Measure for Measure is one of my favourites and I'm glad they enjoyed it so much. But it's much darker than they imply. The Duke is not necessarily 'soft hearted', more manipulative; and the ending where he informs Isabella he will marry her is not usually played as a happy ending anymore.
The play has the only Shakespearean comic scenes that are still remotely funny. Angelo's struggle with temptation is also fascinating.
Been teaching Shakespeare at the college level for a long time. At the end of the semester I like to ask them which play they'd cut from the syllabus next semester and which they'd insist on keeping for the next group.
Measure for Measure consistently tops the list of keepers year after year.
> The play has the only Shakespearean comic scenes that are still remotely funny.
This seems rather extreme. None of the other comedies make the grade? Not to mention comic scenes in the history plays (for example, pretty much any scene with Falstaff in Henry IV), and even in some of the tragedies (for example, Osric inviting Hamlet to duel with Laertes)?
The play has the only Shakespearean comic scenes that are still remotely funny. Angelo's struggle with temptation is also fascinating.
The BBC radio play of it is also excellent https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b0wrpp