Act I
Scene 1
The Court of the Duke of Vienna
The Duke must leave town immediately, but gives no reason for it. He congratulates Escalus, his right hand man, for his understanding of people and politics-- then adds that a young, inexperienced Puritan named Angelo will be left in charge of the city while the Duke is gone. Angelo requests a test before receiving such a great honor. The Duke leaves them "to what befalls you."

Scene 2
A street
Lucio carouses with a rowdy group of "gentlemen". When Mistress Overdone shows up, Lucio admits to acquiring numerous diseases in her brothel. She announces that their friend Claudio has been arrested "for getting Madam Julietta with child," and that within three days his head is to be chopped off. The men rush off to find their friend.

Pompey, the tapster (bartender) and bawd (pimp) of Mistress Overdone's brothel, brings more bad news: there is a new decree that "all brothels in the suburbs must be plucked down."

The Provost (head jailer) drags Claudio through the streets on his way to prison. Lucio catches up with them and Claudio asks him to go to his sister, Isabella, who is about to enter a convent, and ask her to plead with Angelo for his life.

Scene 3
Monastary
The Duke asks Friar Peter for a priest's frock and instructions on how to behave "like a true friar". He explains that he has been negligent in enforcing the laws against lechery for years. He has put Angelo in charge of enforcing those laws, so he won't be disliked. He wants the friar's robe so he can watch what happens undetected. The friar gives him the robe.

Scene 4
A Nunnery
Isabella is about to enter a strict order of nuns. When a man's voice is heard at the gate, she is ordered to "know his business of him," since she has not yet taken her vows--the nuns are not allowed to speak to men. The man turns out to be Lucio who informs her of her brother Claudio's predicament and asks her to plead with Angelo for his life. "What poor ability's in me?" she asks, and Lucio encourages her: "Our doubts are traitors / And make us lose the good we oft might win / By fearing to attempt." She agrees to present her brother's suit to Angelo.

Act II
Scene 1
The Court of the Duke of Vienna
Angelo reiterates his demand that Claudio be executed to Escalus, who grudgingly resigns himself to the decision.
A foolish constable, Elbow, brings before the court "two notorious benefactors," Pompey and Froth. Elbow accuses Froth of an undefined crime against his pregnant wife, but--despite rigorous interrogation--no crime can be uncovered. Escalus advises Froth, however, to stay away from tap houses, then warns Pompey about the stern new laws and threatens him with a whipping if he ever appears in his court again.

Scene 2
The Court of the Duke of Vienna
Isabella and Lucio are admitted to the court. Isabella begins her suit for Claudio's life timidly and is immediately rebuffed. Lucio urges her to try again. Gradually, she gains confidence and speaks eloquently of mercy. Angelo is moved by her beauty, passion and words. He leaves her with an ambiguous hope: "Come again tomorrow."
After she leaves, Angelo reveals in a tormented soliloquy that a fierce passion has risen within him: "What, do I desire her foully for the things that make her good?"

Scene 3
The Prison
The Duke visits the prison disguised as a friar. He offers the pregnant Juliet pretty platitudes about her sin and tells her that Claudio "as I hear, must die tomorrow."

Scene 4
A Room in Angelo's House
Angelo has struggled all night with his guilt and desire. He tells Isabella that her brother must die, but begins making veiled overtures of love. Isabella misunderstands. He becomes bolder, finally blurting out that he will spare her brother's life if she will sleep with him. She threatens to expose his evil to the world, and he responds with an ultimatum: "Redeem thy brother / By yielding up thy body to my will, / Or else he must not only die the death, / But thy unkindness shall his death draw out / To lingering sufferance."

Convinced that no one will believe her, she decides to go to her brother, Claudio, confident that, "Had he twenty heads to tender down / On twenty bloody blocks, he'd yield them up / Before his sister should her body stoop / To such abhorred pollution."

Act III
Scene 1
The Prison
The Duke, disguised as a friar, visits Claudio in prison and advises him to "be absolute for death," since life isn't that great anyway. When Isabella arrives, the Duke hides where he can listen in on their conversation.

Isabella breaks the news to Claudio: he must die. She then admits there is one way to save his life. Claudio is outraged by Angelo's ultimatum and resolves himself for death. But then he starts to think. "Death is a fearful thing." He reasons that a forced sin is not a sin at all, and begs her, "O sweet sister, let me live." Isabella lashes out at Claudio: "I'll pray a thousand prayers for thy death, No word to save thee." Claudio is desperate to make amends with Isabella, but she leaves him in his cell alone and miserable.

The Duke assures Claudio that Angelo was only testing Isabella, and there never was any real hope of pardon, so "Go to your knees and make ready." He then proposes a plot to Isabella that will save her brother, make another woman happy and get revenge, all without damaging her honor. She must go to Angelo and arrange to have sex with him in a dark, private place. Then she must go to Mariana, a woman who was engaged to, and rejected by, Angelo several years earlier. She must convince Mariana to sleep with Angelo in her place. Once Angelo has released Claudio, they will publicly expose Angelo. Isabella agrees to meet the Duke/Friar at Mariana's house.

Pompey is dragged into prison. The Duke/Friar scolds him for being a bawd. Lucio tells "the friar" lewd tales about the absent Duke.

Mistress Overdone and a pack of whores are hauled in. Mistress Overdone offers evidence against Lucio, hoping for mercy. An order is sent for Lucio's arrest, but Mistress Overdone is hauled off to prison anyway.

Act IV
Scene 1
Mariana's Garden
The Duke/Friar visits Mariana. An excited Isabella reveals the details of the secret rendezvous in the dark she has arranged with Angelo. Mariana is eager to offer her services, and the two women set off for the clandestine meeting.

Scene 2
The Prison
The Provost makes an offer that Pompey can't refuse: he may earn his freedom by becoming the executioner's assistant. Pompey replies, "Sir, I have been an unlawful bawd time out of mind, but yet I will consent to be a lawful hangman." Pompey is introduced to the executioner, Abhorson, who is offended by Pompey's trade, but agrees to teach him his "mystery".

The Duke/Friar arrives, expecting to hear of Claudio's pardon, but no word has been sent. A message is delivered ordering the Provost to execute Claudio and deliver his head to Angelo. The Duke/Friar talks the Provost into sending the head of Barnardine, instead--a drunk who has been imprisoned for nine years.

Pompey discovers that the prison is almost like home, since most of Mistress Overdone's old customers are now residing there. He and Abhorson call Barnardine to rise from his drunken sleep to be executed, but Barnardine won't hear of it: "I have been drinking hard all night, and I am not fitted for it." No one can talk him into it.

The Provost reports that "one Ragozine, a notorious pirate," has conveniently "died this morning of a strange fever,"
so the Duke sends the Provost to cut off Ragozine's head and deliver it to Claudio.

Isabella is anxious to know if Angelo has freed Claudio yet. The Duke announces that "He has released him, Isabel--from the world." Isabella vows to "pluck out his eyes!" The Duke convinces her to take a letter from the Duke to Friar Peter and follow instructions.

Scene 4
Various Locations
Everyone receives letters from the Duke, announcing his arrival. All of the letters contradict each other and no one knows what is going on, but everyone is instructed to meet him at the gates of the city.

The trumpets sound, the Duke arrives, and we wouldn't want to give away what happens next.

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