*Sorry this is late. I missed this and class due to a Benadryl induced coma. It won't happen again!*
The character of Isabella has really interested me in "Measure for Measure". There was a post last week questioning the reason that Isabella would have listened to the idea the Duke gave her while he was disguised as the Friar. I had first commented that it was because of the fact that the Friar was a part of the clergy and therefore, in her mind, would not be giving her bad advice. I still believe this is true, but I have also come up with another idea.
I think that maybe, though this could be a stretch, that Isabella's morals are also being tested here. Even though it was a member of the clergy that was telling her this scheme, shouldn't she have realized that it was still wrong? I suppose that this argument could go on forever, but I think this is a convention of Shakespeare's comedy in a way: the questioning of morals.
What led me to this is the idea of Satan and deception. Not only is the Duke deceiving Isabella by putting on a disguise (of a Friar, no less) but Isabella, by listening to this proposition is going to deceive Angelo by having Mariana meet him instead of herself. Even though this is all to save her brother and expose Angelo for something good, it still goes against Christian morals.
Ultimately, I think that Isabella is definitely a wholesome character with just as many flaws as anyone else, and maybe I'm just pulling the Satan idea from thin air, but I did think it was important to the understanding of the law and the characters in the play as a whole.
4 comments:
I definitely see where you're coming from here. Recall the line from Merchant of Venice (I'm paraphrasing here): The devil can quote scripture for his purpose. Now, I think it's a bit harsh to call the Duke Satan (he's simply a sub-par ruler) but the parallel is easy to see. It's also very easy to feel bad for Isabella, who is constantly deceived and pulled in a million directions through the whole play. She is ultimately the one who decides if both Claudio (well, initially anyway) and Angelo live or die. Of course, she never asked for that power. I believe it's just all too much for the little wannabe nun to handle! But, she does well and surpasses the Duke in competence. As I've said before, she would make the best ruler in this world.
I agree with this. I feel like "Measure for Measure" is just a complicated exercise in morality in so many ways. We discussed this in class a bit the other day, but I've definitely noticed how blurred the lines of virtue became as the play wore on. And Isabella, regardless of the fact that she's probably the most moral character, is really no different. Humanity doesn't discriminate.
I really think the points you raised in your post were quite intriguing. I too was fascinated with the character of Isabella. I think that your idea that Isabella's morals are being tested is really interesting and it was something that I too thought about while reading.
I agree with this too. I feel like the entire time Isabella is walking a thin line between losing her morals and keeping them. I also agree that a lot of characters do question their morals. Ultimately, nearly every character is flawed but Isabella really only has a small flaw compared to the other characters.
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