Isabella quotes Flashcards
What are isiabellas flaws and why? Quote=
‘More than our brother is our chastity.’
Selfish nature of Isabella - she is willing to forget about her sibling to prioritise her virginity and her religious beliefs.
- Suggestion that ‘Isabella’s flaws arise from her inexperience’ - because she is an inexperienced character she takes her religion more seriously than the feelings of others therefore comparable to Angelo.
- ‘She’s an absolutist’ - she does everything to the extremes because she is a ‘virgin’ and wants to maintain that honour.
- ‘Isabella’s preoccupation with her chastity shows her spiritual arrogance’
what is Isabella trying to tell duke about the true Angelo? quote =
‘Unfold thy evil which is here, wrapt up in countenance.’
- Brave and strong nature, she is asking the Duke to look deeper than what is on the surface and can see beneath the lies and deceit of Angelo.
- Imperative nature of the quote suggests her strong character but also her absolutist nature as she calls the actions of the antagonists ‘evil’ depsite the fact she lets Mariana sleep with Angelo despite being a virgin.
what was Isabella emotions when she finds out Claudius choice of fornication? quote =
Oh you beast! You faithless coward! I’ll pray a thousand prayers for thy death, no word to save thee.’
- Exemplifies her absolutist and overwhelmingly emotional character as uses exclamatories to stress her anger at her brother for his choice in fornication.
- Feel guilt and sorrow for Isabella at this point as we realise that she now thinks he has died but also a sense of irony as the audience knows that Claudio isn’t dead.
- Again lets her emotions take over and ‘enjoys the arguments but not in a conscious way.’
Seen as a pivitol character within the play as she directs the men in the first half and is seen as a character unlike any that has been seen in Shakespeare before - she is a strong female. quote?
‘She can persuade’
- ‘Isabella has an extraordinary intellect, an extraordinary power of argument and facility with language.’
- Seen as a pivitol character within the play as she directs the men in the first half and is seen as a character unlike any that has been seen in Shakespeare before - she is a strong female.
- By the end changes character though as she becomes more submissive to the males in the play.
She is valued throughout the play as a character with ‘intellect’ but also a character that is viewed throughout society as strong. quote
‘prosperous art when she will play with reason and discourse.’
- She is valued throughout the play as a character with ‘intellect’ but also a character that is viewed throughout society as strong.
- Someone that can match Angelo with her words and therefore she ‘enjoys arguing though she may not be conscious of it’
Wise and intelligent words demonstrated here from Isabella which presents her just nature and just views compared to Angelo and The Duke. quote
It is excellent to have a giant’s strength but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.’
- Wise and intelligent words demonstrated here from Isabella which presents her just nature and just views compared to Angelo and The Duke.
- Perhaps could be recounting back to the Duke’s rule over Vienna and how it is a ‘stinking underworld’ in which people are struggling and therefore how his rule is cruel again with Angelo too as she sees him as a cruel leader for killing her ‘poor Claudio/brother’
- ‘I think she came to understand people, human fragility and fallibility.’
Just nature of Isabella coming through but also her naivety as it is argued that her ‘flaws come through in her inexperience’.
‘I speak not as desiring more, but rather wishing a more strict restraint.’
- Just nature of Isabella coming through but also her naivety as it is argued that her ‘flaws come through in her inexperience’.
- Empowering Feminist nature comes through as she decides that she wants to see a more fair society but this back fires as Angelo comes into power and abuses this power becoming a ‘tyrant’
Shows her ‘spiritual arrogance’
Death is a fearful thing but shamed life a hateful.’
- Shows her ‘spiritual arrogance’ throughout the play as again we are reminded of the quote ‘more than our brother is our chastity’ which is the horrible truth.
- She would rather save her own virtue than her brother’s life and this presents her as selfish NOT selfless.
Shows her strict religious views and again the idea that she is willing to let her brother die and would not like to sleep with Angelo
‘There is a vice that most I do abhor’
- Shows her strict religious views and again the idea that she is willing to let her brother die and would not like to sleep with Angelo yet she still uses sexual metaphors
- ‘Her flaws arise from her inexperience’
- ‘A play of emotional collapses of the unpredictability of human nature under stress and of the disintegration of the carefully erected self image’
Recognises the Angelo as a tyrannous leader who abuses his power
There is a devilish mercy in the judge…that will free your life but fetter you till death.’
- Recognises the Angelo as a tyrannous leader who abuses his power like the giant simile but also perhaps comes to recognise the meddling ways of the Duke.
- ‘Every audience feels some kind of indignation as Angelo is freed’ and this exemplifies this idea.
Sexual metaphors used again which imply that Isabella would like to have sex with Angelo despite the fact she chooses to remain virtuous because of her religion
The impression of keep whips I’d wear as rubies, and strip myself to death as to a bed.’
- Sexual metaphors used again which imply that Isabella would like to have sex with Angelo despite the fact she chooses to remain virtuous because of her religion again linking to the quote ‘more than our brother is our chastity.’
- Femininist would agree that she is being submissive towards Angelo here despite the fact that she is ‘unaware of his own sexuality and that side of his character’
talking to Angelo about her brother
‘How I’ll bribe you!’
- When talking to Angelo about the death of her brother, using the exclamatory, conveys Isabella’s frustration at the matter surrounding the fact that Angelo will not free Claudio from death.
- Foreshadows the sense that Angelo will use Isabella’s sexual power against her and command her to ‘lay down the treasures of her (your) body’
- Shows the extremity that Isabella is willing to go to save her brother and reminds the audience of the sexual power that she holds over Angelo.
Soliloquy after Angelo confesses his love for Isabella.
That had he twenty heads to tender down / On twenty bloody blocks , he’d yield them up / Before his sister should her body stoop / To much abhorred pollution.’
- Soliloquy after Angelo confesses his love for Isabella.
- Presents the power and authority of Angelo over Isabella, even after she tried but failed to save her brother, she is helpless and therefore will never succeed as she realises until she lays ‘down the treasures of her (your) body’ to Angelo.
- Feminist response would be that she is powerless against men in a male dominated society and male dominated play - the men have the power but do not necessarily know how to use it
