Shakespeare was given a Scottish twang in BBC Radio 3's production of Measure for Measure. Usually set in Vienna, the play was transported to a vague Scottish location as most characters spoke with Scottish accents.
The Clown, Pompey had the broadest accent of all. The comic is usually funny, but his accent made his argument with the sleepy Barnadine all the more hilarious. (Imagine him saying "Awake till you are executed and sleep afterwards" with a North-East accent!)
Despite the accents, the clarity and emotion with which all the actors spoke was incredible. It can be a true challenge to understand Shakespeare when just listening to it, but occasional sound effects, such as the familiar sounds of a prison buzzer and gates, aided comprehension.
As ever with this play, important questions of power, sexuality and religious morals were raised, however not all of the issues are as relevant today as they were at the time of writing. Claudio being sentenced to death for fornication, for example, seems outrageous in a world where having children out of wedlock is commonplace.
However, the issue of Angelo abusing his power to coerce Isabella into having sex still rings alarm bells for people today. The Duke's final assumption that everyone will be content with his decisions, including who can be married to whom, gives the suggestion that the Duke has the potential to abuse his power just as Angelo has done. Isabella does not consent to his hand in marriage, and the final sound of her crying suggests that misery is not over for her - or were they tears of joy at discovering her brother is still alive?
As BBC point out in their description, this is perhaps Shakespeare's strangest comedy, that carries heavy themes through ironic tones - not one for the faint-hearted.
No comments:
Post a Comment