He is the executioner at the prison where Claudio is being held. His role in the play is a minor one. In IV.ii.21-60 when the provost offers him the bawd Pompey as an apprentice, Abhorson initially objects, arguing that Pompey will "discredit" the executioner's profession. In IV.iii.20-65, Abhorson is prevented from executing Barnardine because that prisoner is too drunk to be prepared for death. While Abhorson's encounters with Pompey and Barnardine are comical, his presence in the play also functions as a grim reminder that Claudio has been sentenced to death.
He is one of Duke Vincentio's assistants (the other, more senior, assistant is Escalus). On the pretext that he must leave Vienna for a while, the duke deputizes Angelo, praising his virtues and giving him authority over the administration of the.....
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