The play “Measure for Measure” by William Shakespeare actually has several focuses: strict vs. softer governance, virtue as opposed to vice, and the qualities of an effective ruler, embodied by Duke. The present paper discusses Duke’s attitude towards governance and sexuality. Speaking about governance, Duke is, to a great extent, a wise ruler. In order to conduct an experiment and investigate which regime is most appropriate in Vienna, he decides to delegate his entitlements to Lord Angelo and walk around the city for some time so that he discusses the most bothersome issues directly with individuals. Duke is, in fact, concerned about the softness of his governance, in particular, about the absence of effective measures beyond the “dead” legislation to regulate the most important aspects of the society’s functioning: “So our decrees, Dead to infliction, to themselves are dead; And liberty plucks justice by the nose; The baby beats the nurse and quite athwart Goes all decorum” (Shakespeare, 2002). On the other hand, if the law is only a tool of threatening and intimidating people, the society under this regime is unlikely to breed productive and happy individuals, as Duke observes. Duke, in fact, is committed to his nationals rather than to political power, authority and influence: “And to behold his sway, I will, as ‘there a brother of your order, Visit both prince and people” (Act 1, Scene 3). In spite of the existence of certain principles and models of the ruling, Duke is broad-minded and willing to develop or adopt another model or measures if they appear more preferable to the society. These qualities make him a flexible and adaptable governor. As for his attitude towards sexuality, Duke doesn’t view sex as a leading issue in human life, but in the context of youth, the character wisely suggests that this stage of development is most appropriate for affections and passions, as, in older adulthood, individuals become increasingly more “asexual”: “All thy blessed youth Becomes as aged, and doth beg the alms Of palsied eld; and when thou art old and rich, Thou hast neither heat, affection, limb, nor beauty To make thy riches pleasant” (Act 3, Scene 1). On the other hand, Duke appears intolerant to sexual harassment and violence: for instance, he intends to condemn Angelo to death row for his obscene propositions to Isabella. On the other hand, in the context of gender, Duke values rather virtuous women who care about their reputations. Thus, he admires Isabella and in the dialogues with the girl underlines her purity and spiritual nobility, even though she is a really attractive young lady: “The hand that hath made you fair made you good: The goodness that is cheap in beauty makes beauty brief in goodness; but grace, being the soul of your complexion, shall keep the body of it ever fair” (Act 3, Scene 1). Thus, in terms of gender, this character seeks to marry a woman, in whom external beauty is congruent to internal honor and veracity. In the last scene, Duke punishes Lucio with the marriage to a prostitute, a person of “second chop,” due to the fact that she turns her sexuality into a commercial product. To sum up, Duke is a “people’s ruler” who manages to adjust his mode and regime of governance to the actual needs of Viennese residents. Even though he seems too “soft” in the first scenes, Duke finally proves his ability to find a balance between stringen