Measure for Measure: Act 2, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 3 of Measure for Measure from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Duke, disguised as a Friar, and Provost. DUKE, as Friar Hail to you, provost, so I think you are. PROVOST I am the Provost. What’s your will, good friar? DUKE, as Friar Bound by my charity and my blest order, I come to visit the afflicted spirits Here in the prison. Do me the common right 5 To let me see them, and to make me know The nature of their crimes, that I may minister To them accordingly. PROVOST I would do more than that if more were needful. Enter Juliet. Look, here comes one, a gentlewoman of mine, 10 Who, falling in the flaws of her own youth, Hath blistered her report. She is with child, And he that got it, sentenced—a young man, More fit to do another such offense Than die for this. 15 DUKE, as Friar When must he die? PROVOST As I do think, tomorrow. To Juliet. I have provided for you. Stay awhile And you shall be conducted. DUKE, as Friar, to Juliet Repent you, fair one, of the sin you carry? 20 JULIET I do; and bear the shame most patiently. DUKE, as Friar I’ll teach you how you shall arraign your conscience, And try your penitence, if it be sound Or hollowly put on. JULIET I’ll gladly learn. 25 DUKE, as Friar Love you the man that wronged you? JULIET Yes, as I love the woman that wronged him. DUKE, as Friar So then it seems your most offenseful act Was mutually committed? JULIET Mutually. 30 DUKE, as Friar Then was your sin of heavier kind than his. JULIET I do confess it and repent it, father. DUKE, as Friar ’Tis meet so, daughter; but lest you do repent As that the sin hath brought you to this shame, Which sorrow is always toward ourselves, not 35 heaven, Showing we would not spare heaven as we love it, But as we stand in fear— JULIET I do repent me as it is an evil, And take the shame with joy. 40 DUKE, as Friar There rest. Your partner, as I hear, must die tomorrow, And I am going with instruction to him. Grace go with you. Benedicite. He exits. JULIET Must die tomorrow? O injurious love 45 That respites me a life, whose very comfort Is still a dying horror. PROVOST ’Tis pity of him. They exit.	The Duke, still on his weird little holiday, shows up at the prison disguised as a friar so he can "minister" to the inmates. (Yep, that's pretty odd. Check out our thoughts in "Characters: Duke Vincentio" if you want some insight into this. Juliet enters and the Provost tells the Duke/Friar that Juliet is going to have a baby out of wedlock and her baby daddy is sentenced to die tomorrow. The Duke/Friar asks Juliet if she repents her sin. She does. The Duke wants to know if the sex was consensual. It was. Juliet says that her sin was bigger than Claudio's. (Weird. What's up with that?) The Duke/Friar tells Juliet he's off to see Claudio, who is set to die tomorrow. Juliet is shocked to hear of Claudio's punishment, and the Provost agrees it's horrible.

Original Text

Translated Text

Enter Duke, disguised as a Friar, and Provost.

DUKE, as Friar
Hail to you, provost, so I think you are.

PROVOST
I am the Provost. What’s your will, good friar?

DUKE, as Friar
Bound by my charity and my blest order,
I come to visit the afflicted spirits
Here in the prison. Do me the common right 5
To let me see them, and to make me know
The nature of their crimes, that I may minister
To them accordingly.

PROVOST
I would do more than that if more were needful.

Enter Juliet.

Look, here comes one, a gentlewoman of mine, 10
Who, falling in the flaws of her own youth,
Hath blistered her report. She is with child,
And he that got it, sentenced—a young man,
More fit to do another such offense
Than die for this. 15

DUKE, as Friar
When must he die?

PROVOST As I do think, tomorrow.
To Juliet. I have provided for you. Stay awhile
And you shall be conducted.

DUKE, as Friar, to Juliet
Repent you, fair one, of the sin you carry? 20

JULIET
I do; and bear the shame most patiently.

DUKE, as Friar
I’ll teach you how you shall arraign your conscience,
And try your penitence, if it be sound
Or hollowly put on.

JULIET
I’ll gladly learn. 25

DUKE, as Friar
Love you the man that wronged you?

JULIET
Yes, as I love the woman that wronged him.

DUKE, as Friar
So then it seems your most offenseful act
Was mutually committed?

JULIET
Mutually. 30

DUKE, as Friar
Then was your sin of heavier kind than his.

JULIET
I do confess it and repent it, father.

DUKE, as Friar
’Tis meet so, daughter; but lest you do repent
As that the sin hath brought you to this shame,
Which sorrow is always toward ourselves, not 35
heaven,
Showing we would not spare heaven as we love it,
But as we stand in fear—

JULIET
I do repent me as it is an evil,
And take the shame with joy. 40

DUKE, as Friar
There rest.
Your partner, as I hear, must die tomorrow,
And I am going with instruction to him.
Grace go with you. Benedicite.

He exits.

JULIET
Must die tomorrow? O injurious love 45
That respites me a life, whose very comfort
Is still a dying horror.

PROVOST
’Tis pity of him.

They exit.

The Duke, still on his weird little holiday, shows up at the prison disguised as a friar so he can "minister" to the inmates. (Yep, that's pretty odd. Check out our thoughts in "Characters: Duke Vincentio" if you want some insight into this.

Juliet enters and the Provost tells the Duke/Friar that Juliet is going to have a baby out of wedlock and her baby daddy is sentenced to die tomorrow.

The Duke/Friar asks Juliet if she repents her sin.

She does.

The Duke wants to know if the sex was consensual.

It was.

Juliet says that her sin was bigger than Claudio's. (Weird. What's up with that?)

The Duke/Friar tells Juliet he's off to see Claudio, who is set to die tomorrow.

Juliet is shocked to hear of Claudio's punishment, and the Provost agrees it's horrible.

Measure for Measure: Act 2, Scene 3 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 2, Scene 3 of Measure for Measure from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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