Problems in the Assessment of Isabella in Measure for Measure

Abstract

Isabella is a problematic character in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. She has been described as an angel of mercy or a paragon of feminine virtue. However, her character is ambiguous. In particular, her silence in front of the Duke at the end of the play can not be easily understood. As Marcia Riefer points out, she changes from “an articulate, compassionate woman during her first encounter with Angelo, to a stunned, angry, defensive woman in her later confrontations with Angelo and with her imprisoned brother.” She ultimately becomes submissive to male authority represented by the Duke. Isabella is neither an angel of mercy nor a symbol of virtue; she is an ambiguous, arrogant, hypocritical, and cruel woman, representing incongruity between appearance and reality. She is the feminine counterpart of Angelo, who is arrogant and hypocritical. Furthermore, she represents a spiritual arrogance in her chastity and ferocity against her brother’s hope to live. Her ambivalent attitude toward Angelo should be critical. This paper explores Isabella’s ambiguous character and her dramatic function in the play. The meaning of this ambiguity will also be discussed.