Passage I (Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, II.ii — Angelo alone)
What's this, what's this? Is this her fault or mine?
The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?
Ha! Not she; nor doth she tempt; but it is I
That, lying by the violet in the sun,
Do as the carrion does, not as the flower,
Corrupt with virtuous season. Can it be
That modesty may more betray our sense
Than woman's lightness? Having waste ground enough,
Shall we desire to raze the sanctuary
And pitch our evils there? O, fie, fie, fie!
What dost thou, or what art thou, Angelo?
Dost thou desire her foully for those things
That make her good? O, let her brother live!
Thieves for their robbery have authority
When judges steal themselves. What, do I love her,
That I desire to hear her speak again,
And feast upon her eyes? What is't I dream on?
O cunning enemy, that, to catch a saint,
With saints dost bait thy hook! Most dangerous
Is that temptation that doth goad us on
To sin in loving virtue. Never could the strumpet,
With all her double vigour, art and nature,
Once stir my temper; but this virtuous maid
Subdues me quite. Ever till now,
When men were fond, I smiled and wondered how.
According to the speaker, how does temptation disguise itself?
Pick an option to check yourself, or open the answer below.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C. As a virtue
Explanation
'O cunning enemy, that, to catch a saint, / With saints dost bait thy hook!' — the devil uses a saintly person (Isabella's virtue) as bait. Temptation comes disguised as goodness.
More Reading Comprehension questions
- What kind of temptation does the speaker say is most dangerous?
- What emotion is the speaker feeling at the end of the passage?
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- What implicit assumption about language and expression underpins the passage's argument?
- What does the phrase 'possesses more power of delighting the sense, while it speaks to the intellect' imply about visual art?
- What does the passage emphasize as the true measure of greatness in painting and writing?