Measure Essay: 21st Century Culture

21st Century Culture: A Cinematic Retelling of Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
In reading Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare I was shocked by the obscurity for which Shakespeare places both the concept of religion and culture from within the context of the play. Set the early 1600s, the Catholic City of Vienna is revealed to be a place that for over “fourteen years” has been corrupted by the greed of politics and prostitutions, with the supposed leader of the land, the duke, disappearing earlier on in the play, thus making the city under the control of the tyrant Angelo. In placing control and leadership under Angelo’s grip, the city flaws into chaos that is both comedic and tragic, thus developing the question of whether this play is a comedy or tragedy. In imagining Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure” as a movie I can predict my review of the cinematic retelling to be focused solely on the developed and impact the movie had on me, while also lacing together the fundamental changes a 21st century retelling would have on a play written in the 16th century.
Living in the 21st century where popular culture has developed many Shakespearean Dramas and Comedies into modern day retellings, I can predict that the
With changes to fit a more modern day audience, key subject material like religion and social morality could be lost when retelling the production, thus creating a “floppy” love story that fundamentally in my opinion misses the point on what Shakespeare is saying about the individual morality of characters when in it comes to leadership. In all, I believe I would enjoy the modern day retelling but would not ever suggest a movie version of “measure for Measure” in place of its