIDERICHS.

Einleitung.

Shakspere's Measure for Measure ist zuerst gedruckt in der Gesammtausgabe der Shakspere'schen Dramen in Folio (1623) und steht daselbst, in Acte und Scenen eingetheilt, als das vierte Stück der Comedies. Der Text is ziemlich verwahrlost und bietet manche Schwierigkeiten und Dunkelheiten, welche alle Erklärungsversuche und Aenderungsvorschläge späterer Herausgeber nicht gänzlich zu beseitigen vermocht haben. Die erste Notiz von diesem Schauspiel findet sich in den Verzeichnissen dramatischer Aufführungen bei Hofe unter Elisabeth und Jacob I., wo aus dem Jahrgang von October 1604 bis October 1605 folgendes Memorandum des Master of the Revels verzeichnet ist: By his Matis plaiers On St. Stevens Night in the Hall A play called Mesur for Mesur. Als Verfasser ist unter der danebenstehenden Rubrik, überschrieben The Poets wch mayd the plaies, der Name Shaxberd angegeben. Es ergiebt sich daraus, dass Shakspere's Measure for Measure am 26. December 1604 im Palaste zu Whitehall aufgeführt wurde von der Shakspere'schen Schauspielergesellschaft, welche seit Mai 1603 den Titel The King's Players führte. Wahrscheinlich war das Stück damals neu; wenigstens sprechen gegen eine etwa viel frühere Abfassung die Eigenthümlichkeiten des Stils und Verses, die entschieden auf die letzte Periode in Shakspere's dramatischer Thätigkeit hinweisen. Erwägenswerth bleiben auch noch einige vermeintliche, von den Kritikern hervorgehobene, Beziehungen auf bestimmte Charakterzüge König Jacob's, der seit dem März 1603 auf dem Englischen Throne sass, in einigen Stellen von Measure for Measure; so I love the people etc. (Vgl. A. 1, Sc. 1 gegen das Ende) und even so | The general, subject to a well-wish'd king etc. (Vgl. A. 2, Sc. 4 in Angelo's Monolog.)

Shakspere legte seinem Drama ein älteres von George Whetstone zu Grunde, das unter dem Titel The Historie of Promos and Cassandra im Jahre 1578 im Druck erschien und das nicht viel früher, geschrieben sein kann, nach der Anwendung des Blank verses zu schliessen welcher, wenn auch nur sehr vereinzelt, neben dem sonst überall vorherrschenden Reime sich geltend macht. Whetstone schickt seinem Drama folgende Inhaltsanzeige voraus:

