Measure for Measure: Character Profiles

Isabella: A novice nun, Isabella is a virtuous and chaste woman whose main conflict arises when she is asked to sacrifice her virginity for her brother’s life.
Mariana: Jilted by Angelo due to a lost dowry, Mariana is still in love with him and agrees to participate in the bed trick to trick Angelo.
Juliet: Juliet, Claudio’s pregnant lover, is a gentle character who loves him and seems to bear no ill will against him, even though their illegal sexual encounter has resulted in his arrest.
Francisca: A minor character in the play, Francisca is a nun who speaks with Isabella about the rules of the cloister.
Mistress Overdone: A brothel owner, Mistress Overdone appears as a comic character providing insightful commentary on Vienna’s thriving sexual underbelly.
Vincentio: The Duke of Vienna, Vincentio disguises himself as a friar to observe the action and eventually to manipulate the other characters into a happy ending.
Angelo: As the deputised ruler of Vienna, Angelo is strict and puritanical but reveals his own hypocrisy when he attempts to force Isabella into sleeping with him.
Escalus: An old and respected Lord, Escalus serves as a voice of wisdom and reason in the play, advising both Angelo and the Duke.
Claudio: Isabella’s brother Claudio is arrested for getting Juliet pregnant and is consequential to the plot as his life hangs in the balance.
Pompey Bum: A clownish pimp, Pompey provides comedic relief as well as a critique of the hypocrisy inherent in Vienna’s attempts at sexual reform.
Lucio: A comic character often seen in the brothel, Lucio is a friend of Claudio’s who tries to help him, but ultimately reveals the Duke’s disguise.
Minor Characters: Each minor character, from the Provost to the various servants and officers, contributes to the plot and theme of law and justice in the city of Vienna.