Click on the images below to find out more about the setting of Measure for Measure and what we know about where the play is set.

The city is deeply religious and includes an order of nuns known as ‘Poor Clares’.
The duke is the ruler of the city and has the power to appoint a deputy. They are responsible for enforcing the law.
The city has strict laws, but these have not been enforced for some time.
Men have more status than women in Vienna.
It is illegal in Vienna to commit adultery or have sex outside marriage.
There are lots of bawdy houses or brothels in Vienna.

Every performance of Measure for Measure will be set in a place that has all of the things above but they can do that in lots of different ways. For example, the play could be set anywhere in the world which has a colourful city population and houses of religion, such as Barcelona or Moscow, as long as the facts above are included.

Why do you think changing the world or setting of the play might be helpful for modern audiences? Where might you choose to set Measure for Measure?

Teacher notes

On this page students can explore some of the key things that we know about the setting of Measure for Measure by clicking on the pictures.

You can use these pictures, or other images, as a starting point to discuss what they know about the setting of the play and to think about where they would set the play if they were creating their own production. A great way of doing this visually is for students to create a mood board or collage of images that could be used as design inspiration.

The section on design in the Teacher Notes on the Productions page develops on this and asks students to think about the approach they might take to designing a production and what to consider.