Measure for Measure - Isabella

Stevenson (20th Century) Low-key misogynistic quote on how Isabella’s character is presented for the audience

A partial non-liking of Isabella is baked in to the play

G.W Knight (20th Century) quote on Isabella’s emotions

Isabella lacks human feelings

Kamps and Raber (21st Century) on Isabella, religion & patriarchy

Isabella substitutes the patriarchal authority of God and the Church for the worldly patriarchy of marriage, family and state

Kamps and Raber on what the Duke’s proposal intends to do for Isabella

replace god, and return her to a world where women are, as mothers vehicles for patriarchal transition of wealth

Kamps and Raber reading isabella’s character with a new historicist lens

A contemporary audience may have “condemned isabella’s desire to join a restrictive female community as a peverse rejection to her duties as a mother”

critic the critic - kamps and raber

By reading Isabella with a new historicist lens they begin to unpack why we have this ‘partial nonliking of her’ baked into the play - yet they don’t really defend or criticise her, only theoretical.

Coleridge (19th century) on Isabella

Isabella interests me the least,,, she contrives to be unamiable

Sir Arthur Quiller Couch (19th Century) on Isabella

There is something rancid in her chastity

Complicité, 2004 production of Measure for Measure

Directed by Simon McBurney. Intention was to paint the Duke as a ‘master manipulator’, by revealing the bed at the end (hinting that the Duke’s plan all along was to bed Isabella). Evokes sympathy for her. Add in bit about Complicite’s intentions when discussing this

Ian Todd on changing productions of M4M & why they differ over time

“Measure for measure will continue to be reframed through the lens of current political events”

1994 production of M4M with Stella Gonet playing Isabella

Changed in to trousers from a skirt during the play “showing the shift in power dynamics between her and figures of authority”

Spencer, 20th Century on Isabella connecting the play’s themes

Isabella is the play’s battleground - allowing the audience to enjoy the comedy and invest in the personal feeling

Spencer on the final statement

By passively accepting the Duke, Isabella suggests that “a woman’s seuality is never hers to control”

Critic the critic (spencer)

He suggests that the final statement isn’t the most important thing & that we dwell too much on it - when instead the final statement & our response is a marker to track changing attitudes to women over time and politics (IMO)

Devlin (20th Century) Isabella’s desiscion

“Isabella faces a moral dilemma where she must choose between justice and clemency (mercy)”

Critic the critic - devlin

On the right track - mutual opinion that the debate between justice and mercy permeates the play & intriguing to consider that all the power rests on Isabella to make that decision. Could argue that she doesn’t have the power to make that choice - being a woman, and the Duke has channelled her i a corner. The only power she has is whether to satisfy his desires and give in to the patriarchy.

Devlin on Isabella’s actions (standing up against the patriarchy)

“To Isabella, Claudio’s survival is a miracle. However to everyone else Isabella’s actions are the miracle.”

Pimlott (1994) production of M4M’s ending

Isabella slaps the duke, kisses him then turns away crying.

What is Pimlott attempting to convey through his ending

Similar themes to the ‘typical’ ending of her simply standing there w/no reaction - except more active. He is conveying her confusion & debate between morality, mercy and justice and how ‘human’ desires overtake everyone.

Lennox (18th century)-

Isabella is a mere vixen in her virtue

Marowitz 1991 production of M4M

Cut out many plotlines & scenes including Marianna, the bedtrick and the Duke’s effort to save Juliet. What remained was a constant stream of violence against Isabella

Intended to demonise the Duke and emphasise the treatment of women in Shakespeare’s plays

Blatchley 1962 production

Judi Dench as Isabella - played her as an inexperienced young woman discovering human weakness”. “an absorbing game of hide and seek”

A2S4 quote from Isabella on religious devotion outweighing love for her brother

Isabela, live chaste and brother die. More than our brother is our chastity

A2S2 Isabella quote on the law

O just but severe law

A2S4 Isabella quote on her values (also a misunderstanding)

I would rather give my body than my soul

Isabella on being chaste (her virginity|)

I speak not as desiring more , but rather wishing a more strict restraint

Maus

Isabella’s lie to Duke and Lucio saying that she was so empathetic for Claudio that she gave into Angelo A5S1

I begin with grief and shame to utter…My sisterly remorse confutes mine honour & i did yield to him.

Die! I would wish you died 1000 times

Claudio’s sin is a natural guiltiness

He’s not prepared for deaht scene - Isabella begs for Claudio;s life

A2S2 Isabella on how she faults the vice of desire not her brother

There is a vice i do abhorr, and most desire should meet the blow of justice. Let it be his fault and not my brother

A2S2 Isabella - powerful men have ‘symbols’ of authority… but mercy is above “this septre way”

The marshalls truncheon, nor judges robe becomes them with half so good a grace as mercy does

A2S4 death is martydom

The impression of keen whips id wear as rubies, and strip myself to death as a bed

A3S1 Isabella being cruel to claudio

Ill pray a thousand prayers for thy death, no word to save thee

A4 S3 Isabella’s unchristian rage

I will to him and pluck out his eyes

A4S4 - balanced (chiasmic) request from Isabella, shows sanity on situation

Make the truth appear where it seems hid, and hide the false that seems true

1983 Isabella (Stevenson) in Noble’s production

wore red bottomed heels under her nun’s dress, hinting at corruption

Kamps and Raber on proposal

Isabella’s reaction to Angelo’s proposal does not help us sympathise with her

Kirsch, Isabella self-acceptance

She offers herself as self-provocation because she hasn’t accepted herself as a woman

Critic the critic - Kirsch

Straight up wrong - feminity isn’t defined by conformity & just because Isabella doesn’t put herself as a standard Jacobean woman doesn’t mean she hasn’t accepted herself

Spencer discussing Isabella ignoring/walking out of the proposal

Isabella ignoring the duke/walking out of the scene would be unlikely to have any theatrical validity before the 20th century

Kamps and Raber interpreting Isabella’s chastity

The play has a deliberate complexity when discussing female chastity