Read the full text of Measure for Measure Act 4 Scene 3 with a side-by-side translation HERE.
- Pompey takes a look around the prison and declares that he feels like he's at his workplace, Mistress Overdone's brothel. (In other words, most of Overdone's customers are now in jail.)
- Abhorson calls Barnardine out of his cell and announces that it's time for him to be executed.
- Barnardine says he was partying and drinking all night, so he's not fit to be executed right now, on account of his terrible hangover.
- Pompey says the best cure for a hangover is a good hanging because it allows one to sleep it off…permanently.
- The Duke arrives in his friar disguise and offers to pray with Barnardine before he dies.
- Barnardine says he's not feeling well enough to be executed and says he's going back to his cell, but thanks anyway.
- The Duke orders Pompey and Abhorson to take Barnardine to the chopping block.
- The Duke complains to the Provost that Barnardine isn't prepared for death and it would be a "damnable" sin to execute a man who isn't ready to die.
- Duke Vincentio is upset because his plan to substitute Barnardine's head for Claudio's doesn't seem like it will work out. But then the Provost reveals that a pirate who looks like Claudio just died in the prison that morning – they can cut off his head and send it to Angelo. (Gee. What a strange coincidence.)
- The Provost runs off to hide both Claudio and Barnardine so Angelo won't know he's being scammed.
- The Duke writes Angelo a letter announcing that he'll be back in town soon and that Angelo should meet him at a fountain in Vienna.
- The Provost returns with Ragusine's head (we now have a name for the conveniently dead pirate who looks just like Claudio) and runs off to deliver it to Angelo.
- Isabella enters the prison asking about her brother.
- For some reason, the Duke decides it's a good idea to lie and say that, sadly, Claudio has been executed.
- Isabella is crushed, but the Duke calms her down by promising that he has a plan to punish Angelo.
- The Duke gives Isabella a letter to deliver to Friar Peter and promises her that she'll be able to lodge a complaint with the Duke who is due back in Vienna any day now. Isabella should meet with him at Mariana's house later that night.
- Lucio enters and declares that, if Duke Vincentio hadn't run off to some secret hiding place, Claudio never would have been executed.
- Lucio confesses that he once got a girl pregnant, but denied it when he was taken to court. As a result, he got off the hook without having to marry her.