Interpretations fall into two main camps: The Duke as Compassionate Ruler; and the Duke as Manipulator, verging on Evil.

Here again, we see two main possibilities for Angelo: as Fallen from Virtue, and as Evil.

The most disputed and controversial character (or archetype) in the play. A nun, virtuous, chaste and merciful, or selfish in her virtue. Either way, a human striving for perfection, and a beautiful young woman.

Generally, we view Escalus as old, wise, merciful, level-headed, judicious and just: the archetypical wise old man.

Claudio is a good man who has made a minor mistake and is being made to suffer unjustly. He admits his guilt freely and honorably resigns himself to his fate. ih.

Julietta should have very long dark hair, worn loosely tied back. Her slight build will enhance her pregnancy. She should wear an empire waist dress, in neutral tones, to accomadate her belly. kb. She, like Claudio, is penitent and remorseful .

Lucio is a comic character. As go-between for Claudio and Isabella, he is on the side of goodness, yet he has also sinned in a similar manner as Claudio, though less honorably. Throughout the play, he makes jokes, taunts authority, and acts as a general source of annoyance to others, but he is good-hearted. dw.

An ally of truth and justice, he is merciful towards his inmates and willing to go along with the Duke's subterfuge, although he believes the Duke to be but a friar at the time. dw. Dress and feature should be bland and almost non-descript. A dull, obedient, mild "yes-man." kb. Moral, sympathetic, understanding, humane, honest and honorable.

Minor characters who help the Duke carry off his stealthy observance of his Dukedom. Neither seems to be terribly important in in their beliefs or righteousness. dw.

A confused and slightly malevolent fool. He is a pathetically comic character since he is not only a cuckold but is also impotent in dispensing justice to the offender. dw. Confused, righteous, resolute, foolish. Clueless, timid, and small.

Froth is a silly drunk and is a very minor character. He, along with Elbow and Pompey, serves to generate some laughs in the second act. dw.

Pompey is a tapster or bartender, another comic fellow who serves in Mistress Overdone's brothel and often gets into trouble with the law. He is charged with being a bawd (a pimp, a keeper of a brothel) by Elbow and is apprenticed to an executioner, but he never seems to be in serious trouble. dw.

Abhorson is an executioner who never kills. Instead, he offers another site for humor. His name is a compound of "abhor" and "whore-son." He tries to teach his profession to Pompey because he believes he will need an assistant. dw.

Barnardine has been in jail for nine years when Angelo takes office. A funny drunkard, Barnardine never seems to be bothered by his situation until he is condemned, at which point he claims to be too hung-over to meet his fate. Claudio's acquittal is Barnardine's luck, since he is spared by the Provost and the Duke in tandem with Claudio. dw.

Viewed as faithful and worthy of pity, or as witless and desperate, Mariana still loves Angelo, to whom she was betrothed before her dowry sank in a shipwreck.

Mistress Overdone is an aging woman who wears too much make-up and is really overweight. A shrewd businesswoman, frank and vulgar. Colorful, flamboyant. Outfit should mimic the styles of aristocracy, but be composed of colorful and gaudy material; tight and revealing of a misshapen figure.

Physical appearance and costume: The Duke is a short, pudgy, middle-aged man who is balding. His royal dress is ostentatious, overflowing with gold trim, and even when the Duke is in the guise of a friar his clothes suggest pretentiousness. This overall physical appearance of the Duke suggests that he has some sort of a superiority complex and that he is always in need of proving himself. ih.

Reasoning: The Duke is a manipulator of his subjects in this play. From the outset, the Duke uses Escalus and Angelo as pawns to re-establish control over his permissive liegemen. The Duke also manipulates Isabella and Mariana into performing "the bedtrick" with Angelo. When the duke assumes a disguise, he demonstrates his need to know accurate information; the Duke must always be right. With this information, the Duke (in the guise of a friar) is able to solicit lies from the mouth of Angleo. The Duke then reveals himself to his subjects and proceeds to unravel the misdeeds of Angelo. The following parade of "discoveries," however, is just a show for the Duke to flaunt his superiority over his subjects. ih.

