William Shakespeare

Measure for Measure (Adapted) William Shakespeare

Publisher Marketing: Telling his followers he is leaving the city on affairs of state, the Duke of Vienna appoints the puritanical Angelo to govern in his absence. Will Angelo prove as virtuous as he seems once power is in his hands? Roaming the city disguised as a friar, the duke looks on as Angelo s lust for the virtuous Isabella sweeps him into the corruption he has so sternly condemned in others. The duke s manipulation at last produces a happy ending for this dark comedy, with its brilliant exploration of the themes of justice and mercy. Roger Allam plays the duke and Simon Russell Beale is Angelo. Isabella is played by Stella Gonet." Contributor Bio:  Shakespeare, William Arguably the greatest English-language playwright, William Shakespeare was a seventeenth-century writer and dramatist, and is known as the "Bard of Avon." Under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth I, he penned more than 30 plays, 154 sonnets, and numerous narrative poems and short verses. Equally accomplished in histories, tragedies, comedy, and romance, Shakespeare's most famous works include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It. Like many of his contemporaries, including Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare began his career on the stage, eventually rising to become part-owner of Lord Chamberlain's Men, a popular dramatic company of his day, and of the storied Globe Theatre in London. Extremely popular in his lifetime, Shakespeare's works continue to resonate more than three hundred years after his death. His plays are performed more often than any other playwright's, have been translated into every major language in the world, and are studied widely by scholars and students. Contributor Bio:  Beale, Simon Russell Simon Russell Beale is an award-winning stage actor and recipient of numerous accolades, including the 1996 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor and the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He is an associate of the National Theatre and the Almeida Theatre in London and an associate artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company.