The play brings up many questions of sexual intercourse and when it is deemed appropriate to take part in such a sensual act. In Measure for Measure, the reader almost immediately discovers that a sexual encounter between two unmarried people is a punishable crime. Lord Angelo reinforces the law that sexual involvement outside of marriage will result in execution. Obviously, the character of Claudio is accused of committing such a crime with Juliet, now pregnant with his baby.
Later in the play we learned that Claudio's sister, Isabella, pleads with Angelo to led her brother free. Lord Angelo proposes that Isabella give up her own body, have sex with another man, in order to save her brother. In my reading of this play, it seems as though the “man” that Angelo is hinting at is himself. Since he seems to like and be interested in Isabella, he wants Isabella to have sex with him. Ironically enough, the potential encounter between Angelo and Isabella would be the same crime that Claudio committed. Angelo's proposal is completely hypocritical of his own law enforcement!
Despite the hypocrisy of Angelo's suggestion, there is an even bigger issue to debate. This debate circulates around Isabella's choice to sin (and take part in sexual involvement outside of marriage), in order to save her brother, Claudio. Will she give up her virginity in order to save her own brother? Must she let go of her chastity so that a family member can live? In my opinion, this is unfair to ask someone, and of course, it would be a hard decision for anyone make if put in that situation. Sin for the life of a loved-one? OR... Have self pride and self worth, but loose the life of a family member?
Isabella is given complete power in this part of the play. Will her brother live? Or will he die? In the reading, we find out that she refuses Angelo's proposal. I believe that she decides against his suggestion because it is solely based on sexual power. She is not given any other way of saving her brother, besides a sexual favor, if you will. Some readers may see this is choice as being selfish or not being completely committed to the family; however, I see it as female, self empowerment. She is not going to just give up her body, and I believe it is a strong and powerful message to women. Of course Isabella's circumstances are highly dramatic, but I think that the message is important. Women are not just powerful through acts of sex, and you don't have to have sex in order to please people, or in Isabella's case, save others.
2 comments:
It does seem weird that Angelo, the one who is stictly enforcing the law on sex out of marriage, would make this proposal to Isabella. I feel this can fit in with the play's themes in two possible ways. The first possibility is Angelo's good natured character could just be a public disguise, where he is fooling everyone. Therefore he is enforcing the law to make himself appear to be this highly moral figure.
Another possibility is he is simply testing Isabella just to see if she would actually go through with the sexual act. Maybe he has no real intentions of sleeping with her, and will reveal his test at the last moment right before the sexual act is about to occur. I look forward to reading on to see how this plot comes about.
I like the connection you draw here, Emily, between power and female sexuality. This came up in our discussion of the play last week, and here you make a good case Isabella's assertion of control is a favorable use of her sexuality. I wonder what you think of the other side of the argument: that the focus on sexuality in defining women is demeaning?
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