ACT 4 QUOTE ANALYSIS Flashcards
quotes and respective analyses of act 4
Abhorson- “Every true man’s apparel fits your thief….
… so every true man’s
apparel fits your thief.”
(43-47) Act 4 scene 2
Abhorson’s assertion of “mystery,” of a higher, elite class in both an economic and moral sense, rings as clearly false. He is, in other words, posturing as something greater than he actually is in the same way that Angelo postures as a moral authoritarian figure. Pompey’s use of equivocation to expose Abhorson’s pretension mirrors the doubling that the duke uses to expose Angelo as a fraud. Where Pompey substitutes the painter for the whore and the “honest man” for the “thief”, the Duke (doubling himself as a Friar) substitutes of Mariana for Isabella and Barnardine’s head for Claudio’s.
Duke- “To make her heavenly comforts of despair”
the duke is malicious in the way he makes isabella suffer near the end of the play, the duke’s manipulative quality and puppeteering nature begets his empathy.
Isabella has suffered enough; she has been humiliated, blamed, berated- the inkling of hope and happiness of getting her brother back is nulled by the Duke. The duke is so incredibly narcistic he not only controls peoples actions anymore, he has moved onto manipulating actions.
the unreasonable distress and despair he causes to Isabella is abominable. it clearly draws how all the men in the play even the ‘good’ ones feel like they have a right over the females bodies and minds regardless of being connected to them through a kinship or legal relationship.
Isabella- “Unhappy Claudio! wretched Isabel!
Injurious world! most damned Angelo!”
Isabella obviously offended, hurt, and angry at the falsified statement of the duke. what she says is a result of deception but in saying it she accurately describes the current situation.
Claudio is unhappy as he prepares to die believing he has no remedy, Isabella is wretched with grief; her kindling of hope snatched away from her, her beloved brother apparently gone forever, painful and inequitable world however not because Angelo killed her brother as she believes but because the duke exercises his absolute power by influencing and manipulating others the world unjustly lets them be used and lets the duke be the user– essentially for his own entertainment.
the duke’s plan to elaborately manipulate and decieve Angelo is somewhat understandable- he is in a position to deserve it but what has Claudio done? or julietta? or most importantly Isabella? if anything she has diligently obeyed the duke, maintained her chastity; stayed true to her virtue. what quality/deed commands the duke to decieve her so cruelly?
the answer is nothing, it is the duke’s narcissism; his need to be in control of others; control of everyone’s psychological and physical autonomy. he derives pleasure by playing God essentially, his manipulation is not for the seeming untainted reasons he presents to have.
Lucio- “I can tell thee pretty tales of the duke”
i think its funny how he digs his own grave.
Angelo- “Would yet he had lived!”
Angelo expresses an extensive level of regret, not because it would’ve been the right thing to do, or however right you can call it. but because it now threatens his reputation.
one toe unto the realm of sin and now all his soul knows is its blemishes. Angelo realizes his mistake but not for the right reasons nor was Claudio’s seeming death carried out for selfless, virtuous reasons.
he is no longer that moral of a man with a singular fatal flaw- he is an immoral, selfish, unclean man. rather than remorse he tallies his one wrong with many others- lying and conniving. displaying not a spec of guilt or remorse for what he has done to the siblings.
