I'm going to return to Measure for Measure real quick. I just wanted to say how I feel bad for Isabella, and that I do not think that the ending was all around satisfactory. I'm not even going to get into my feelings about Angelo, because what he asked of Isabella was wrong all around and I cannot express enough how much he creeps me out.
I think Isabella's decision to not give up her virginity to save her brother's life was definitely justified. Although Claudio's crime may not have been as bad as some others, which were ignored, Isabella still believed that her brother committed a sin. As much as she wanted to save his life, she did not want to do so by committing the same sin herself by giving up her virginity to Angelo. At first Claudio was cool with this, but then he changed his mind and saw her as being selfish.
I do not think that Isabella was being selfish. Isabella sincerely believed that her brother was going to hell for his actions; she didn't want to have to condemn herself just to extend his life for a little while, especially since she wanted to become a nun. Nobody should ever be forced or guilted into sleeping with somebody.
As for the Duke, it just annoyed me endlessly how he proposed to Isabella at the end. Was he planning this all along, or did he just happen to notice that she is a strong, independent woman and decide that he wanted her, just as Angelo did? We don't really know for sure, and we never find out what her answer to him is in the end because she has no dialogue. I like that this gives directors of different productions of this play freedom the play around with this and decide how they want Isabella to react through expression. However, I did not like that the Duke did not seem to give her much of a chance to answer, and that he asked for her hand in marriage even though he knew that she was going to become a nun. Even though in the end her brother's life was spared because of the Duke's master plan, I just don't see how Isabella would even consider marrying him after he lied about Claudio's death and tricked her.
I like your defense of Isabel! Especially when you point out the fact that she has really no other say in anything she does or owns. Her virginity is basically her last option, the only thing she can have control over. And Angelo wants to take that. Her brother's 'selfish' remark though I think is basically just desperation at this point, though, to be fair, I don't think I would be as stubborn as Isabel. But yesssss. I like your defense and your commentary.
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