Love, Lust, and Guilt in Measure for Measure
In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare uses lust and marriage to set up the conventions of Vienna’s society, and explain the devastating guilt the characters feel when confronted with these relationships. Claudio, a man that seems to truly love Juliet, feels guilt for what he is told is a sin - conceiving a child out of marriage. Isabella, too, is put off by feelings of lust or even love, as she sees them as dangerous pathways to a sinful life. The Duke is much like Isabella, and is extremely proud of his ability to keep from falling to love. Angelo also feels pride that such sinful avenues will not influence him, though he clearly lusts after Isabella, and at one point was engaged to Mariana. The themes of love and guilt are paramount in this play, and have a role in nearly every action.
Almost immediately we must reconcile the usually happy event of marriage with that of the unconventional, messy, and out of place. By highlighting each characters feelings surrounding love and …show more content…
When she hears of Angelo’s request of Isabella, she is all too willing to take her place in the bed trick to be with the man she loves again - and perhaps get a little revenge. In the final scenes when the punishments are being doled out, it is apparent that Mariana wishes to put their past behind her as she begs for leniency, and reveals that Claudio did not in fact marry Isabella, but Mariana. “ He knew me as a wife. As this is true, /Let me in safety raise me from my knees/Or else forever be confixèd here/A marble monument” (4:1 229-232). She loves him so much she will beg on her knees for him to not be imprisoned, and as always, Angelo fails to love and instead continues to refuse their marriage. He petulantly continues to refuse her, even though his marriage to Mariana and her love is all that keeps him from being guilty of
In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare uses lust and marriage to set up the conventions of Vienna’s society, and explain the devastating guilt the characters feel when confronted with these relationships. Claudio, a man that seems to truly love Juliet, feels guilt for what he is told is a sin - conceiving a child out of marriage. Isabella, too, is put off by feelings of lust or even love, as she sees them as dangerous pathways to a sinful life. The Duke is much like Isabella, and is extremely proud of his ability to keep from falling to love. Angelo also feels pride that such sinful avenues will not influence him, though he clearly lusts after Isabella, and at one point was engaged to Mariana. The themes of love and guilt are paramount in this play, and have a role in nearly every action.
Almost immediately we must reconcile the usually happy event of marriage with that of the unconventional, messy, and out of place. By highlighting each characters feelings surrounding love and …show more content…
When she hears of Angelo’s request of Isabella, she is all too willing to take her place in the bed trick to be with the man she loves again - and perhaps get a little revenge. In the final scenes when the punishments are being doled out, it is apparent that Mariana wishes to put their past behind her as she begs for leniency, and reveals that Claudio did not in fact marry Isabella, but Mariana. “ He knew me as a wife. As this is true, /Let me in safety raise me from my knees/Or else forever be confixèd here/A marble monument” (4:1 229-232). She loves him so much she will beg on her knees for him to not be imprisoned, and as always, Angelo fails to love and instead continues to refuse their marriage. He petulantly continues to refuse her, even though his marriage to Mariana and her love is all that keeps him from being guilty of