Compare the characters of Angelo and Isabella and discuss how they are characters of absolutes in 'Measure for Measure'.

Isabella wants to avoid the pressure that the world would require of her. She would be expected to get married, have children, run a household, and submit her will to that of her husband, who may or may not be a virtuous person himself. If she once had any property it would become the property of her husband as soon as they were married. She would then become solely reliant upon the good will of her husband, something that the modern audience cannot comprehend. Once she joins the convent Isabella would be spared the need to go into the world outside with the responsibility of a husband, household, children, etc... By avoiding the world outside she also avoids the persecution of her beliefs and the unappealing situations that could occur, such as attacks on her virginity.

Up until the end of ActII SceneII we see very little of Angelo's inner thoughts, but at the end of the scene where he meets Isabella Shakespeare gives the audience an inside view of the inner feelings of Angelo with a Soliloquy. This gives the opportunity to see Angelo's lack of life experience being admitted. In the Soliloquy Angelo muses on his previous immunity to sexual desires. After seeing Angelo's recent harshness shown to Claudio for being tempted into sex before marriage we see the same early desires being aroused in Angelo and sudden vulnerability of his situation. "Oh cunning enemy that, to catch a saint, with saints dost bait thy hook! Most dangerous." Angelo here is realising that he is being tempted, he says that the devil is tempting the good using good people, but we see the newness of this situation and emotion to Angelo when he says; "When men were fond, I smil'd and wondered how," Here Angelo is now admitting his physical attraction to Isabella and now he understands situations like Claudio's, but to the audience Angelo is starting to look like a hypocrite. Not so long ago he expressed his certainty in the sentence he gave Claudio and here he is now experiencing the same cycle of events.

Things change for Angelo when he falls for Isabella. He has never felt sexual desire before, in the same way, as he has never broken the law. In his arrogance he feels that he never could sin, because he feels superior to anyone else. He does not understand why he has feelings for Isabella, as he always thought he was above human emotions. He compares himself to a saint: "Cunning enemy that, to catch a saint, with saints dost bait thy hook". He is saying that the devil has used Isabella as bait with which to tempt him. This is due to his unwillingness to accept that he can feel normal, human emotions. Nevertheless, with the awakening of his own feelings, he begins to gain some empathy for others: "Ever till now when men were fond, I smiled, and wondered how". We can see here that, Angelo begins to understand how people feel when they love someone; he no longer mocks them. He can understand Angelo a little more from this quotation. He realises that he has no experience, and yet has patronised others.

To understand how Angelo's character develops throughout the play we must look back to Act one Scene one. Angelo leads us to believe that he feels he is not yet ready for the job. "Let there be some test made of my metal..." Angelo is either being honest, or he is acting in order to appear to be humble. Those who believed Angelo to be honourable can begin to doubt this in him, when we start to see his arrogance along with his confidence: "'Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus, another thing to fail". We can see Angelo's arrogance here; he is speaking with little or no respect to an old and trusted lord, someone who has much greater experience than him. Here we can see how Angelo's confidence is based upon arrogance and an inflated sense of self-importance. This shows the audience that Angelo's previously humble manner was used in order to ingratiate himself to the Duke. This gives the audience evidence to show that Angelo is "An hypocrite". His hypocrisy here shows his ability and will to manipulate others in order to get his own way.

The hypocrisy of Angelo is based on the fact that whilst he genuinely believes in the laws that he wants to enforce, once his emotions are awakened he cannot resist his desire for Isabella, and he begins to believe that he has the right to be above the law. Angelo tries to separate the execution of Claudio and his passion for Isabella in his mind. He does not connect the two acts, and cannot see that one contradicts the other: "took your brother's life, or to redeem him/ Give up your body to such sweet uncleanness/ As she that he hath stained". Here Angelo shows the audience how he is willing to act hypocritically. Although Angelo is determined to uphold the law, he also does not see how his own double standards towards Claudio and Isabella go against his principles, because of his desire to gain everything without any loss. He refuses to see that one act directly affects the other, and when he falls for Isabella he does not consider the consequences of how the chain of events may affect him. He risks all to have everything he wants, sex with Isabella and the death of Claudio. Angelo is deceiving himself as well as risking everything. The audience here can see Angelo as a "Pernicious caitiff" and "an Hypocrite", from these acts we can see his determination and need to gain everything he desires.

Angelo is willing to allow Claudio to go free in exchange of Isabella sleeping with him, the very crime Claudio is on trial for in the first place, sacrificing his ideology on upholding the law at all costs. In parallel to this Isabella compromises her values in readily agreeing to the Duke's proposal that Mariana goes to Angelo in her place. Having refused to give up her chastity in order to save her brother's life, as it would prevent her an eternal life in heaven, too greater price for Claudio's mortal life, she says; 'Better it were a brother died at once That a sister by redeeming him, Should die forever.

Before Act 5 we have a good idea as to her character, we know that she remains by her principles and is not easily influenced by people, even close family. She wanted the rules at the convent to be stricter, which shows her very apparent free will, and determination to do things right. She has already stood up to Angelo when he propositioned her to sleep with him in return for Claudio's life, and when she relayed this information to Claudio she stood up to even him. All of this shows us just how much Isabella values her morals and religion. she is being extremely stubborn.

Overall I think that Shakespeare has portrayed Isabella as a very strong female character in a male dominated play, she is the only woman to really have her own say and individuality. Mariana is only interested in getting her husband back; Mistress Overdone is hardly a good, strong, upright member of the community. Isabella may even be the most just and un-corrupt character in Measure for Measure. Because while most of the other main characters have major flaws or ulterior motives, she seems to wear her thoughts on her sleeve so to speak. I think that Shakespeare put Isabella in the play to create a balance between the characters; she gives some much needed morality and common sense to a lot of the play. The audience can relate to Isabella in such a way that they initially feel some anger at her intransigence, but they inevitably later on are sympathetic of her position. To say that Angelo and Isabella are characters of absolute is true in some circumstances for example they both have rules and want to follow the rules strictly, however Angelo is a man who wants power and control. Whereas Isabella is a woman who wants good for everyone, she is pure and kind.