II.i.47-50; Elbow misspeaking

"If it please your honor, I am the poor Duke's constable, and my name is Elbow. I do lean upon justice, sir, and do bring in here before your good honor two notorious benefactors."


This passage embodies the flawed speech of Elbow’s character. First, Elbow says, “I am the poor Duke’s constable.” This comment confuses who Elbow suggests is “poor.” In one way, he may be saying that he is the poor constable of the Duke but what he actually says is that the Duke, himself, is poor. Later, he substitutes the word malefactor for benefactor. After he is corrected by Angelo, he does not seem to be aware of his mistake or does not care that he has misspoken. This idea of substituting the incorrect word for the correct one is called a malapropism and is used extensively by Elbow and Pompey throughout Measure for Measure. Also, Elbow’s flawed speech seems to be parodying the legal process because words begin to lose meaning. The fact that he cannot seem to speak what he means touches upon Shakespeare’s ideas regarding speech. In many ways, Measure for Measure is a play about rhetorical power. When characters are able to find their public voice, they are saved from tragedy. Using Elbow’s character, Shakespeare shows the opposite side of this idea. Because of the fact that Elbow cannot achieve linguistic cunning, he does not reach a respectable position within the world of the play.