『자에는 자로』에 나타난 연극의 정치성

Measure for Measure dramatized the theatricality of political power. During the reign of James I, theatricality of power was practiced by the court, and the political power of a monarch was considered theatrical. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is was performed at James I’s court at Christmas in 1604, and the Duke in the play was recognized as a flattering portrait of James I. Resemblances between the Duke in the play and James I are found in their attempts to create their own positive images and in their appropriation of the images. The Duke Vincentio is the dramatic equivalent of a divine providence that is “powerful, beneficent and ubiquitous,” and James I practiced this benign providence in the real political setting. Theatricality is an indispensable element in the process of creating and appropriating the images. In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare not only reflects the theatricality of the political power but also the power of this theatricality. In particular, the theatricality was manipulated and utilized by the Duke. This paper examines how theatricality is manipulated by the Duke, and how theatrical trickery is appropriated to enforce his political power. KCI Citation Count: 3