Measure for Measure Quotes by William Shakespeare: Context & Meanings

Measure for Measure, Act III, Scene I, Claudio to the disguised Duke. The scan-backed 1910 Methuen facsimile transcription of the 1623 First Folio reads “The miserable haue no other medicine / But onely hope” as Claudio awaits possible execution. The line remains fictional speech under threat of death, not medical treatment guidance or a guarantee that hope resolves suffering.

Measure for Measure, Lucio to Isabella. The retained modern locator is Act I, Scene 4; the represented 1623 First Folio witness, reviewed through the 1910 Methuen facsimile transcription on Wikisource, labels the same scene Act I, Scene V (Scena Quinta). Lucio urges Isabella to test her ability to plead for Claudio rather than let doubt prevent the attempt. This is fictional dramatic speech, not Shakespeare speaking autobiographically or a universal psychological law.