Vincentio is kind and lenient to his subjects, although he nonetheless wants to dispense justice in its due. He practices restraint as a leader, knowing that some of the insults and slander that he encounters come with the territory and are nothing personal. Although Lucio insults the Duke to his face and is consistently rude, the Duke only punishes him for his adultery, not for his ignorant jabs. An all around fair and gentle ruler is Vincentio. dw.

Appearance: Angleo is very tall and lean. He should have black, slicked-back hair. His features should be chiseled and very sharp, reflecting a severe nature. As the scenes progress his dress should become more lavish and ornate. At the introductory scene he should only wear a cross as ornamentation, but then add jewels and regalia. He should be seen carrying a Bible during the scenes regarding Claudio's sentencing. kb.

Angelo, the duke's deputy, is a controlled and conservative leader. He believes himself to be of the strongest moral convictions, but this falls apart upon the sight of the beautiful Isabella. Angelo then uses his power to achieve his own goals, not the state's. We see that Angelo undergoes a fall from grace. Perhaps he is wound too tightly at the beginning of the play to go on as a model of self-control and prudence. dw.

Appearance: Young, good-looking, cocky, and an upstart aristocrat. He is always dressed fashionably and in white. But like his name, the white clothing is an ironic reflection of his real disposition. ih.

Angelo is heartless because he deserted Mariana over a lost dowry. He is more concerned about money than the people who respect and love him. Angelo is immoral not only for his desertion of Mariana but for his scheme to get Isabella to sleep with him. Finally, Angelo is hypocritical because he tyrannically imposes a strict law on pre-marital sex, yet he proceeds to sleep with Mariana out of wedlock. ih.

Appears to be remorseful about his mistake. He shows his intelligence in an eloquent speech to Lucio where he asks for his sister's help. When his sister, Isabella, tells Claudio of Angelo's treachery, Claudio understands and initially does not ask her to sleep with Angelo. But the thought of death scares Claudio into asking Isabella to comply with Angleo's sexual blackmail. dw.

A good-looking young man that always appears in a fashionably disheveled state. ih. Claudio should have long light brown hair that looks rumpled. He should be dressed in very basic clothing, i.e. tights and tunic. A slight growth of stubble might enhance his boyish good loks, as well as signify his distress. kb.

A well-tanned, middle-aged man who is always wearing slacks, no socks, Italian loafers, a jacket with no shirt underneath and lots of gold medallions around his neck, the ultimate player. ih.

Wears clothes that draw attention through color and decoration. His dress should be luxurious but less conservative than the other members of the court. kb.

Lucio is a man who keeps the company of pimps and whores. He is a constant joker at the expense of others. In one scene he testifies against Pompey and Mistress Overdone, two people who take him into confidence at the beginning of the play. Lucio also slanders the Duke in the presence of the "friar" and later slanders the friar in the presence of the Duke. His conscienceless scruples and sexual promiscuousness lead to his persecution at the end of the play. ih.

Dress should be outrageous. Features should be unusually large and enhanced with colorful make-up. His outfit should mimic the styles of the aristocracy, but be composed of colorful and gaudy materials. kb.

Wears the same cheap suit every day that is made out of bright colors; resembles a jester's outfit. ih.

Pompey is Mistress Overdone's tapster or pimp. He is in the business of prostitution and he is frank about it in his conversations with Overdone and Lucio. Pompey is also candid about the laws against pre-marital sex; he states to Escalus that laws will not stop people from doing what they want to do. ih.

Isabella offers an example of the highest possible character, since she will not sacrifice her own honor or her brother's in order to save her brother's life. dw. Holds strong convictions as far as her morals are concerned, and considers her own soul and salvation. Pure; intelligent; beautiful, her outer beauty a reflection of her inner purity; loving.

While Isabella is chaste and merciful in all outward appearances, she is unwilling to give up her virginity to Angelo in exchange for Claudio's life, yet she is ready to sacrifice Mariana's chastity for the cause. dw. Thinks she is so virtuous that it becomes a vanity for her. ad. Sanctimonious, hypocritical, intelligent, beautiful.

Mariana should be less attractive than Isabella. Her coloring and general appearance should resemble Isabella's to some extent. Her dress should be more modest than that worn by those in the aristocracy. kb

Alternatively, Mariana is very beautiful but not very smart, when she is interpreted as witless and desperate. She wears noble garb of dark color because she is sad that her betrothed, Angelo, has rejected her. ih.