In the Cytie of Julio (sometimes under the dominion of Corvinus King of Hungarie, and Boemia) there was a law, that what man so ever commited Adultery, should lose his head, and the woman offender, should weare some disguised apparell, during her life, to make her infamouslye noted. This severe lawe, by the favour of some merciful magistrate, became little regarded, untill the time of Lord Promos auctority: who convicting a yong Gentleman named Andrugio of incontinency, condemned, both him, and his minion, to the execution of this statute. Andrugio had a very vertuous and beautiful Gentlewoman to his Sister, named Cassandra: Cassandra to enlarge her brothers life, submitted an humble petition to the Lord Promos: Promos regarding her good behavours, and fantasying her great beautie, was much delighted with the sweete order of her talke: and doying good, that evill might come thereof: for a time, he repryved her brother: but wicked man, tourning his liking unto unlawfull lust, he set downe the spoile of her honour, raunsome for her Brothers life: chaste Cassandra, abhorring both him and his sute, by no persuasion would yeald to this raunsome. But in fine, wonne with the importunitye of hir Brother (pleading for life) upon these conditions, she agreede to ProFirst that he should pardon her brother, and after marry her. Promos as feareles in promisse, as carelesse in performance, with sollemne vowe, sygned her conditions: but worse then any Infydel, his will satisfyed, he performed neither the one nor the other: for to keepe his aucthoritye, unspotted with favour, and to prevent Cassandrae's clamors, he commaunded the Gayler secretly, to present Cassandra with her brother's head. The Gayler, with the outcryes of Andrugio, abhorring Promos lewdenes, by the providence of God, provided thus for his safety. He presented Cassandra with a felons head newlie executed, who (being mangled, knew it not from her brother's, by the Gaylor, who was set at libertie) was so agreeved at this trecherye, that at the pointe to kyl her selfe, she spared that stroke to be avenged of Promos. And devisyng a way, she concluded, to make her fortunes knowne unto the kinge. She (executinge this resolution) was so highly favoured of the king, that forthwith he hasted to do justice on Promos: whose judgment was, to marrye Cassandra, to repaire her crased honour: which donne, for his hainous offence he should lose his head. This mariage solempnised, Cassandra tyed in the greatest bondes of affection to her husband, became an earnest suter for his life: the kinge (tendringe the generall benefit of the common weale, before her special case, although he favoured her much) would not graunt her sute. Andrugio (disguised amonge the company) sorrowing the griefe of his sister, bewrayde his safetye, and craved pardon. The kinge, to renowne the vertues of Cassandra, pardoned both him and Promos. In diesem Argument of the whole Historye, wie es betitelt ist, fehlt jede Hindeutung auf diejenigen Nebenpersonen des Dra

mas, welche dem Lucio, dem Clown, der Kupplerin u. s. w. entsprechen und fast die Hälfte des auf zehn Acte in zwei Abtheilungen vertheilten Stückes ausfüllen. Wie wenig freilich Shakspere ausser diesen allgemeinen, bei ihm noch bedeutend modificirten, Umrissen dem Whetstone'schen Schauspiel entlehnen konnte, davon mögen eine Probe geben diejenigen Scenen, welche der zweiten und der vierten Scene des zweiten Actes von Measure for Measure entsprechen:

ACTUS II. SCENA III.

PROMOS with the SHRIEFE, and their Officers.
PROMOS.

'Tis strange to thinke what swarms of unthrifts live
Within this towne, by rapine, spoyle, and theft,
That were it not that justice ofte them greeve
The just mans goods by ruflers should be reft.
At this our syse are thirtye judgde to dye
Whose falles I see their fellowes smally feare,
So that the way is, by severity

Such wicked weedes even by the rootes to teare.
Wherefore, Shriefe, execute with speedy pace
The dampned wights, to cutte of hope of grace.
SHRIEFE.

It shal be done.

CASSANDRA to hirselfe.

O cruell words they make my hart to bleede:
Now, now I must this dome seeke to revoke
Least grace come short when starved is the steede.

She kneeling speakes to PROMOS.

Most mighty lord, a worthy judge, thy judgement sharpe abate,
Vaile thou thine eares to heare the plaint that wretched I relate.
Behold the wofull syster here of poore Andrugio,

Whom though that lawe awardeth death, yet mercy do him show.
Way his yong yeares, the force of love which forced his amis,
Way, way that mariage works amends for what committed is.
He hath defilde no nuptiall bed, nor forced rape hath mov'd;
He fel through love who never ment but wive the wight he lov'd:
And wantons sure to keepe in awe these statutes first were made,
Or none but lustfull leachers should with rygrous law be payd.
And yet to adde intent thereto is farre from my pretence;
I sue with teares to wyn him grace that sorrows his offence.
Wherefore herein, renowned lorde, justice with pilee payse
Which two, in equall ballance waide, to heaven your fame will raise.
PROMOS.

Cassandra, leave of thy bootlesse sute, by law he hath bene tride,
Lawe founde his faulte, lawe judgde him death.

Yet this maye be replide,

CASSANDRA.

That law a mischiefe oft permits to keepe due forme of lawe,

That lawe small faultes, with greatest doomes, to keepe men styl in awe.